California Clean Truck Check: What Small Fleets Must Do
CARB's Clean Truck Check replaced the old smog-check program for heavy-duty vehicles operating in California. If you run even one truck into the state, you have registration, reporting, and testing obligations that sit alongside your federal ELD requirement.
What is the California Clean Truck Check?
Clean Truck Check is CARB's emissions compliance program for non-gasoline heavy-duty vehicles over 14,000 lbs GVWR that operate in California, including out-of-state trucks. Owners must register the vehicle in CARB's CTC-VIS system, pay an annual per-vehicle compliance fee, and submit periodic emissions test results. It is separate from the federal ELD mandate — an ELD does not satisfy it.
Last verified by ELD Hub.
Who has to comply
The program applies by where you drive, not where you are based. If a qualifying vehicle enters California at any point in the year, it is in scope.
- Non-gasoline heavy-duty vehicles with a GVWR above 14,000 lbs that operate in California
- Out-of-state and interstate carriers, not just California-based fleets
- Vehicles registered with California DMV and those registered elsewhere
- Some agricultural, military tactical, and emergency vehicles are excepted — confirm your class with CARB before assuming an exemption
The three obligations
Compliance breaks into registration, payment, and testing. Missing any one of them puts you out of compliance even if the truck's emissions system is perfect.
- Register each vehicle in CARB's Clean Truck Check Vehicle Inspection System (CTC-VIS)
- Pay the annual compliance fee for every in-scope vehicle
- Submit periodic emissions test results from a CARB-credentialed tester, on the schedule CARB sets for your vehicle
How testing works
Testing is performed by a CARB-credentialed tester and submitted electronically — you do not mail paperwork. Newer trucks with OBD systems are tested through the OBD port; older vehicles without a compliant OBD system use opacity testing instead. Results are tied to the VIN, so keep the test confirmation with your vehicle file the same way you keep your ELD cab card packet.
What happens if you skip it
CARB enforces through DMV registration holds, roadside and facility enforcement, and referrals that can block registration renewal. Non-compliant vehicles can also be denied entry at ports and rail yards, which for a small fleet means a truck sitting idle rather than earning.
How this sits next to your ELD requirement
Clean Truck Check is a California emissions program. The ELD mandate is a federal FMCSA hours-of-service program. They are enforced by different agencies and neither substitutes for the other. What they share is the recordkeeping habit: know which trucks are in scope, keep the proof in the cab and in a file, and renew on schedule.
- Clean Truck Check: CARB, emissions, annual fee plus periodic testing
- ELD mandate: FMCSA, hours of service, registered device plus cab-card documentation
- Both apply to out-of-state carriers running into California
Clean Truck Check vs the federal ELD mandate
| Clean Truck Check | ELD mandate | |
|---|---|---|
| Agency | CARB (California) | FMCSA (federal) |
| Applies to | Non-gasoline vehicles over 14,000 lbs GVWR operating in California | Most CMV drivers required to keep records of duty status |
| Core obligation | Register vehicle, pay annual fee, submit emissions tests | Use an FMCSA-registered ELD and carry the documentation packet |
| Proof carried | Compliance status tied to the VIN in CARB's system | ELD cab card packet: manual, malfunction instructions, blank logs, transfer instructions |
| Ongoing cost | Annual per-vehicle fee plus testing | ELD Hub: $15 per truck per month, no contract |
California compliance without the enterprise price tag
ELD Hub is an FMCSA-registered ELD built for fleets under 20 trucks: $15 per truck per month, no contract, HOS, DVIRs, IFTA, and GPS included.
Frequently asked questions
Does Clean Truck Check apply to out-of-state trucks?
Yes. The program is based on operating in California, not on where the vehicle is registered. An interstate carrier that runs into California with a qualifying vehicle is in scope.
Does my ELD handle Clean Truck Check reporting?
No. An ELD records hours of service for FMCSA. Clean Truck Check is a CARB emissions program with its own registration, fee, and testing submitted by a credentialed tester.
What vehicles are covered?
Non-gasoline heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 14,000 lbs that operate in California. Certain categories such as some agricultural, military tactical, and emergency vehicles are treated differently — verify your specific class with CARB.
What is the penalty for non-compliance?
CARB can place a hold on DMV registration for California-registered vehicles and pursue enforcement against non-compliant operation. Practically, the cost is a truck that cannot renew registration or gets turned away at a gate.
I run one truck into California a few times a year. Am I in?
If the vehicle qualifies and it operates in California at all, it is in scope. Frequency does not create an exemption.
What does ELD Hub cost for a California fleet?
$15 per truck per month with no contract, including HOS logs, DVIRs, IFTA, and GPS. A PT-30 device is $150 with the cable and free ground shipping, or keep the PT-30 or IOSiX you already own.
Keep reading
- ELD for California fleets →
State-specific ELD guidance and pricing.
- DOT compliance checklist →
Every recurring federal obligation in one place.
- ELD mandate guide →
Who must comply, exemptions, and deadlines.
- CSA score →
How violations follow your DOT number.