Smog checks for business fleets

Contractors, delivery outfits, property managers and anyone with a few work vehicles know the drill: several renewal notices, several smog checks, and every vehicle off the road while it happens. Here is how to keep it simple, and the one DMV program built specifically for fleets.

At a glance

• Fleet vehicles test on the same yearly schedule as any vehicle based in the testing area.
• No appointment at either Reno location; spread tests across both if that suits your routes.
• Continuous Monitoring: 2008 and newer light-duty gasoline fleet vehicles can skip the station test (Nevada DMV).
• Light-duty diesel work trucks have their own test; call ahead.

The rule is the same

The DMV does not have a separate testing schedule for business vehicles. A company pickup based in Reno or Sparks needs its test at renewal if it is gasoline powered, 1968 or newer and past its third registration, or a diesel up to 14,000 pounds GVWR. Each vehicle's renewal notice says whether it is due.

Keeping trucks on the road

The test itself is short: on 1996 and newer light-duty vehicles, the DMV says most OBD tests take five minutes or less. The time a fleet loses is the trip. Two things help: test each vehicle early in its renewal window, when a driver is already near one of the locations, and pair the test with the vehicle's oil change, since both locations are inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center.

A Google review of the Longley Lane location mentions bringing a personal vehicle and the company's fleet vehicles there for smog checks.

The DMV's Continuous Monitoring Program

For business and government fleets, the DMV offers Continuous Monitoring, available for 2008 and newer light-duty gasoline vehicles. Instead of an annual station test, an approved service provider monitors emissions remotely through each vehicle's OBD port, keeping vehicles on the road year round. Fleet vehicles enrolled in the program are on the DMV's exempt list.

Enrolling means reviewing the DMV's forms (EC 049, EC 076 and EC 044), signing up with one of the DMV's approved service providers, completing the forms, and waiting for DMV approval. It suits fleets large enough to justify the setup; a business with a handful of trucks usually finds the yearly drive-in test simpler.

Diesel and heavy vehicles

Light-duty diesels test with a dynamometer, an opacity test and a visual inspection, and gasoline vehicles over 8,500 pounds take the tailpipe test. Call the service center before you bring a diesel or a large truck. Diesels over 14,000 pounds GVWR are outside the annual program but subject to roadside enforcement.

Paperwork tips

Keep a list of each vehicle's registration month. Results go to the DMV electronically, so there is nothing to file after a pass; renew online, at a kiosk, or ask about renewing in the same visit. A pass is good for 90 days, which gives fleet managers room to schedule.