SMOG CHECK · DMV REGISTRATION · BAKERSFIELD
Smog check and DMV registration,
done at one counter.
Walk in during open hours. We test while you wait and file the certificate with the DMV before you leave the lot.
Call us today
(661) 555-0148
Hours
Mon–Fri 8 am – 6 pm · Sat 8 am – 4 pm · Sun closed
No appointment
Walk-ins welcome
ABOUT THE SHOP
Your smog check and DMV counter in Bakersfield.
We run smog checks and DMV registration at the same counter, so the test, the certificate and the paperwork never send you on a second trip across town.
What that means for you is simple. You do not need an appointment, you will be told the price before we start, and if the car passes we file the certificate with the DMV electronically while you are still at the counter. If it fails you get the printout, a plain explanation of the line that failed, and no pressure about where you get it fixed.
Opening hours
WHAT WE TEST
Every kind of smog check California asks for.
If your DMV notice, your buyer, or your insurer wants a smog certificate, one of these is the test you need. Not sure which? Bring the notice and we will read it with you.
Biennial renewal
The every-other-year smog printed on your DMV renewal notice. Walk in, we test, and the certificate is on file before you reach the parking lot.
Change of ownership
Selling, buying or gifting a car in California. We test and file the same day so the title transfer never sits waiting on the smog.
Out-of-state vehicles
You have twenty days from the day you move. Bring the title and the vehicle and we run the inspection the DMV wants for a first California registration.
Diesel trucks & vans
Diesel pickups and vans, 1998 and newer. Bring it warm and recently driven. A cold diesel is the easiest failure to avoid.
RVs & motorhomes
Motorhomes get the test for their model year. Call ahead with the length and we will tell you whether it fits the bay.
Clean Truck Check
CARB's compliance test for non-gasoline vehicles over 14,000 pounds. Call and ask whether we can run the OBD submission for yours.
Not listed, or not sure which test you need? Call and describe the car.
Call (661) 555-0148WHICH TEST
Which test your car needs.
The model year decides the test. Call for today's price and you will hear the full amount, state certificate included, before anything starts.
| Vehicle | Test we run |
|---|---|
| 2000 & newerMOST COMMONGasoline, OBD-II scan | Gasoline, OBD-II scan |
| 1996 – 1999OBD-II scan plus BAR-97 tailpipe | OBD-II scan plus BAR-97 tailpipe |
| 1995 & olderBAR-97 dynamometer, two-speed idle | BAR-97 dynamometer, two-speed idle |
| Diesel, 1998 & newerDiesel OBD or opacity, by weight class | Diesel OBD or opacity, by weight class |
| RV & motorhomeThe test for its model year | The test for its model year |
| VIN verificationREG 31 physical inspection, no emissions test | REG 31 physical inspection, no emissions test |
Model year 1975 and older is exempt from smog in California. Not sure where your car fits? Read us the year off the registration and we will tell you which test it gets.
BEFORE YOU COME IN
Bring these and you are done in one visit.
Print it, or keep it on your phone. Missing something? Call and we will tell you what still works.
4 things
TO BRING
Your visit checklist
- Your DMV renewal notice, if you have one
- Driver's license
- Current registration card, or the title for a sale or transfer
- The car, driven for 15 minutes or more so the engine is warm
DMV REGISTRATION
Skip the DMV. Leave with your sticker.
Registration happens here too, not only the smog. Renewals, transfers, out-of-state paperwork and VIN verifications all happen at this counter, and in most cases the sticker goes on the plate before you leave.
HOW A VISIT GOES
Three steps, one counter.
No appointment, no waiting room politics, and nothing to carry back to the DMV afterwards.
Pull in
No appointment needed. Stay in the car until we wave you into the lane.
We test
OBD-II or BAR-97 depending on the model year. Wait at the counter, and we tell you the result in plain words.
Drive out
Pass and the certificate goes to the DMV electronically before you reach the sidewalk. Need tags too? We print those at the same counter.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
The things people ask at the counter.
Including the two the state would rather you heard from someone who is not selling you a repair.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Walk in during open hours and we will take you in the order you arrive. If you would rather hold a slot, request a time. It is worth doing for an RV, a Clean Truck Check, or anything that has to be finished before the DMV closes.
My notice says STAR. What does that mean?
The Bureau of Automotive Repair sends some cars to a STAR station, and the renewal notice says so when yours is one of them. Not every station is a STAR station, so call with the notice and ask whether we can run it.
How long does it take?
Most cars are done while you wait. A motorhome or a Clean Truck Check takes longer. There is nothing to mail and nothing to carry back to the DMV afterwards: the certificate is transmitted electronically before you leave the lot.
What happens if my car fails?
You get the printout, a plain-English walk-through of the line that failed, and no pressure. Get the repair done, then come back for the retest. Ask about retest pricing when you call.
What is the Consumer Assistance Program?
CAP is a state program that can help pay for emissions repairs, or retire the vehicle, if you fail a biennial smog check and meet the income limits. Ask us about it if your car fails. You apply to BAR directly. No shop can apply on your behalf.
What is a gross polluter?
A vehicle that fails by more than twice the emissions standard for its model year. The state flags the record, and once the repairs are made it has to be retested at a test-only or STAR station rather than wherever the work was done. Call and ask whether we can do it.
Can you do my registration too?
Yes. Renewals, title transfers, out-of-state registrations, VIN verifications, duplicate stickers and PNO filings all happen at this counter. In most cases the sticker goes on the plate before you leave.
COME SEE US
Find us in Bakersfield.
The address, the hours and directions to the door. No appointment needed.
Valley Star Smog & Auto
3418 Wible Rd, Bakersfield, CA 93304
Bakersfield, CA
Address & contact
Opening hours
Before you come
NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED
Drive in today. Leave with it filed.
No appointment needed. Bring the DMV notice if you have it, and we take care of the rest at one counter.