Smog check in University and North Reno

The area around the University of Nevada, Reno has a different pattern from the rest of the city: more renters, a younger population and fewer cars per home. In ZIP 89512 the Census counts 1.5 vehicles per household, the lowest on this site, and a median age of 32.8. The drive from the ZIP to Mae Anne Avenue is about 10 minutes (4.8 miles) and to Longley Lane about 13 minutes, by OpenStreetMap routing in light traffic.

At a glance

• About 10 minutes to Reno Northwest and 13 minutes to Reno South.
• ZIP 89512: 28,030 residents, 1.5 vehicles per household, median age 32.8 (Census).
• Inside the Washoe County testing area (Nevada DMV).
• Drive in, no appointment; check the New to Nevada page if you just arrived.

Students, newcomers and the 30-day rule

A student arriving from another state brings a vehicle with another state's registration. The DMV says out-of-state students are not required to register a vehicle in Nevada, while people who work in Nevada, or who stay long enough to cross the DMV's thresholds, are. A registration based in Washoe County brings the emissions test with it.

The details are on the DMV's own pages, and our military and students page summarizes them. If you do register here, you have 30 days to get a Nevada license and registration.

One car per household, or fewer

The Census Bureau counts 11,442 households in ZIP 89512 and 17,159 vehicles available, so about 1.5 per household. Only 42.8 percent of households have two or more vehicles, against 63.1 percent for Washoe County. Mean commute is 20 minutes, with 68.9 percent driving alone.

For a one-car household, the test is the single trip that matters. Because there is no appointment, you can drive in on a weekday between 8 am and 5 pm, or on Saturday morning, whichever fits a class or work schedule.

Choosing between two locations

The distance difference is small, so choose by the rest of your day. Reno Northwest at 6100 Mae Anne Ave stays open until 4 pm Saturday, an hour later than Reno South at 4993 Longley Ln, which closes at 3 pm. Both are closed Sunday.

Each is inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center, which makes it simple to handle an oil change at the same time. The DMV adds that most OBD tests are completed in five minutes or less.

Used-car buyers and sellers

Sales are common in a college area, and the test rules for them are specific. A Nevada dealer must provide a valid passing test with a vehicle sold for registration in Washoe County. In a private sale, the test is the buyer's responsibility, and a transfer is exempt if the last test was within 90 days.

Read buying or selling a car before the paperwork day, since a test takes only a few minutes.