On-Road Light-Duty Emissions Certification Requirements

This page last reviewed December 27, 2010


This page provides a list of emission-related regulations, test procedures, Manufacturers Advisory Correspondences (MACs), and related documents applicable to on-road vehicles, including passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty vehicles from 8,501 to 14,000 lbs. GVWR meeting chassis dynamometer based emissions standards, and is primarily for the interest and needs of manufacturers and others that are required to obtain certification from ARB.  For more public-oriented materials, please visit our DriveClean web site.

Please sign up to the new Mobile Source Mailouts and MAC list server. By doing this, you will be notified when a new Mobile Source Mailout (e.g. proposing a new rule or amending an existing rule) or MAC (e.g. providing ARB's policy decisions and interpretations of the regulations and test procedures) has been posted to the Mobile Source Mailouts or MAC webpages. These email notices can replace any of the mobile source hard copy mailing lists you may already be on. If you subscribe to the ms-mailings list serve, you may wish to delete your subscription to the hard copy lists by notifying Alex Axt.


Exhaust Regulations and Test Procedures.

  • Low-Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) Program Web Page.
  • The California Low-Emission Vehicle Regulations for Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles, including all or portions of Sections 1900, 1956.8, 1960.1, 1960.5, 1961, 1961.1, 1962, 1962.1, 1962.2, 1965, 1976, 1978, 2062, and 2101, Title 13, California Code of Regulations (13 CCR). (PDF - 676K)
  • The "California Exhaust Emission Standards and Test Procedures for 2001 and Subsequent Model Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles." (PDF - 576K)
  • The "California Exhaust Emission Standards and Test Procedures for 2009 and Subsequent Model Zero-Emission Vehicles, and Hybrid-Electric Vehicles, in the Passenger Car, Light-Duty Truck, and Medium-Duty Vehicle Classes." (PDF - 2,977K)

The California exhaust regulations reference the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA's) test procedures in Title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 86, Subpart S. These procedures are available from the U.S. EPA's Cars and Light Trucks web page.
Evaporative and Refueling Test Procedures.
California Emissions Warranty Requirements.
The California emissions warranty requirements are in 13 CCR §2035, et seq.
  • 13 CCR §2035, Purpose, Applicability, and Definitions, 13 CCR §2037, Defects Warranty Requirements for 1990 and Subsequent Model Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, Medium-Duty Vehicles, and Motor Vehicle Engines Used in Such Vehicles, and 13 CCR §2038, Performance Warranty Requirements for 1990 and Subsequent Model Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Vehicles, and Motor Vehicle Engines Used in Such Vehicles. (PDF - 56K)
  • §2036, Defects Warranty Requirements. (PDF - 61K)
  • §2039, Emissions Control System Warranty Statement.(PDF - 42K)
  • §2040, Vehicle Owner Obligations. (PDF - 34K)
  • §2041, Mediation; Finding of Warrantable Condition. (PDF - 36K)
  • Emission Warranty Parts List (PDF - 34K)
Emissions Labeling.
  • The California emissions labeling requirements are in 13 CCR §1965 (PDF - 86K)
  • For the Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) label specifications, see the Exhaust Test Procedures, Part I, C.3. (PDF - 576k)
  • The "California Environmental Performance Label Specifications for 2009 and Subsequent Model Year Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks, and Medium-Duty Passenger Vehicles." (PDF - 122K)
Fuel Fill Pipe and Openings Requirements.
  • The fuel fill pipe specifications are in 13 CCR §2235 (PDF - 33K)
  • Specifications for Fill Pipes and Openings of Motor Vehicle Fuel Tanks (PDF - 643K)
  • Fuel fill pipe application (PDF - 81K)

On-Board Diagnostics II (OBD II)
Zero Emission Vehicles
Assembly-Line Testing
  • The "California Assembly-Line Test Procedures for 2001 and Subsequent Model-Year Passenger Cars, Light-Duty Trucks and Medium-Duty Vehicles" (PDF -13 K)
New Vehicle Compliance (a.k.a. "Title 13") Testing
  • The "California New Vehicle Compliance Test Procedures" (PDF - 28K)
Direct Import (DI) (a.k.a. "Gray Market") Vehicles
  • New DI "California Certification and Compliance Test Procedures for New Modifier Certified Vehicles" (PDF - 316K)
  • Used DI "California Certification Procedures for 1975 and Later Model-Year Used Modifier-Certified Vehicles" (PDF  3746K)
  • Used DI "Licensing Requirements for Motor Vehicle  Emission Test Laboratories" (PDF - 498K)
  • Used DI Laboratory Questionnaire (PDF - K)
Manufacturers Advisory Correspondences (MACs)
  • MAC 2009-03, Determination for Manufacturers of Passenger Cars (PC), Light-Duty Trucks (LDT) and Medium-Duty Passenger Vehicles (MDPV) Subject to California's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Fleet Average Requirement. (PDF - 42K)
Attachment: TABLE 1-A (CERT MFR worksheet), CERTIFYING/PRODUCING MANUFACTURER'S CALIFORNIA SALES (PC, LDT, MDV, MDE, HDE) and TABLE 1-B (MKT MFR worksheet), MARKETING MANUFACTURER'S CALIFORNIA SALES OF VEHICLES (PC, LDT, MDV, MDE, HDE) CERTIFIED BY ANOTHER MANUFACTURER. (Excel - 119K)

  • MAC 2009-01, Implementation of New Environmental Performance Label. (PDF - 140K)
Attachment to MAC 2009-01, Test Gourp Information Format.(Excel - 17K)

  • MAC 2007-01, Policy regarding the use of Electronic Signatures in the Air Resources Board's (ARB) Document Management System for Certification. (PDF - 87K)
Mail-outs
  • MSO 2007-03, New Requirement to Report Carbon Dioxide Emissions from 2008 and Subsequent Model Year California Certified Vehicles and Engines PDF - 85K)

ARB Certification Administrative Requirements

New vehicle manufacturers are required to register with ARB as a manufacturer to gain access to the Document Management System (DMS). See these web pages:

For more information regarding these regulations and test procedures, please contact the On-Road Light-Duty Certification staff listed on the On-Road New Vehicle and Engine Certification Program web page.

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