What is a STAR smog check, and do you need one in Modesto?
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. Modesto has 28 STAR certified smog check stations: 8 test-only and 20 test-and-repair, out of 59 licensed stations in the city. The cheapest STAR coupon is $49.75 at Az-Tech Smog; the coupon says whether the $8.25 certificate is included.
Updated
STAR smog check stations in Modesto
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 |
8 STAR test-only stations in Modesto
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Az-Tech Smog | 4.2 (110) | $49.75 | 1324 N Carpenter Rd |
| A 1 Amigos Smog Center | – | – | 109 Amador Ave |
| AA Smog | – | – | 1616 Oakdale Rd #1 |
| McHenry Smog Center | – | – | 3536 Mchenry Ave Unit B |
| Smoggy Smog Check | – | – | 1729 Yosemite Blvd |
| Smogs Unlimited | – | – | 2133 Wylie Drive |
| Stanislaus Smog 2 | – | – | 3531 Carver Road |
| The Smog Shop | – | – | 125 Burney St |
20 STAR test-and-repair stations in Modesto
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Smog | 4.4 (340) | – | 830 Kansas Ave |
| A-1 Tony Hernandez Smog | – | – | 431 West Hatch Rd |
| Auto Traden Service | – | – | 425 W Hatch Rd |
| Bobbys Smog | – | – | 1515 Yosemite Blvd #b |
| Cisneros Auto Service & Smog | – | – | 2200 Crows Landing Rd |
| Europa Motors | – | – | 1624 Oakdale Rd |
| J & L Complete Automotive Repair | – | – | 711 Kansas Ave Ext |
| Kruse Lucas Imports | – | – | 525 Tully Rd |
| Paisano Auto Repair & Smog | – | – | 586 S 9th Street |
| Performance Smog | – | – | 1404 Carpenter Road Suite A |
| Precision Automotive | – | – | 1203 Scenic Dr |
| S & J Automotive | – | – | 1320 Angie Ave #b |
| Smog Check Unlimited | – | – | 325 Motor City Ct |
| Smog Dynamics | – | – | 830 Kansas Ave C3 |
| Smog Masters | – | – | 443 South 9th St |
| Speedee Oil Change & Auto Service | – | – | 1343 Coffee Road |
| Stanislaus Smog & Repair | – | – | 1400 North 9th Street |
| Titos Smog And Auto Repair | – | – | 696 Crows Landing Rd # 1-B |
| Valley Auto Tech | – | – | 101 La Loma Ave |
| Walkers Automotive | – | – | 407 14th St |
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 28 STAR stations listed in Modesto can certify a directed car: 8 test-only and 20 test-and-repair. Pick test-and-repair if the car may fail and you want it fixed in the same place.
Not necessarily. The cheapest STAR coupon in Modesto is $49.75. BAR's September 2026 averages were $63.30 at STAR test-only stations and $71.80 at STAR test-and-repair stations, 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.