Smog check rules for pickup trucks and vans

Pickups and vans cover the whole range of Nevada's rules. Two trucks of the same model year, parked side by side in a Sparks driveway, can get different tests because of one number on the door jamb. Here is how to tell which test yours gets.

At a glance

• Gas, up to 8,500 pounds, 1996 or newer: OBD II plug-in test (Nevada DMV).
• Gas, 8,501 pounds or more: two-speed tailpipe test, any year.
• Diesel, 14,000 pounds GVWR or less: dynamometer, opacity and visual inspection.
• The manufacturer's weight rating decides, not the declared weight for fees.

Three trucks, three tests

Picture three pickups based in Reno. A gas half-ton rated at 7,000 pounds is light duty, so the DMV's on-board diagnostics page puts it on the OBD II test like a sedan. A gas three-quarter-ton rated at 10,000 pounds is heavy duty, and the same DMV page says all heavy-duty vehicles continue with the traditional two-speed tailpipe method, whatever the year. A diesel one-ton rated at 12,000 pounds is under the DMV's 14,000 pound diesel line, so it tests every year with the diesel procedure.

Vans split the same way. A minivan or small cargo van usually sits in light duty; a full-size high-roof van or a passenger van with a heavier rating can sit in heavy duty. The rating on the label tells you which.

Reading the label on the door jamb

The DMV defines light duty as gasoline vehicles up to 8,500 pounds and heavy duty as 8,501 pounds or more. For diesels, the DMV's diesel page adds a point that applies to many work trucks: the manufacturer's weight rating decides, and it may differ from the declared weight you chose for registration fees. Look at the manufacturer's label, usually on the driver's door jamb, and at your renewal notice, which says whether a smog check is required.

The plug-in test on lighter trucks

For a light-duty gas pickup or van, the test is the one described on the OBD test page: the VIN is scanned, a cable goes into the OBD port under the dash, and the result goes to the DMV in real time. A lit check engine light is an automatic fail on these trucks.

Work trucks often carry something in that port. The DMV says to remove insurance trackers and monitoring devices before the test, because technicians are required to fail any vehicle with a device plugged in. Pull a fleet tracker before you leave the yard.

Heavier trucks and diesels

The tailpipe test for heavy-duty gas trucks is explained on the tailpipe test page, and the dynamometer, opacity and visual inspection for diesels on the diesel smog check page. For either one, call the service center before you bring a diesel or a large truck.

Getting a pickup or van tested in Reno

A light-duty gas pickup or van can drive into either Reno location with no appointment, inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center: Reno Northwest at 6100 Mae Anne Ave, (775) 787-1000, open weekdays 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 4 pm; Reno South at 4993 Longley Ln, (775) 828-6996, open weekdays 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 3 pm. For a big truck or a diesel, call either number first.

• The renewal notice, if you want to ask about renewing in the same visit.
• The odometer reading.
• An empty OBD port, with trackers and plug-in devices removed.