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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 26Pt. 5Ch. 2Art. 1§ 43102 Vehicle Emission Certification Standards

§ 43102 Vehicle Emission Certification Standards

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 43102 Vehicle Emission Certification Standards

Key Takeaways

  • •New cars or car engines must pass California's pollution tests to be sold in California.
  • •Car companies can sell some cars that only meet federal pollution rules if they also sell cleaner cars in California to balance it out.
  • •This balancing rule does not apply to emergency vehicles like ambulances or police cars.
  • •If a car already meets California's strict pollution rules, the balancing rule doesn’t apply to it.

Example

A car company wants to sell a new SUV in California that only meets federal pollution rules but not California’s stricter ones.

The company can still sell that SUV in California if they also sell enough electric or very clean cars there to make up for the SUV’s extra pollution. But if the SUV is an ambulance, this rule doesn’t apply.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 43102 Vehicle Emission Certification Standards

(a)  No new motor vehicle or new motor vehicle engine shall be certified by the state board, unless the vehicle or engine, as the case may be, meets the emission standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 43101 under test procedures adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 43104. (b)  Notwithstanding subdivision (a), to assure that California consumers have an adequate selection of light-duty motor vehicle models, the state board shall adopt certification and enforcement regulations for future model years as soon as practicable, but not later than for the 1983 and subsequent model years, which will allow a manufacturer to certify in California federally certified light-duty motor vehicles with any engine family or families when their emissions are offset by the manufacturer’s California certified motor vehicles whose emissions are below the applicable California standards. This exemption shall not apply to emergency vehicles, as defined in Section 2002 of Title 15 of the United States Code. (c)  Subdivision (b) shall not be applicable to any vehicle or engine model which is certified to meet the emission standards established pursuant to Section 43101 or 43101.5. (Amended by Stats. 1981, Ch. 1185.)

Last verified: January 24, 2026

Key Terms

pollutionenforcementdutyemissionemergencyvehicleregulationfine

Related Statutes

  • § 43101.5 Vehicle Emission Standards Limits
  • § 43107 Motorcycle Emission Standards
  • § 43205 Vehicle Emissions Warranty Requirements
  • § 43211 Vehicle Emission Penalty Standards
  • § 25540.5 Air Pollution Violation Penalties

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 43102.
View Official Source