What is a STAR smog check, and do you need one in Santa Rosa?
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. Santa Rosa has 26 STAR certified smog check stations: 13 test-only and 13 test-and-repair, out of 47 licensed stations in the city. No STAR station in Santa Rosa 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. The best rated is Daniel's Smog Check, at 5.0 stars from 32 Google reviews.
Updated
STAR smog check stations in Santa Rosa
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 |
13 STAR test-only stations in Santa Rosa
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel's Smog Check | 5.0 (32) | – | 3077 Coffey Ln |
| Action Smog | 4.7 (176) | – | 1024 Santa Rosa Ave |
| 101 Express Smog | – | – | 1005 Cleveland Ave Units C & D |
| A & G Smog Check | – | – | 440 Dutton Ave Suite 5 And Suite 7 |
| American Smog | – | – | 1300 Santa Rosa Avenue |
| Cheap Smog | – | – | 1205 Petaluma Hill Road |
| FSR Smog | – | – | 985 Piner Rd Unit A |
| Gaspar Smog Check | – | – | 175 Sebastopol Road |
| Premium Smog | – | – | 1075 Santa Rosa Ave Ste A |
| Santa Rosa Smog Chick | – | – | 2799 Yulupa Avenue |
| Steve's Smog Check | – | – | 1701 Santa Rosa Ave # A |
| Tesla Smog Check | – | – | 3077 Coffey Lane Suite B |
| The Smog Center | – | – | 968 Piner Road #b |
13 STAR test-and-repair stations in Santa Rosa
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| BNC Autocare, Smog Tires And Brakes | – | – | 164 Calistoga Rd |
| Callagy Auto Repair | – | – | 1008 South A Street Unit 2 |
| Coogler's Auto Repair | – | – | 990 Piner Rd. |
| Hensley's Auto | – | – | 819 Piner Road |
| Hensley's Auto | – | – | 468 Yolanda Ave#915 |
| High Technology Automotive Service | – | – | 1841 Piner Road |
| Larkfield Auto Center | – | – | 4809 Old Redwood Hwy |
| Lescas Smog And Automotive | – | – | 3069 Wiljan Ct Ste E |
| Local Heroes Auto Care | – | – | 1610 Piner Rd |
| Nelsons Automotive Repairs | – | – | 3172 Condo Ct |
| Personalized Auto Care | – | – | 1680 Mendocino Ave |
| Quick Smog Check | – | – | 2423 Dutton Ave |
| Roseland Smog | – | – | 930 Petaluma Hill Rd |
STAR stations near Santa Rosa
- Auto Repair Specialist in San Rafael, about 35 miles from the center of Santa Rosa
- Berry G T Automotive in San Rafael, about 35 miles from the center of Santa Rosa
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 26 STAR stations listed in Santa Rosa can certify a directed car: 13 test-only and 13 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.