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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 26Pt. 5Ch. 3Art. 1§ 43602 Exhaust Emission Limits

§ 43602 Exhaust Emission Limits

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

§ 43602 Exhaust Emission Limits

Key Takeaways

  • •Your car's exhaust must not release too much of three bad things: hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxide.
  • •If no exhaust part can stop all three bad things, the state can allow one that stops two, as long as it doesn’t make the third one worse.
  • •You only need one approved exhaust part on your car, even if there are many that work.

Example

You take your old car to a shop to fix the exhaust so it pollutes less.

The shop puts on a new exhaust part that stops too much carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, but not nitrogen oxide. The state says this is okay because the part doesn’t make the nitrogen oxide worse than before.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 43602 Exhaust Emission Limits

An exhaust device certified by the state board pursuant to Section 43601 shall not allow emissions exceeding any of the following: (a)  350 parts per million hydrocarbons. (b)  2 percent carbon monoxide. (c)  800 parts per million nitrogen oxide. However, if no exhaust device meets all three of the maximums specified in subdivisions (a), (b), and (c), the state board may certify an exhaust device which meets any two of the three maximums specified, if the installation of such a device in a motor vehicle would not increase the other emission in excess of the emission of that pollutant by the vehicle in the absence of such a device. If two or more exhaust devices are certified that they meet the requirements of this section, the state board may not require the installation of more than one exhaust device on any motor vehicle. (Added by Stats. 1975, Ch. 957.)

Last verified: January 24, 2026

Key Terms

pollutionemissionvehiclereleaseinstallation

Related Statutes

  • § 43600 Used Vehicle Emission Standards
  • § 43630 Ultra-Low Emission Device Standards
  • § 43603 Exhaust Device Certification Criteria
  • § 43610 Nitrogen Oxide Emission Standards
  • § 43611 Exhaust Device Certification Criteria

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 43602.
View Official Source