Smog check rules for heavy-duty gas trucks

Print this checklist

1. Find the weight rating

   Read the manufacturer's label, usually on the driver's door jamb, and note whether it is above 8,500 pounds.

2. Check the renewal notice

   It says Smog Check Required when the DMV expects a test for that truck.

3. Call the service center

   Reno Northwest (775) 787-1000 or Reno South (775) 828-6996; give the size of the truck and ask where and when to bring it.

4. Test early in the window

   A pass is good for 90 days, which leaves room for a repair and retest before the deadline.

Box trucks, stake beds, cutaway vans, large work trucks and the gas pickups at the top of each maker's range all land in the same DMV category. The rules for that category are short, but two of them surprise owners, and both come straight from the Nevada DMV's own pages.

At a glance

• Light duty = gasoline up to 8,500 pounds; heavy duty = 8,501 pounds or more (Nevada DMV).
• Gasoline vehicles are tested at any weight; only diesels have a 14,000 pound cutoff.
• All heavy-duty vehicles keep the two-speed tailpipe test, even 1996 and newer.
• Large truck: call either Reno location before you drive over.

Two surprises in the DMV's wording

The first is the weight. The DMV's emission control page says gasoline powered vehicles are tested at any weight, and only diesel vehicles get a ceiling, at 14,000 pounds GVWR. Owners who have heard that big trucks are exempt are thinking of heavy diesels. A gasoline truck at 10,000, 16,000 or 26,000 pounds based in Reno or Sparks is still in the program, every year, from its fourth registration.

The second is the test method. The DMV's on-board diagnostics page says 1996 and newer light-duty vehicles get the OBD II inspection, and that 1995 and older vehicles and all heavy-duty vehicles continue with the traditional two-speed tailpipe method. A brand-new heavy-duty gas truck has an OBD port, but the Nevada test for its class is the tailpipe test.

Where the 8,501 pound line comes from

The DMV defines the classes itself: light duty means gasoline vehicles up to 8,500 pounds, heavy duty means 8,501 pounds or more. The weight to look at is the rating on the manufacturer's label. If your truck sits close to the line, the label settles which test it gets, and your renewal notice settles whether one is due this year.

When a heavy-duty truck fails

The path after a failed test is the same repair, retest and possible waiver path every vehicle follows, with one difference in the qualifying reason. For heavy-duty vehicles of any year, the DMV's waiver rule looks at carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon readings over the standard, not at a check engine light. In Washoe County the DMV's waiver minimum is $200 in qualifying repair receipts from a 2G station or the registered owner. The tailpipe test page explains what the two readings mean.

Business trucks

Most heavy gas trucks in Washoe County work for a business. The DMV's Continuous Monitoring Program, which lets a fleet skip the station test, is written for 2008 and newer light-duty gasoline fleet vehicles, so a heavy-duty truck stays on the yearly station test. Scheduling tips for several company vehicles are on the fleet vehicles page, and if the truck is a diesel rather than gas, the diesel page has the rules that apply instead.

At the two Reno locations

Both locations are inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center, Reno Northwest on Mae Anne Ave and Reno South on Longley Ln near the airport and I-580. A large truck needs a word in advance, so call the service center to ask about a large truck before you bring it. Weekday hours at both are 8 am to 5 pm; Saturday is 8 am to 4 pm at Reno Northwest and 8 am to 3 pm at Reno South.