Smog check near Somersett

Somersett is a newer planned community in the west end of Reno, and its drivers share ZIP 89523 with Northwest Reno. Many Somersett homes have a garage, a family or two, and more than one car, which means more than one registration date to keep track of. The drive from Somersett to the Mae Anne Avenue location is about 10 minutes (4.1 miles) by OpenStreetMap routing in light traffic.

At a glance

• About 10 minutes (4.1 miles) from Somersett to Reno Northwest, 24 minutes to Reno South.
• Somersett is inside the Washoe County testing area (Nevada DMV).
• Census figures cited here are ZIP 89523 totals, not Somersett alone.
• Drive in, no appointment, and ask about renewing in the same visit.

A west-end neighborhood and its renewal calendar

A community built mostly in recent years has an advantage when it comes to emissions rules: new vehicles are exempt for their first three registrations, so a household with a recent purchase may not need a test yet. The fourth registration is the first one that needs a smog check, and after that the test comes every year.

Hybrids are exempt for five model years and tested in the sixth. The new vehicle exemption page explains how the count works.

ZIP 89523 numbers, not a Somersett count

The Census data we use does not give a figure for Somersett by itself, so the numbers here are for ZIP 89523, which includes Somersett and other west Reno neighborhoods. That ZIP has 37,130 residents in 16,342 households, 31,276 vehicles available and 1.91 vehicles per household.

About 65 percent of households in ZIP 89523 have two or more vehicles, the mean commute is 21.9 minutes, and 74.5 percent of workers drive alone. Treat these as a picture of the surrounding area.

The drive out of Somersett

Reno Northwest at 6100 Mae Anne Ave is the closer location, at about 10 minutes. Reno South, 4993 Longley Ln near the airport, is about 24 minutes, so it matters only if your day already takes you across town.

Open hours at Reno Northwest are Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 4 pm. There is no appointment, and the DMV notes that most OBD tests are completed in five minutes or less.

Getting it done the first time

A few small steps avoid a second trip. Bring the registration renewal notice, take any tracker off the OBD port, and look at the dashboard: a lit check engine light means a fail. If a loose gas cap is the cause, the DMV says it is a common reason when the light comes on suddenly.

A rejected result usually means the computer is still finishing its self-checks after a battery change. See not ready and rejected results for how long to drive before you return.