What is a STAR smog check, and do you need one in Torrance?
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. Torrance has 18 STAR certified smog check stations: 7 test-only and 11 test-and-repair, out of 34 licensed stations in the city. No STAR station in Torrance 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 Torrance
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 Torrance
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sky Smog | 4.8 (229) | – | 20635 Hawthorne Blvd |
| Accurate Smog | – | – | 1617 W Sepulveda Blvd # 5 |
| Anguiano Smog Test | – | – | 21727 Western Ave |
| Eco Smog | – | – | 3707 W. 190th St #c |
| EZ Smog Check | – | – | 1719 Abalone Ave #407 |
| S.O.S. Smog Test Only Center | – | – | 22621 Normandie Ave |
| South Bay Smog Check Center | – | – | 2675 Skypark Drive #104 |
11 STAR test-and-repair stations in Torrance
| Station | Google rating | Coupon | Address |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anza Mobil Service | – | – | 20306 Anza Ave |
| Anza Service | – | – | 4205 CA-1 |
| BM+ Automotive | – | – | 2464 Sepulveda Unit C |
| Cervantes Auto Repair Serv | – | – | 22410 S Normandie Ave Unit #b |
| Easy Smog & Lube | – | – | 23505 S Western Ave |
| Japanese Automotive Center | – | – | 1846 Del Amo Blvd |
| Kims Smog & Auto Service In | – | – | 21710 S Western Ave |
| One Stop Lube N Brakes | – | – | 2514 Sepulveda Blvd |
| Sepulveda Smog & Repair Center | – | – | 3900 Sepulveda Blvd |
| Smog & Registration | – | – | 18411 Hawthorne Blvd #b |
| Toshi Auto Smog | – | – | 1715 Abalone Ave |
STAR stations near Torrance
- ABC Eastern Smog Test Only Center in Los Angeles, about 11 miles from the center of Torrance
- ABC Olympic Test Only Center in Los Angeles, about 11 miles from the center of Torrance
- Downey Smog in Downey, about 13 miles from the center of Torrance
- JJ's Auto Service in Downey, about 13 miles from the center of Torrance
- Emission Test Center Norwalk in Norwalk, about 14 miles from the center of Torrance
- M & M Auto Clinic in Norwalk, about 14 miles from the center of Torrance
- Beach Smog Check in Huntington Beach, about 19 miles from the center of Torrance
- Expertec Automotive in Huntington Beach, about 19 miles from the center of Torrance
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 18 STAR stations listed in Torrance can certify a directed car: 7 test-only and 11 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.