You’ve bought a new vehicle and now it’s time for you to register it. The process is not as easy as you think. You’ll need a title, proof of insurance, application fees, and many other things.
Among all, some countries will also ask you to pass your vehicle through smog inspection.
If you’re hearing this term for the first time, there is no need to panic cause we’ve got you! A smog check or inspection is simply testing of a vehicle and its engine emission that is performed at a licensed smog facility.
This smog check right before the initial registration makes sure that no harmful pollutants are released by the vehicles.
Cars and trucks already pass the smog check before registration. However, people are still confused about motorcycles. So let’s find out in this article!
Laws about Smog Check
As a global initiative of saving the environment, a smog check is mandatory for all other vehicles except motorcycles and bikes. Not much attention was paid to motorcycles in this regard.
But recently, keeping the environmental conditions in mind, many countries are planning to make this an obligation. California and Nevada are two such countries that seem more determined toward this initiative.
According to their rules and regulations, there are some specific motorcycles that require a smog check before registration. These include Gasoline-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and alternative-fuel vehicles that are the model year 1976.
Exceptions of Smog Check
But this smog check is necessary along with some exceptions. These exceptions include:
- Eight years old models and newer ones do not require a biennial Smog Check.
- Models that are four years old or new do not require a change-of-ownership Smog Check.
When a vehicle is newly bought in California or Nevada, it is checked thoroughly along with the smog inspection. This inspection is conducted every two years. And it will remain mandatory until the motorcycle is transferred to another state.
The natives of California are quite curious about whether they’ll have to get a smog inspection of their bikes or not. For your convenience, their questions are answered below:
Do motorcycles need to be smogged in California?
Yes, they do. California is probably the only state that is allowed to design its own emission standards. And therefore, their laws and regulations are very strict for all categories of vehicles.
Hence, motorcycles should also be smogged after every two years in California.
How to pass a smog check?
It’s not that hard. You just have to perform regular maintenance on vehicles. And make sure, everything is in control regarding emission production.
Just these two precautions, and you can easily pass a smog check!
