Price
Call for price
Hours
Open Tue–Sun
Station type
Test Only
Appointments
Walk-ins welcome
Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Sunday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
Good to know
Languages
English
Payment
Cash, Credit Card
What to expect at Smog First
Smog First is licensed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair as a Test Only smog station in San Marcos. It runs the inspection and issues the certificate but does no repairs. It is STAR certified, so it can test vehicles the DMV directs to a STAR station, including gross polluters.
Walk-ins are welcome. Most smog checks take 15 to 30 minutes, and most visits are closer to 20.
What to bring
Your registration or DMV renewal notice
It says whether the car needs a STAR station.
The car, with the check engine light off
On a 2000-or-newer car, a lit check engine light fails the test on its own.
A way to pay
The $8.25 state certificate is paid on top of the test when the car passes, unless the station's price or coupon includes it.
What if I fail?
- Smog First doesn't do repairs, so the car goes to a repair shop and comes back for the retest.
- Each station sets its own retest price, so ask before the first test.
- BAR's Consumer Assistance Program pays up to $1,450 toward emissions repairs for income-eligible owners.
1321 Descanso Ave, Suite A, San Marcos, CA 92069
Get directions →Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Wednesday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Thursday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Sunday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
Also listed on
Other stations near Smog First
R And D Automotive Repair
175 Navajo St
High Tech Auto
1620 Grand Avenue 5
All Autos Smog
738 W San Marcos Blvd
Smog Central Station
375 S Rancho Santa Fe Rd Ste 109
Auto Guys
763 W. San Marcos Blvd. #110
Nearby cities in San Diego County
Questions about Smog First
Smog First is open Tuesday 8 AM to 7 PM; Wednesday 8 AM to 7 PM; Thursday 8 AM to 7 PM; Friday 8 AM to 7 PM; Saturday 8 AM to 7 PM; Sunday 8 AM to 7 PM. Closed Monday. Hours can change on holidays, so call ahead if you are cutting it close.
Smog First accepts Cash, Credit Card.
Smog First has held a BAR smog license since 2017. You can verify the license status at bar.ca.gov.
Smog First has not published a price on SmogCheckDeals. The Bureau of Automotive Repair puts the statewide average at $69.16 as of August 2026, about $65 for a 2000-or-newer vehicle and $73 for 1999-or-older, plus the $8.25 certificate fee. Call (760) 580-4574 for a quote.
Smog First does not take online bookings here, but walk-ins are welcome. Call (760) 580-4574 to check the wait.
Staff at Smog First speak English.
The closest alternatives in San Marcos are R And D Automotive Repair (0.4 mi) and High Tech Auto (0.5 mi). Both are listed further up this page with their ratings and hours.
How we get this data: BAR licenses and STAR status, Google hours and ratings, coupons published by the station.
Verify this station’s license and STAR standing at bar.ca.gov.
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BAR field office: San Diego • Licensed since 2017