CARB’s Clean Truck Check Fee Due by December 31 2023
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has dubbed what it formerly called its Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance Regulation the “Clean Truck Check” Regulation.
Nearly all diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty trucks, buses, and other vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating over 14,000 pounds that operate in California are subject to semiannual testing and compliance, regardless of state they are based in. Affected vehicles include hybrid trucks and buses, commercial vehicles, privately-owned vehicles, government vehicles, and vehicles registered outside of California.
CARB opened a registration period on October 1, 2023, for registering affected vehicles in its Clean Truck Check Vehicle Inspection System (CTC-VIS). The database can be accessed at cleantruckcheck.arb.ca.gov or an owner can register its vehicle(s) at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/our-work/programs/truckstop-resources/truckstop. Any vehicle(s) subject to Clean Truck Check must be reported in the database, and the first annual compliance fee of $30.00 per vehicle paid by December 31, 2023. If a vehicle owner fails to create an owner account and pay the initial compliance fees, the owner may be cited for non-compliance and/or have their DMV vehicle registrations blocked.
In 2024, since there is only one emissions testing requirement for that year, the registration fee must be paid by the last day of the month as noted in the table below. Depending on the date of the vehicle’s DMV/outside-of-California registration expiration, the compliance fee must be paid as follows:
| Vehicle’s DMV Registration Expires |
Clean Truck Compliance Fee Due Last Day of |
|---|---|
| January or July |
July |
| February or August |
August |
| March or September |
September |
| April or October |
October |
| May or November |
November |
| June or December |
December |
Beginning in 2025, the compliance fee must be paid annually based on the last number of the vehicle's VIN.
| Vehicle’s VIN Number Ends in |
Clean Truck Compliance Fee Due Last Day of |
|---|---|
| 0 |
October |
| 1 |
November |
| 2 |
December |
| 3 |
July |
| 4 |
August |
| 5 |
September |
| 6 |
October |
| 7 |
November |
| 8 |
December |
| 9 |
July |
You can receive regular updates on Clean Truck Checks directly from CARB by signing up for email alerts at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CARB/subscriber/new?topid=hdim.
Roadside Inspections.
CARB rolled out Phase 1 of its new requirements in January 2023, conducting roadside inspections using roadside emissions monitoring to identify high-emitting vehicles. When CARB’s roadside monitoring picks up a vehicle that potentially violates the emissions standards, it will send a notice to the owner (Notice to Submit to Testing or NST) which requires the owner to submit a passing Clean Truck Check test to CARB within 30 days. Roadside monitoring will continue even after the full periodic testing and reporting requirements are in place.
Currently, vehicle compliance tests are only required if the owner receives an NST. Upon receiving an NST, a passing vehicle compliance test is required within 30 days of receipt.
Periodic inspections.
Clean Truck Check periodic compliance testing for all vehicles that operate in California will be phased in during 2024. CARB will notify vehicle owners of periodic testing requirements at least 90 days prior to their effective date on the California Regulatory Notice Register and on CARB’s website. CARB will also notify vehicle owners through outreach activities such as training sessions, targeted email campaigns and program announcements delivered straight to your email inbox when you subscribe to receive Clean Truck Check program updates at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CARB/subscriber/new?topid=hdim. Nearly all vehicles will be required to undergo semiannual testing with results submitted to CARB. Three years after the start of Clean Truck Check periodic compliance testing, no earlier than January 2027, most vehicles will be required to undergo testing four times per year.
Timing of testing.
For California-registered vehicles, the compliance testing deadlines are linked to each vehicle’s DMV registration expiration/renewal date. Passing Clean Truck Check test results may be submitted up to 90 days before a compliance deadline, but certainly no later than the vehicle’s registration renewal date.
For vehicles registered outside of California and those vehicles without DMV registration requirements (e.g., public agency vehicles, some federal vehicles), semiannual compliance deadlines are based on the last number of a vehicle’s VIN as shown in the table below. Passing Clean Truck Check test results may be submitted up to 90 days before a compliance deadline but must be submitted no later than the compliance deadline itself.
| VIN ending in |
First test results due |
Second test results due |
|---|---|---|
| 0 |
April 30 |
October 31 |
| 1 |
May 31 |
November 30 |
| 2 |
June 30 |
December 31 |
| 3 |
July 31 |
January 31 |
| 4 |
August 31 |
February 28/29 |
| 5 |
September 30 |
March 31 |
| 6 |
October 31 |
April 30 |
| 7 |
November 30 |
May 31 |
| 8 |
December 31 |
June 30 |
| 9 |
January 31 |
July 31 |
For more information, please contact The Cullen Law Firm PLLC at info@cullenlaw.com