--- title: How Long a Passing Smog Check Is Good For | Xpress Smog url: https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/90-day-rule/ business: Xpress Smog Check Center (Located inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center) locations: Reno Northwest: 6100 Mae Anne Ave, Reno, NV 89523, (775) 787-1000, Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, Sat 8 am-4 pm, Sun closed; Reno South: 4993 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502, (775) 828-6996, Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, Sat 8 am-3 pm, Sun closed type: Nevada smog check (vehicle emissions inspection), drive in, no appointment --- Located inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center - Smog check at two Reno locations - Oil change in the same visit - No appointment needed [Xpress Oil & Lube](https://xpressoilandlube.com/) - [Home](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/) - [Questions and answers](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/) - How long a passing test is good for # How long a passing test is good for A passing Nevada smog check is valid for 90 days from the date of the test for renewals and private party transactions. On a Nevada dealer sale it is valid for 180 days. 4.7 stars from 550 Google reviews of the two Reno Xpress Oil & Lube Centers The clock starts on the test date, not on the renewal date. These answers show how to use that window so your pass is still good when you register. ### When does the 90 days start? The DMV counts from the date of the test. A pass on a given day covers a renewal or a private party transaction for the following 90 days, so the date on your report matters. ### Why not test as late as possible? If the vehicle fails, you need time to repair it and pass a retest before the registration deadline. The DMV advises testing early for exactly this reason: early testing leaves time for repairs. ### Does a dealer sale get a longer window? Yes. On a Nevada dealer sale the test is valid for 180 days from the test date. See the [dealer sales page](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/dealer-sales/) for the rest of that rule. ### What about a private sale? The 90 day window applies, and in a private sale the test is the buyer's responsibility. The [private party sales page](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/private-party-sales/) explains who does what. ### Can a recent test cover a transfer? The DMV exempts a transfer when the last test was within 90 days, or within 180 days on a Nevada dealer sale. That is the rule behind many sales where the seller tested shortly beforehand. ### What if my test ages out before I renew? Then you need a new passing test. Pick a day for the visit so the renewal falls comfortably inside the window. ### Does a failing test have a window too? The DMV says a failing test in the last 90 days blocks getting classic plates. A fail also starts the repair and retest path, covered under [after a failed test](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/failed-test-questions/). ### How does the window fit with the early renewal period? The DMV allows renewal about 35 days before expiration. A test taken a few weeks ahead keeps both dates inside the 90 days with room to spare. ### Do I need to carry proof of the test date? The result is stored electronically with the DMV, and the report you receive shows the date. Keep the report in the glove box until the registration is done. ### Where can I get the test? At Reno Northwest or Reno South. Drive in during posted hours, no appointment, and the result goes to the DMV electronically. ### Does the 90 days change if the vehicle is repaired and retested? A retest that passes is a new test with its own date, and the 90 days run from that pass. Keep the repair receipts and both reports together until the registration is finished. ### Does the window matter for a new Nevada resident? A vehicle registering for the first time in the testing area needs a valid passing test when it is registered, so the same 90 day clock decides how early you can test. The [new to Nevada page](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/new-to-nevada/) covers the rest of that process. ## A simple way to time it Look at your expiration date, count back about five weeks, and choose a weekday or a Saturday within posted hours. That puts the test inside the 90 days and the renewal inside the DMV's 35 day early window, and it leaves a cushion if a repair turns up. If you are unsure which window applies to your situation, call either service center before you come in, or ask the Reno DMV Emissions Lab at (775) 684-3580. ### Sources - [dmv.nv.gov/emission.htm](https://dmv.nv.gov/emission.htm) (Nevada DMV Emission Control Program; read 10/19/26) - [dmv.nv.gov/emission_obd.htm](https://dmv.nv.gov/emission_obd.htm) (Nevada DMV On-Board Diagnostics page; read 10/19/26) - [dmv.nv.gov/regrenewal.htm](https://dmv.nv.gov/regrenewal.htm) (Nevada DMV Registration Renewal; read 10/19/26) ## More questions by topic [Who needs a smog check in Nevada](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/who-needs-a-smog-check/)[Where in Washoe County a test is required](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/smog-check-areas-washoe/)[The renewal notice and the smog line on it](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/renewal-notice/)[Your result and the DMV link](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/certificate-and-dmv-link/)[How long a passing test is good for](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/90-day-rule/)[Renewing your registration with the smog check](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/renewing-at-the-station/)[What a smog check costs](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/price-and-fees/)[Driving in without an appointment](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/drive-in-no-appointment/)[Hours and the quiet times to come in](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/hours-and-busy-times/)[Which service center to use](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/which-service-center/)[An oil change in the same visit](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/oil-change-same-visit/)[Check engine light questions](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/check-engine-light-questions/)[After a failed test](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/failed-test-questions/)[Smog waiver questions](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/waiver-questions/)[Not ready and rejected results](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/not-ready-questions/)[After a battery change or a repair](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/battery-and-recent-repairs/)[Gas caps and small fixes before a test](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/gas-cap-and-quick-fixes/)[Insurance trackers and OBD port devices](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/obd-port-devices/)[New vehicles and the first three registrations](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/new-vehicles/)[Hybrid and electric vehicle questions](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/hybrids-and-evs/)[Diesel truck questions](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/diesel-trucks/)[Motorhomes and heavier gas trucks](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/motorhomes-and-heavy-trucks/)[Classic car and Old Timer plate questions](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/classic-cars/)[Motorcycles and other exempt vehicles](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/motorcycles-and-exempt/)[Moving to Reno or Sparks](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/moving-to-reno/)[Leaving Nevada or living away part of the year](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/leaving-nevada/)[Military members and students](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/military-and-students/)[Private party sales](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/private-party-sales/)[Buying from a Nevada dealer](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/dealer-sales/)[Smoking vehicles and visible exhaust](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/smoking-vehicles/)[Engine swaps and modified vehicles](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/engine-swaps-and-modifications/)[Registered outside the Washoe testing area](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/registered-outside-the-testing-area/) ### Your location: Reno South - Call [(775) 828-6996](tel:+17758286996) Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, Sat 8 am-3 pm, Sun closed - Address 4993 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502 [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=4993+Longley+Ln%2C+Reno%2C+NV+89502&destination_place_id=ChIJc5xNCcI_mYARXjHn3y79iJw) ### Related - [The renewal notice and the smog line on it](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/renewal-notice/) - [Private party sales](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/private-party-sales/) - [Buying from a Nevada dealer](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/dealer-sales/) - [Smog check for your registration renewal](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/registration-renewal/) - [Hours and the quiet times to come in](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/hours-and-busy-times/) Located inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center Both smog check locations sit inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center, the locally owned Reno drive-in that has served this town since 1983. Drive in, no appointment; get your oil changed in the same visit. [About us](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/about/)