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Clean Air for Generations to Come

Keep our dirtiest cars off the road

In California, two-thirds of our air pollution comes from gasoline-powered vehicles. Old cars are among the worst polluters, but California law exempts all cars from the Smog Check program as they become 30 years old. Each year under current law, tens of thousands of old cars (well-maintained or not) will no longer have to meet Smog Check standards.

Assembly Bill 2683 (Lieber) will keep vehicles with a model year of 1976 or later in the Smog Check program, reducing emissions and improving air quality.

• AB 2683 will prevent about 5.7 tons of emissions per day by 2010, and over 12 tons/day by 2015.
• AB 2683 will keep almost 64,000 model year 1976 vehicles in California’s Smog Check program, as well as tens of thousands of vehicles each year that would exit the program under current law.

No cars that are currently exempted will become subject to the program; AB 2683 will maintain an exemption for all cars built before 1976 and "classic cars" that meet current standards for their model year—which are much more generous than the thresholds for newer cars.

The Smog Check program exists to protect and improve California's air quality. We need to maximize its effectiveness by continuing to hold old vehicles to California’s emission standards.

• An average 1976 model year car gives off about 155 times more hydrocarbons per mile driven than a 2004 model year car. Hydrocarbons are linked to genetic mutations and cancer.
• Total emissions from 1976 cars are 2 to 3 times greater than emissions from 2004 cars—even though there are over 24 times more 2004 cars on the road today than 1976 cars, and the 2004 cars are driven 58 times further each day.
• By 2010, pre-1982 cars will disproportionately account for 22 percent of the hydrocarbons and 11 percent of the nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from "light-duty" vehicles (cars and SUVs), though they will make up only about 2.6% of the vehicle population and 1.3% of the miles traveled.

It is essential for California's growing fleet of vehicles to be as clean and efficient as possible. AB 2683 will repeal the 30-year rolling exemption from Smog Check and Smog Check II requirements and replace it with an exemption for vehicles manufactured prior to the 1976 model year. This critical bill ensures that cars that can pass Smog Check will be required to continue to do so, without an undue burden on owners of cars that are already exempt.

What You Can Do

Victory! Governor Schwarzenegger has signed AB 2683.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814 Fax: 916-445-4633
Email the Governor using his web form at http://www.govmail.ca.gov/.