What is a STAR smog check, and do you need one in Downey?
A STAR station is one the Bureau of Automotive Repair has certified to higher performance standards. You need one only when your DMV renewal notice says “Smog Certification Required at a STAR station”, or after a gross polluter fail. Downey has 8 STAR certified smog check stations: 6 test-only and 2 test-and-repair, out of 17 licensed stations in the city. No STAR station in Downey has a priced coupon listed right now. In BAR’s September 2026 report, STAR test-only stations averaged $63.30 and STAR test-and-repair stations $71.80, plus the $8.25 certificate.
Updated
STAR smog check stations in Downey
Why you were directed to a STAR station
Your DMV renewal notice says “Smog Certification Required at a STAR station” for one of two reasons. BAR’s statistical profile picked the car as more likely than others to fail, or it was one of the 2% BAR selects at random in Enhanced areas to evaluate the program (BAR Smog Check Reference Guide). A car that failed as a gross polluter also needs a STAR station. Any STAR station below can certify it; a regular station can’t. More in what a STAR smog check is.
Does a STAR smog check cost more?
At test-only stations, yes on average. At test-and-repair stations, no. These are BAR’s statewide averages for September 2026, before the $8.25 certificate:
| Station type | STAR | Not STAR |
|---|---|---|
| Test-only | $63.30 | $56.77 |
| Test-and-repair | $71.80 | $75.26 |
6 STAR test-only stations in Downey
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downey Smog | 3.7 (71) | – | 10801 Studebaker |
| 16 Min Smog | – | – | 7924 Firestone Blvd #b |
| Downey Fast Pass | – | – | 11840 Woodruff Ave |
| Downey Smog Center | – | – | 11861 Paramount Blvd |
| Eagle Smog Check Downey | – | – | 9476 Telegraph Rd |
| Emission Test Center Downey | – | – | 12454 Bellflower Blvd |
2 STAR test-and-repair stations in Downey
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| JJ's Auto Service | 4.4 (242) | – | 12401 Woodruff Ave #1 |
| Jos Auto Center | – | – | 9112 Firestone Blvd |
STAR stations near Downey
- Emission Test Center Norwalk in Norwalk, about 4 miles from the center of Downey
- M & M Auto Clinic in Norwalk, about 4 miles from the center of Downey
- ABC Eastern Smog Test Only Center in Los Angeles, about 7 miles from the center of Downey
- ABC Olympic Test Only Center in Los Angeles, about 7 miles from the center of Downey
- Alhambra Smog Center in Alhambra, about 10 miles from the center of Downey
- Auto Pros 76 in Alhambra, about 10 miles from the center of Downey
- A1 Automotive Service in San Gabriel, about 12 miles from the center of Downey
- AE Smog Check Test Only in San Gabriel, about 12 miles from the center of Downey
Frequently asked questions
Only when your DMV renewal notice says "Smog Certification Required at a STAR station", or when the car failed as a gross polluter. BAR directs a car to STAR when its profile says it is more likely to fail, or at random (2% in Enhanced areas). Any car can still be tested at a STAR station.
Yes. All 8 STAR stations listed in Downey can certify a directed car: 6 test-only and 2 test-and-repair. Pick test-and-repair if the car may fail and you want it fixed in the same place.
At test-only stations, a little on average: BAR's September 2026 averages were $63.30 STAR vs $56.77 non-STAR. At test-and-repair stations STAR averaged less, $71.80 vs $75.26. All before the $8.25 certificate.
Not necessarily. "Star" in a shop's name says nothing about BAR's STAR certification. Every station in the list above is STAR certified in BAR's records; check any other at bar.ca.gov before you go.
BAR updates STAR scores every January and July.