What is a STAR smog check, and do you need one in Huntington Beach?
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. Huntington Beach has 16 STAR certified smog check stations: 7 test-only and 9 test-and-repair, out of 30 licensed stations in the city. No STAR station in Huntington Beach 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 Huntington Beach
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 |
7 STAR test-only stations in Huntington Beach
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beach Smog Check | – | – | 16861 Beach Boulevard |
| HB Smog | – | – | 17281 Beach Blvd Suite B |
| Insta Tune | – | – | 7950 Yorktown Ave #9-10 |
| Pro Smog Test Only | – | – | 7652 Slater Ave 5 |
| Remember Your Smog Check | – | – | 20002 Beach Boulevard |
| Smog Depot | – | – | 7542 Warner Ave #108 |
| Smog Inn | – | – | 17222 Gothard St #e |
9 STAR test-and-repair stations in Huntington Beach
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expertec Automotive | – | – | 7680 Talbert Ave #a |
| Gustafson Brothers | – | – | 19161 Gothard St |
| Hans Imports | – | – | 7552 Talbert Ave |
| Just Smogs | – | – | 7722 Talbert St Unit B |
| Master Mechanix Automotive | – | – | 7321 Autopark Dr |
| O'Connell's Complete Auto Care | – | – | 17502 Gothard St |
| Roy Auto & Smog | – | – | 17532 Griffin Ln Ste 1 |
| Warner Gas & Smog | – | – | 5981 Warner Avenue |
| Warner Service | – | – | 5972 Warner Ave |
STAR stations near Huntington Beach
- 1 Stop Smog And Repair in Westminster, about 3 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
- All American Smog Test in Westminster, about 3 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
- CJ Smog Check in Garden Grove, about 7 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
- Garden Grove Star Smog Check in Garden Grove, about 7 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
- Emission Test Center Norwalk in Norwalk, about 14 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
- M & M Auto Clinic in Norwalk, about 14 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
- Downey Smog in Downey, about 17 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
- JJ's Auto Service in Downey, about 17 miles from the center of Huntington Beach
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 16 STAR stations listed in Huntington Beach can certify a directed car: 7 test-only and 9 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.