STAR smog check stations in California

A STAR smog check is a regular California smog inspection done at a station the Bureau of Automotive Repair has certified under its STAR program, which scores stations on whether the cars they pass keep passing later. Only STAR stations may certify directed vehicles and gross polluters. You need one only when your DMV renewal notice says so.

STAR is a certification BAR gives to smog check stations, created by Assembly Bill 2289 and running since January 1, 2013. It replaced the earlier Gold Shield and Test Only programs (DMV). A station qualifies through BAR’s follow-up pass rate, which measures whether vehicles the station certified earlier are passing later inspections at a higher than expected rate. Scores run from zero to one, a station needs at least 0.40 to qualify, and BAR updates them every January and July (BAR STAR FAQ).

Only test-only and test-and-repair stations can be STAR certified. A STAR station can test and certify every vehicle subject to Smog Check, and it is the only kind of station allowed to certify two groups of vehicles: directed vehicles and gross polluters.

The DMV asks for a STAR smog check when BAR has directed your vehicle to one, based on a high emitter profile built from its age, make, engine, emissions system, Smog Check history and roadside readings, or when the vehicle failed as a gross polluter. It reflects the model and its record, not how you drive.

BAR directs part of the fleet to STAR stations. A directed vehicle is flagged by a high emitter profile, which BAR’s inspection specification describes as built from factors like the vehicle’s age, make, engine size and emissions control system, its Smog Check history, and roadside remote-sensing readings. It is about the model and its record, not a judgment on how you drive.

A gross polluter is a vehicle whose emissions at inspection are far above the normal failure limits. Once a vehicle is a gross polluter, it can only be certified at a STAR station or by a Smog Check Referee. More in what gross polluter means.

Your DMV renewal notice tells you. If it says “Smog Certification Required at a STAR station,” any STAR test-only or STAR test-and-repair station will do. If it says only “Smog Certification Required,” any licensed smog check station can test the car. If there is no smog line, no inspection is due this renewal.

The wording comes from BAR’s Smog Check page. If you lost the notice, the DMV can tell you what your renewal needs.

A STAR smog check averaged $63.34 at STAR test-only stations and $71.03 at STAR test-and-repair stations in BAR’s August 2026 report, plus the $8.25 certificate. With a coupon it is usually less: the median STAR coupon price on SmogCheckDeals is $39.75 across 102 STAR stations.

STAR does not cost more by rule: BAR doesn’t regulate inspection prices, and the $8.25 certificate is the same everywhere. In BAR’s August 2026 Smog Check Executive Summary, about 84% of initial inspections in California were done at STAR stations, and 3,518 of the state’s 6,820 licensed stations were STAR certified.

Many STAR stations publish coupons below those averages; see smog check coupons in California and the California smog check price report.

1. 1
   Confirm the notice says STAR, or that the vehicle was flagged as a gross polluter. If neither, any licensed station is fine.
2. 2
   Open your city from the California station directory or use smog check near me, then tap the STAR filter.
3. 3
   Decide whether you want repairs under the same roof. If the car might fail, a STAR test-and-repair station can test and fix it; a STAR test-only station will only test it.
4. 4
   Bring the renewal notice with you, and make sure the check engine light is off before you go.

Comparing STAR, test-only and test-and-repair stations in more depth: STAR vs test-only vs test-and-repair smog stations.