(FOX40.COM) — A bill to eliminate smog checks for some classic cars is making its way through the legislature with the help of famous auto enthusiast Jay Leno.
Collector motor vehicles that are at least 35 years old are currently exempt from portions of smog check tests but Assembly Bill 712, introduced by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), would do away with the requirement for the vehicles to be tested biennially or when transferred to a new owner.
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California law defines a “collector motor vehicle” as one owned by a collector that is “used primarily in shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions for display, maintenance, and preservation, and is not used primarily for transportation.”
“These classic cars are infrequently driven, carefully maintained, and make up only a fraction of cars on the road. They are typically owned for their historical significance and collector value,” Grove’s office said. “Exempting them from the biennial smog check would strengthen California’s ‘car culture’ by helping preserve these historical treasures.”
According to Grove’s office, long-time talk show host Jay Leno will participate in an event on Tuesday at the state capitol in support of AB 712 prior to its hearing later that day.
The bill has some bipartisan support including from Senate Transportation Committee Chair Dave Cortese (D-Silicon Vally) who is a co-author of the bill.
The bill has also garnered some opposition, including from the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association which says that driving older cars a relatively small amount throughout one year contributes more air pollution than a new car might contribute over its lifespan.
“…California Air Resources Board data shows a new 1982 passenger car has approximately 97 times higher NOx emissions than a new 2025 model year passenger car,” the group said. “In the current calendar year, assuming the 1982 vehicle complies with Smog Check, it would emit approximately 123 times the NOx emissions of a 2025 passenger car… Assuming the 1982 car is driven just 3,000 miles a year, at 123 times the NOx emissions, it is equivalent to a 2025 passenger car being driven 369,000 miles a year.”
