Smog check rules for motorhomes and RVs

Motorhome owners in Reno and Sparks get the same renewal notice as everyone else, but two facts about the coach change what that notice means: the fuel it burns and the weight its chassis is rated for. This page sorts out both, then covers the practical side of getting a big vehicle tested.

At a glance

• Gasoline vehicles are tested at any weight in the Washoe testing area (Nevada DMV).
• Heavy-duty vehicles, 8,501 pounds and up, keep the two-speed tailpipe method.
• Diesel coaches over 14,000 pounds GVWR are on the DMV exempt list, with roadside opacity rules instead.
• Size matters at the bay: call either Reno location first.

Fuel first, then weight

The Nevada DMV's emission control page lists the vehicles that need a test, and the wording settles most motorhome questions: gasoline powered vehicles of any weight, and diesel powered vehicles with a GVWR up to 14,000 pounds, model year 1968 or newer, based in the urban parts of Washoe or Clark county. A gas coach has no weight that takes it out of the program. A diesel pusher usually does, because heavy diesel coaches sit well above that line.

So the first question is what is in the tank. The second question, for a gasoline coach, is which test it gets, and that turns on the weight class.

Why a newer gas coach still gets a tailpipe test

Owners of a recent motorhome sometimes expect the quick plug-in check their car gets. The DMV's on-board diagnostics page explains why that does not happen: 1996 and newer light-duty vehicles get an OBD II inspection, while 1995 and older vehicles and all heavy-duty vehicles continue with the traditional two-speed tailpipe method. The DMV draws the heavy-duty line at 8,501 pounds.

Class A and Class C coaches are built on truck chassis rated far above that, so they fall in the heavy-duty class no matter how new they are. Some van-based campers are lighter; the weight rating on the manufacturer's label tells you which side yours is on. The tailpipe test page explains what the two-speed test measures.

Diesel coaches

A diesel motorhome at 14,000 pounds GVWR or less is tested every year with the DMV's diesel procedure. Heavier diesel coaches are on the exempt list, but the DMV's diesel page says its roadside enforcement team checks exhaust opacity statewide on vehicles over 14,000 pounds, including those registered in other states. The full diesel rules are on the diesel smog check page.

Bringing a motorhome to a Reno location

Both locations sit inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center, and a motorhome is a lot of vehicle for any bay. Before you drive over, call the service center: Reno Northwest on Mae Anne Ave at (775) 787-1000, or Reno South on Longley Ln near the airport at (775) 828-6996. Tell them the fuel, the length and the height, and they will tell you what to do. Hours are Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm at both, with Saturday 8 am to 4 pm at Reno Northwest and 8 am to 3 pm at Reno South.

• The renewal notice, if you plan to renew the registration in the same visit.
• The odometer reading.
• The chassis weight rating from the manufacturer's label, so the call goes quickly.

Coaches that spend the season away

A pass is good for 90 days, so a coach that will be on the road at renewal time can test before it leaves. If the motorhome is based in Reno but kept and used outside Nevada for a stretch, the DMV's Emission Control Exemption Application (form EC-008) lets you register or renew without the test; file it before the registration expires, because Nevada has no grace period. The renewal page covers the rest of the renewal steps.