Emissions registration and $30 annual fee on each truck operating in California due July 1st.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) new Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance (HDI/M) $30 emissions/inspections truck registration and fees are due next week, July 1st, 2023. Biannual emissions testing will begin January 1, 2024.
HD I/M Registration required by July 1, 2023.
All owners of any diesel and/or alternative fuel burning vehicle with a gross vehicle weight of 14,000 pounds or higher that travels into California (even temporarily and/or occasionally) must register that vehicle and pay a $30 registration fee per truck by July 1, 2023 to comply with California’s new clean air regulations. Beginning January 1, 2024, CARB’s new rules will require semiannual emissions testing for particulate matter and oxides of nitrogen for all heavy trucks operating in California. Eventually testing will be required four times a year. An overview video explaining the new regulations is available at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/truckstop/hdim/hdim.html.
Detailed instructions for using the CARB registration database are available at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CARB/subscriber/new?topid=hdim. Registration alternatives depend on the type(s) of vehicle(s) you need to register. The options for truck registration are available at https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/permits-certifications-verifications-and-registrations. By July 1st, vehicle owners are required to create owner accounts in CARB’s HD I/M database, verify the vehicles in their fleets, and pay the first annual compliance fee per vehicle. Single-vehicle trucking enterprises are not exempt and must register as well. If a vehicle owner fails to create an owner account and pay the initial compliance fees, the owner may be cited for non-compliance and/or have their DMV vehicle registrations blocked.
You can receive regular updates directly from CARB by signing up for email alerts at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CARB/subscriber/new?topid=hdim.
Roadside inspections
CARB rolled out Phase 1 of its new requirements in January 2023, conducting roadside inspections using roadside emissions monitoring to identify high-emitting vehicles. When CARB’s roadside monitoring picks up a vehicle that potentially violates the emissions standards, it will send a notice to the owner (“Notice to be Tested”) which requires the owner to submit a passing HDI/M test to CARB within 30 days. Roadside monitoring will continue even after the full periodic testing and reporting requirements are in place.
Periodic inspections
HD I/M periodic compliance testing for all vehicles that operate in California will start no earlier than January 1, 2024. CARB will notify vehicle owners of periodic testing requirements at least 90 days prior to their effective date on the California Regulatory Notice Register and on CARB’s website. CARB will also notify vehicle owners through outreach activities such as training sessions, targeted email campaigns, and program announcements delivered straight to your email inbox when you subscribe to receive HD I/M program updates at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/CARB/subscriber/new?topid=hdim.
Nearly all vehicles will be required to undergo semiannual testing with results submitted to CARB. Three years after the start of HD I/M periodic compliance testing (no earlier than January 2027), most vehicles will be required to undergo testing four times per year.
Timing of testing
For California-registered vehicles, the compliance testing deadlines are linked to each vehicle’s DMV registration expiration/renewal date. Passing HD I/M test results may be submitted up to 90 days before a compliance deadline, but certainly no later than the vehicle’s registration renewal date.
For vehicles registered outside of California and those vehicles without DMV registration requirements (e.g., public agency vehicles, some federal vehicles), semiannual compliance deadlines are based on the last number of a vehicle’s VIN as shown in the table below. Passing HD I/M test results may be submitted up to 90 days before a compliance deadline, but must be submitted no later than the compliance deadline itself.
More information.
CARB has created factsheets on specific topics:
Information on what owners need to do now: owner factsheet
Information on future periodic testing requirements: testing factsheet
Information about the HDI/M program and regulations: background factsheet
Information about on-board-diagnostics OBD devices: OBD-HDI/M factsheet
Specific HDI/M information:
https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/truckstop/hdim/hdim.html
For more information, please contact info@cullenlaw.com