Smog check for Spanish Springs and Wingfield Springs

Spanish Springs is a rural-edge community northeast of Sparks, reached by the Pyramid Highway, and it has the longest commutes and a high count of vehicles per household. With distances like these, the smog check is an errand to plan once, not several times.

At a glance

• The DMV's Washoe testing area covers all of Washoe County south of the 40th parallel.
• About 28 minutes to Reno South and 30 minutes to Reno Northwest (OpenStreetMap routing, light traffic).
• 2.74 vehicles per household and a 33.0 minute mean commute (Census).
• A result is valid for 90 days, so one planned trip covers the renewal.

Long distances, so plan one trip

From Spanish Springs the drive to Reno South is about 15.8 miles and 28 minutes, and Reno Northwest is about 30 minutes. The difference is small, so decide by the rest of your day. If you are going to work in the south or east, use Longley Lane. If you are heading west or north, use Mae Anne Avenue.

Bundle the smog check with something else you were already going to do in Reno. The locations page has addresses and phone numbers.

The highest vehicle count in the group

The Census Bureau reports 17,980 people and 6,685 households in the Spanish Springs census-designated place, with 18,319 vehicles available, or 2.74 per household. About 89 percent of households have two or more vehicles, the median age is 45.8 and the mean commute is 33.0 minutes, with 79 percent driving alone.

That is a lot of vehicles per household, and with that many it is worth checking each vehicle's weight rating and fuel type before you travel.

Trucks, towing and diesel

The DMV tests gasoline vehicles of any weight, and diesels up to 14,000 pounds GVWR. The manufacturer's rating decides, not the declared weight, so look at the renewal notice. For a diesel, a motorhome or a large truck, call the service center before you drive the 28 minutes.

The diesel smog check page explains the DMV's rules.

Why early testing helps here

A failed test means a repair and a second trip, which is a bigger cost when the shop is half an hour away. Testing early leaves time to fix a problem before the registration deadline. A loose gas cap is a common cause when the check engine light comes on suddenly, and the DMV suggests checking it first. Bring the renewal notice, and ask at the counter about renewing the registration in the same visit, so the long drive covers both jobs and you only make it once a year.

The check engine light page has more on what the light means.