California CleanTruck Check deadlines occur every six months from the last day of the month corresponding to the VIN last digit. See breakdown below.

Last VIN Digit:

0 - April

1 - May

2 - June

3 - Jan

4 - Feb

5 - March

6 - Apr

7 - May

8 - Jun

9 - Jan

Before your Houston Clean Truck Inspection, we recommend ensuring there are no Check Engine Lights (CELs) before scheduling an inspection. Also, no recent major repairs or codes cleared within the last 3 days prior to. inspection. Failure to ensure this can often trigger a “Fail” or “Not Ready” result as the truck may need several dozen starting cycles to naturally clear check engine codes. Additionally, any manual deletion or reset of codes may also result in a "Not Ready" test outcome.

Clean Truck Check aka CARB Inspection, aka California Emissions Inspection, is a new initiative from the California Air Resource Board (CARB) that requires heavy-duty vehicles that travel in the state of California to regularly pass electronic emissions inspections. More formally called, Heavy Duty Inspection and Maintenance (HD I/M), Clean Truck Check is an emissions reduction program for heavy-duty, non-gasoline vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of over 14,000 pounds. 

The program and subsequent inspection requirements apply to buses, trucks, agricultural equipment and motorhomes that create a majority of nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter emissions on the road.

Our technician connects diagnostic equipment to the vehicle’s OBDII port.

A diagnostic snapshot is taken and automatically submitted to the CARB portal.

Results are typically received within 15 minutes with one of the following outcomes:

Pass: No active check-engine codes or emission issues.

Fail: Due to active check-engine codes or issues present within the emissions system.

Not Ready: Often due to recent major repairs or manual deletion of check-engine codes.

All compliance deadlines starting on January 1, 2025 and later will require a passing compliance test to be submitted as part of their compliance demonstration. 

Vehicles may submit tests no more than 90 days prior to the vehicle’s compliance deadlines. 

For example, a vehicle with a compliance deadline of February 1, 2025 may submit a passing emissions compliance test as early as November 3, 2024. 

Non-compliance may result in DMV registration blocks and other enforcement action.

Clean Truck Check applies to nearly all diesel and alternative fuel heavy-duty vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 14,000 pounds that operate on California public roads and highways even if they are not registered in California. This includes public vehicles (federal, state, and local government); motorcoaches; transit, shuttle and school buses; hybrid vehicles; commercial vehicles; personal vehicles; California registered motorhomes; single vehicle fleets; and vehicles registered outside of California (not including motorhomes).

Upon a passing result, we disconnect our equipment, and the vehicle’s online profile is updated in real-time for California compliance. You can log in to https://cleantruckcheck.arb.ca.gov/ to view test results.

A printed copy of the passing status is provided for your records.

If your vehicile fails: In order to view your results, and details on the fail - you can log into https://cleantruckcheck.arb.ca.gov/.

Item descripes, almost all non-gasoline heavy-duty vehicles with a GVWR over 14,000 lbs. that operate in CA must be compliant with Clean Truck Check. All vehicles that are operating on California public roads and highways are required to comply with the Clean Truck Check program which includes reporting, compliance fees, and emissions testing.
To maintain a level playing field between trucks registered in California and trucks registered in other states, staff conducts roadside inspections at border crossings, outside ports and railyards and throughout the state. Remote Emissions Monitoring Devices (REMD) and Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) are also deployed throughout the state to verify compliance.

Emissions compliance testing was effective on October 1, 2024, with the first compliance testing deadline on January 1, 2025. Beginning January 1, 2025 compliant required vehicles be required to undergo testing on a quarterly basis.

The testing requirements depend on whether your vehicle/engine is equipped with OBD or not.

While most vehicles have an engine model year one year older than the vehicle model year, please refer to the vehicles emissions control label (ECL) on the engine to ensure you are performing the correct test for the vehicle. 

OBD-equipped vehicles (2013 and newer diesel engines and 2018 and newer alternative fuel engines) are required to undergo a scan of the engine’s OBD data using a California Air Resources Board (CARB) certified OBD testing device. 

Diesel non-OBD vehicles (2012 and older diesel engines) are required to complete a smoke opacity test and a visual inspection of the vehicle’s emissions control equipment, referred to in this program as the Vehicle Emissions Control Equipment Inspection. Alternative fuel non-OBD vehicles (2017 and older alternative fuel engines) are only required to complete the visual inspection and are not subject to the smoke opacity test requirement. Item description

At completion, our technician will advise immediately of the state’s results. Additionally, Vehicle owners can find current and historical emissions compliance testing results in their CTC-VISaccount. 
Non-OBD-equipped vehicles will receive either a "pass" or "fail" for emissions compliance testing.
In addition to "pass" or "fail", OBD-equipped vehicles may receive other results that require additional testing

Yes. We like to maintain communication with our valued customers. Every customer acknowledges at invoicing we may communicate with them by print or email and thus we will send our gentle mreinders on upcoming Houston CleanTruck inspectiond deadlines.

Simple! To schedule your inspection - please feel free to text or call us at 346.594.1045 at your convenience.

We’re open 8a-5p M-F and Saturday by appointment only. We’re happy to accomodate your schedule at our shop, For our fleet customers - we’re happy to perform your Houston CARB Inspetion at your location in Houston!

For more information, visit Clean Truck Check (HD I/M). Fact sheets, videos, and other information on requirements and reporting are available. 

Or feel free to text or call us at 346.594.1045 or email at sales@precisiondpf.com today!

Our technician plugs into your truck's OBD port and pulls a snapshot of emissions-related data from your ECM — things like fault codes, monitor readiness, and your truck's emissions warning lamp status. There's no tailpipe sniffing or smoke testing. If your check engine or emissions lights are on, you'll likely fail.

Yes — the rule applies to your truck, not your home base. Any non-gasoline vehicle over 14,000 lbs GVWR that operates on California roads, even once, has to be enrolled in the CARB Clean Truck Check program and tested on schedule. If you run a load into California once a year, you still need a current test. Whether you stop in Bakersfield for fuel or drive coast-to-coast, CARB enforcement officers and roadside scanners don't distinguish.cription

In-shop: if you fail, our team can diagnose and repair the issue right here — same day in most cases — and we'll retest you for free once the repair is complete.

Remote: if your device reports a failure to CARB, you have 30 days to get back into compliance before fines start. We'll alert you the moment we see the failure, and you can bring the truck to our Houston shop for repair or work with a local shop — your call. Once repaired, we can trigger an on-demand retest through the device, no second installation needed.

Yes. There's no enrollment window — the moment your device is installed and your first submission is in, you're set up for automatic testing going forward. Your previous in-shop tests still count; the device just takes over from your next compliance window.Item description

OBD port only. It pulls everything it needs — power and data — directly from the included diagnostic connector.

The device goes with you if/when you sell it. Give us a call and once you pull it from the truck we’ll reassign it to your replacement truck. There's no penalty for either — just give us a call and we'll handle the paperwork on our end.

No — the Clean Truck Check is California-specific. It does not substitute for federal DOT inspections, smog tests in other states, or any non-CARB emissions program. If you run interstate, you still need everything else you currently maintain.