Smog check guides

7 min read

The Nevada smog check, explained

Nevada's smog check is a yearly emissions inspection that most gasoline vehicles registered in urban Washoe and Clark counties must pass before the registration renews. The station tests the car, sends the result to

5 min read

The Washoe County testing area, place by place

Nevada's Washoe County smog check area covers Reno, Sparks, Washoe Valley, most of the land west of Washoe Valley, and everything in the county south of the 40th parallel. Incline Village, Crystal Bay, Sutcliffe, Ni

6 min read

Renewing a Washoe registration, step by step

Renewing in Washoe County has three parts: get the smog check done, renew within the DMV's window, and keep both receipts. The DMV lets you renew online, at a DMV Now kiosk, at an emission station or in person, star

6 min read

How to give your car its best chance to pass

The Nevada DMV's own advice comes down to a few habits: test early, fix a lit check engine light first, tighten the gas cap, unplug anything from the OBD port, and never clear codes right before the test. None of it

5 min read

Readiness monitors, in plain English

A readiness monitor is one of the self-checks a 1996 or newer car's computer runs on its emissions systems. When the checks have not all finished, usually after a battery disconnect or cleared codes, the smog test c

5 min read

What a check engine light code is

A check engine light code is a diagnostic trouble code the car's computer stores when a sensor detects a malfunction. The light comes on with it, a technician reads the code with a scan tool to find the problem, and

6 min read

After a failed test: a calm plan

After a failed smog check you read the report, get the vehicle repaired, and pass a retest to register. If it still fails after qualifying repairs, the Nevada DMV's waiver may apply. If registration is about to run

6 min read

The Washoe waiver: what counts toward the minimum

In Washoe County, the DMV's waiver minimum is $200 in qualifying repair spending after a vehicle fails its first test, either at a 2G licensed authorized station or by the registered owner on parts. The money must g

5 min read

The movement permit when registration has expired

A Nevada movement permit lets a vehicle with an expired registration be driven legally for a short time, and the DMV lists a 10-day specific purpose permit for an emissions test for $1. It is issued online through MyDMV

5 min read

The federal emissions warranty: check it before you pay

Federal law covers some expensive emission components for up to 8 years or 80,000 miles, according to the Nevada DMV. Before paying for a smog-related repair, check with the vehicle's dealer to see whether the part

6 min read

Buying a used car in Reno: the smog part

Before you hand over money for a used car that will be registered in Washoe County, ask for its last smog report, confirm the dash is clear, and count whether a passing test still covers your registration. Then line up N

6 min read

New Nevada resident: registration and the smog check

New Nevada residents must get a Nevada driver license and register their vehicles within 30 days, and a vehicle based in urban Washoe County needs a passing smog check as part of that registration. Get the test done earl

6 min read

The two-speed idle tailpipe test

The two-speed test is the traditional tailpipe emissions test Nevada still uses for gasoline vehicles built in 1995 or earlier and for all heavy-duty vehicles. It measures what comes out of the exhaust, and a vehicle tha

6 min read

Light-duty diesel testing: dynamometer and opacity

In Nevada, a diesel car or truck based in urban Washoe or Clark County with a manufacturer's GVWR of 14,000 pounds or less needs an annual emissions test made up of a dynamometer test, an opacity test and a visual i

6 min read

Your hybrid's sixth model year

Nevada exempts a new hybrid-electric vehicle from the smog check for its first five model years and requires a test in the sixth. After that a hybrid based in urban Washoe County is tested every year like other gasoline

6 min read

Classic plates and the 5,000-mile limit

A vehicle with Nevada Classic Vehicle, Classic Rod or Old Timer plates that is driven 5,000 miles or less a year is exempt from the smog check, as long as the owner files an odometer certification and carries classic or

6 min read

Why Washoe and Clark counties test

Nevada requires emissions testing in the urban areas of Washoe and Clark counties, and the DMV's own explanation for the test is that motor vehicles are the largest source of air pollution in North America and stay

6 min read

Smog checks in Reno winters and summers

The season does not change the Nevada smog check, but it changes what goes wrong around it: a dead battery in cold weather can leave the car not ready for the test, and a busy summer can squeeze the registration deadline

6 min read

Smog check and oil change in one stop

Both Xpress Smog Check Center locations are located inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center, so you can get a Nevada smog check and a full-service oil change with a multi-point maintenance check in the same bays, with no app

6 min read

The DMV emissions lab in Reno: when to go there

The Nevada DMV's emission lab in Reno, at 9155 Double Diamond Pkwy, (775) 684-3580, handles the steps a test station does not: free readiness checks, challenge tests, waiver inspections and questions about whether y