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1.8 AB 1274: Smog Exemption Extended to 8 Model Years
1.8 AB 1274: Smog Exemption Extended to 8 Model Years
INSTRUCTOR SCRIPT:
Assembly Bill 1274 made a change that directly affects how you handle smog certifications for newer vehicles. Previously, vehicles were exempt from smog check requirements for the first six model years. AB 1274 extended that exemption to eight model years. So if you’re selling a vehicle that’s within eight model years of its manufacture date, that vehicle does not need a smog check as part of the sale.
However — and this is the part that’s easy to miss — AB 1274 also imposed a twenty-five dollar smog transfer fee, sometimes called the smog abatement fee, on vehicles that are in their seventh and eighth exemption years. So while these vehicles don’t need an actual smog inspection, they do require the payment of this $25 fee when they’re transferred. The fee goes toward California’s smog abatement program.
Let’s put this into a practical example. Suppose you’re selling a 2020 model year vehicle in 2026. That vehicle is within its eighth model year, so it’s exempt from the smog check. But because it’s in year seven or eight of the exemption window, the $25 smog abatement fee applies. You need to collect that fee and include it with your transfer documents to DMV. If you were selling a 2023 model year vehicle, that’s well within the exemption period and outside years seven and eight, so no smog check and no abatement fee.
⚠ Key Compliance Point
Under AB 1274, the smog check exemption is extended from 6 to 8 model years. However, vehicles in their 7th and 8th exemption model years are subject to a $25 smog abatement fee at the time of transfer. This fee must be collected and remitted with the transfer paperwork.
❌ Common Mistake
Dealers sometimes assume the 8-year exemption means no smog obligations whatsoever for those vehicles. They forget the $25 abatement fee for years 7 and 8, fail to collect it from the buyer, and then have to absorb the cost themselves when DMV rejects the transfer paperwork. Always check the model year against the current calendar year to determine whether the abatement fee applies.