--- title: Nevada New Vehicle Smog Exemption: First 3 Registrations url: https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/new-vehicle-exemption/ business: Xpress Smog Check Center (Located inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center) locations: Reno Northwest: 6100 Mae Anne Ave, Reno, NV 89523, (775) 787-1000, Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, Sat 8 am-4 pm, Sun closed; Reno South: 4993 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502, (775) 828-6996, Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, Sat 8 am-3 pm, Sun closed type: Nevada smog check (vehicle emissions inspection), drive in, no appointment --- Located inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center - Smog check at two Reno locations - Oil change in the same visit - No appointment needed [Xpress Oil & Lube](https://xpressoilandlube.com/) - [Home](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/) - [Smog checks](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/) - New vehicle exemption # New vehicle exemption A new vehicle in Nevada is exempt from the smog check for its first three registrations and needs its first test at the fourth registration. After that it tests every year at renewal if it is based in the Washoe or Clark testing area. 4.7 stars from 550 Google reviews of the two Reno Xpress Oil & Lube Centers Nevada stretched this exemption a few years ago, and the DMV now leads its emissions page with it: new vehicles are exempt from testing until their fourth registration. Because Nevada registrations run a full year, that usually means three years without a test. Here are the details that decide when your first one arrives. ## At a glance - First three registrations: exempt. Fourth registration: test (Nevada DMV). - Registrations are for a full year, so this is usually three years. - Hybrids have a longer exemption: five model years. - Diesels up to 14,000 lb GVWR follow the same fourth-registration rule. ## What counts as new The exemption is for new motor vehicles, which the state's emissions law ties to a vehicle that has never been registered before. A car you buy off a dealer's new-car lot starts its count at its first registration. It does not restart when the car is sold: a three-year-old car bought used is past its third registration and tests at its next renewal. ## Counting to four The DMV counts registrations, and the DMV says you must register a vehicle for a full year, with no partial registrations. So for most cars the first, second and third registrations cover the first three years on the road, and the renewal notice for the fourth registration says a smog check is required. Your renewal notice is the authority. If it says a test is required, the DMV has counted to four. ## Hybrids and EVs Hybrids have their own exemption, five model years, tested in the sixth, which usually outlasts the three-registration rule. Electric vehicles are exempt altogether. ## Diesels The DMV's diesel page applies the same rule: new vehicles on their first three registrations are exempt, and a test is required at the fourth registration, for diesels with a GVWR of 14,000 pounds or less based in a testing area. ## Your first test A car in its fourth year is usually the easiest test there is: a 1996 or newer light-duty vehicle gets the plug-in OBD test, and a well-kept late-model car with the check engine light off is normally ready. Drive into either Reno location with no appointment, and renew right after; the pass reaches the DMV electronically and is good for 90 days. One thing to watch: if a dealer or shop replaced the battery or cleared codes recently, give the car a week of normal driving before the test. ### Sources - [dmv.nv.gov/emission.htm](https://dmv.nv.gov/emission.htm) (Nevada DMV: new vehicles exempt until the fourth registration; read 10/19/26) - [dmv.nv.gov/emission_diesel.htm](https://dmv.nv.gov/emission_diesel.htm) (Nevada DMV: same rule for diesels; read 10/19/26) - [dmv.nv.gov/regrenewal.htm](https://dmv.nv.gov/regrenewal.htm) (Nevada DMV: full-year registrations; read 10/19/26) ### Your location: Reno South - Call [(775) 828-6996](tel:+17758286996) Mon-Fri 8 am-5 pm, Sat 8 am-3 pm, Sun closed - Address 4993 Longley Ln, Reno, NV 89502 [Directions](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&destination=4993+Longley+Ln%2C+Reno%2C+NV+89502&destination_place_id=ChIJc5xNCcI_mYARXjHn3y79iJw) ### What a customer said Reno South Smogtest was Quick and painless. Recommend this store. [All smog check reviews](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/reviews/) ### Related - [New vehicles and the first three registrations](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/new-vehicles/) - [Hybrids and electric vehicles](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/hybrid-and-electric-vehicles/) - [Buying from a Nevada dealer](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/faq/dealer-sales/) - [Do I need a smog check?](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/do-i-need-a-smog-check/) - [Smog check for your registration renewal](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/registration-renewal/) Located inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center Both smog check locations sit inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center, the locally owned Reno drive-in that has served this town since 1983. Drive in, no appointment; get your oil changed in the same visit. [About us](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/about/) ## Related situations [### How the OBD smog test works The plug-in test for 1996 and newer cars and light trucks. Learn more](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/obd-test/)[### 1968 to 1995 vehicles: the tailpipe test How older cars and heavy-duty trucks are tested. Learn more](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/older-vehicles-tailpipe-test/)[### Diesel smog check rules Which diesels test in Washoe County and how. Learn more](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/diesel-smog-check/)[### Hybrids and electric vehicles When a hybrid starts testing and why EVs never do. Learn more](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/hybrid-and-electric-vehicles/)[### Classic plates and other exemptions Classic Vehicle, Classic Rod, Old Timer and the rest of the exempt list. Learn more](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/smog-check/classic-and-exempt-vehicles/) ## New vehicle exemption: questions Still have a question? Call either Reno location or just drive in; there is no appointment to make. ### I bought a two-year-old car. Does it get a fresh exemption? No. The exemption follows the vehicle's registrations, not the owner. A used car keeps counting from where it is. ### My new car came from out of state. Does the count still apply? The exemption is for new vehicles on their first three registrations. If your car was first registered elsewhere, ask the DMV how those registrations count. ### Is this the same as the 180-day dealer validity? No. That rule is about how long a passing test lasts on a used car a Nevada dealer sells. ### Where can I check my car quickly? Use our [smog check helper](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/do-i-need-a-smog-check/) or read your renewal notice. ## Two Reno locations, inside Xpress Oil & Lube Center [Reno Northwest smog check](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/locations/reno-mae-anne/)[Reno South smog check](https://xpresssmogcenter.com/locations/reno-longley/)