Updated October 2026: This post first warned California truck owners about DMV registration rules that started in 2020. Those rules are still in force, and the Clean Truck Check has since added a second way a truck’s registration can be blocked.
California ties your truck’s registration to its CARB compliance record. If CARB reports a vehicle as noncompliant, the DMV will block its registration renewal and ownership transfer until the record shows the truck is back in compliance. Two CARB programs matter most for heavy-duty truck owners.
1. The Truck and Bus Regulation
Starting in 2020, the DMV began checking diesel trucks over 14,000 pounds GVWR against CARB’s Truck and Bus Regulation before renewing registration. Since January 1, 2023, nearly all of these trucks must have a 2010 or newer model year engine to stay registered in California. Older trucks are only allowed under specific exemptions, which CARB must approve.
2. The Clean Truck Check
Under CARB’s Clean Truck Check program, most diesel and alternative-fuel trucks over 14,000 pounds must be registered in CARB’s CTC-VIS system, pay an annual fee ($32.13 in 2026, $33.12 in 2027), and pass emissions testing twice a year. Many newer trucks move to quarterly testing in October 2027. Missing a test or the annual fee can put a hold on your DMV registration.
How to avoid a registration hold
- Check that each truck’s engine model year meets the Truck and Bus Regulation, or that its exemption is current.
- Make sure every truck is listed in CTC-VIS and the annual fee is paid.
- Schedule Clean Truck Check tests before each deadline, and fix emissions problems early so a failed test doesn’t hold up your renewal.
Official information
Need commercial truck repair or a Clean Truck Check in San Diego? Kearny Mesa Truck Center has kept San Diego trucks on the road since 1970. Open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, at 5624 Kearny Villa Rd.