Smog check for Midtown and downtown Reno

Downtown Reno is the one part of town where many households own fewer than one vehicle each, so the smog check is less of a routine and more of an occasional errand for the cars that are here. If you live in an apartment, a loft or an older house near the river, this page covers where to go and what to know when you do own a car.

At a glance

• Reno is part of the Washoe testing area named by the Nevada DMV.
• About 10 minutes to Reno South and 13 minutes to Reno Northwest (OpenStreetMap routing, light traffic).
• ZIP 89501 has only 0.78 vehicles per household (Census), well under one.
• Results go to the DMV electronically and a pass is valid for 90 days.

Fewer cars, so each test matters

The Census Bureau counts 3,507 people and 2,331 households in ZIP 89501, with only 1,816 vehicles available to them, or 0.78 per household. Only about 14 percent of households have two or more vehicles, and the median age is 54.5.

For a one-car household, or a household that keeps a car for weekend trips, a missed renewal is a bigger inconvenience than it is in a three-car suburb. Check the renewal notice early, because you are responsible for renewing on time even if no notice arrives, according to the DMV.

Getting out of the core

From downtown, Reno South is about 10 minutes away over roughly 3.8 miles, a short hop. Reno Northwest is about 13 minutes. The two figures come from OpenStreetMap routing in light traffic and are not a promise.

Because many people here walk, bike or use transit for the daily trip, the smog check can be the one time a year the car leaves its space. Plan it for a weekday morning or a Saturday, and bring the registration and your ID as a habit.

• Reno South: 4993 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502, (775) 828-6996, Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 3 pm.
• Reno Northwest: 6100 Mae Anne Ave, Reno, NV 89523, (775) 787-1000, Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday 8 am to 4 pm.

Cars that sit between uses

A car that is driven only a few times a month can run into the DMV's "not ready" result. That is not a failure. It means the computer has not finished its self-checks, often after a battery change or after codes were cleared. The DMV says to drive the vehicle under varying conditions, city and highway, for up to a week and then return.

Do not clear codes or disconnect the battery right before you come in. The not ready page explains how readiness works.

New to town, new to Nevada

If you have just arrived in Reno, note that new residents have 30 days to get a Nevada license and registration, and a vehicle based in the Washoe area needs the emissions report as part of registering. Out-of-state insurance is not accepted for Nevada registration.

Our new to Nevada page walks through the steps in order.