--- title: Not Ready and Rejected Smog Check Results | Xpress Smog url: https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/not-ready-questions/ 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/) - Not ready and rejected results # Not ready and rejected results A rejection means the vehicle's computer has not finished its self-checks, so the test cannot be completed. It is not a failure and needs no repair: drive up to one week in varied conditions, then retest. 4.7 stars from 550 Google reviews of the two Reno Xpress Oil & Lube Centers Rejected is one of the most confusing words on a smog report. These answers follow the DMV's explanation of readiness. ### What does not ready mean? The OBD computer has not finished its on-board self-checks. The DMV says this is usually because the battery was disconnected or replaced, or because codes were recently cleared. ### Is a rejection a fail? No. The DMV says rejected is not a failure, and no repair is needed. ### What do I do? Drive the vehicle for up to a week under varying conditions, both city and highway, so the computer can reset its diagnostic monitors. Then return for the test. ### Can I check readiness before the retest? Yes. The DMV says the local emission lab can check whether your vehicle is ready at no cost, no appointment, and you should arrive before 4:30 pm. The Reno lab is at 9155 Double Diamond Pkwy, (775) 684-3580. ### Why does clearing codes cause this? Clearing codes resets the self-checks. Doing it right before a test leads to an automatic rejection, the DMV says. ### Can disconnecting the battery help hide a light? No. The DMV warns against disconnecting the battery to hide the light before a test, since that also causes a not ready rejection. ### Will I be charged for the rejected test? Ask the service center about pricing for a repeat visit. Call (775) 787-1000 for Reno Northwest or (775) 828-6996 for Reno South. ### What if my registration is about to expire? Plan for it. A DMV ten-day movement permit for $1 is available online or at a DMV office when registration is expired or about to expire. ### Is there more detail on readiness? Yes. See the [not ready page](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/not-ready-rejected/) and the [readiness monitors guide](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/guides/readiness-monitors/). ### How can I avoid a rejection? Skip the test right after a battery change or after clearing codes, and leave a week of normal driving first. ### Do I need an appointment at the emission lab for the readiness check? No. The DMV says no appointment is needed. Arrive before 4:30 pm. ## What a good week of driving looks like The DMV asks for varying conditions: some stop-and-go city driving and some steady highway driving, over several days. Short trips only may not be enough. Once you have done a week of mixed driving, come in for the test, or stop at the emission lab first for the free readiness check. If your result says rejected, keep the report. It shows the vehicle was turned away for readiness rather than failed, and it explains why you are back. Both Reno service centers take drive-ins for the retest during posted hours. The rejection also does not involve any repair spending, so there is nothing to document for a waiver. Treat it as a timing problem with a simple fix: a week of mixed driving. If the computer still does not become ready after a week of mixed driving, the DMV emission lab can look at it at no cost, and that is the place to ask what to do next. You can also call either service center before you return and describe what happened, for instance a recent battery change, so the crew knows what to expect when you drive in. ### Sources - [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/emission.htm](https://dmv.nv.gov/emission.htm) (Nevada DMV Emission Control Program; 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 - [Rejected: not ready to test](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/not-ready-rejected/) - [Readiness monitors, in plain English](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/guides/readiness-monitors/) - [After a battery change or a repair](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/battery-and-recent-repairs/) - [Check engine light questions](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/check-engine-light-questions/) - [The DMV emissions lab in Reno: when to go there](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/guides/dmv-emissions-lab-reno/) 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/)