STAR smog laws in CA?

[alfun]

Just idle thinking, what does happen if you get assigned to a Star smog, and fail? Same usual 'fix this' and just return? Do they offer to fix it? Might be good to have a thread that included a lot of information.

I'm guessing if you fail you just fix your vehicle and get it tested again. What would happen if you failed a smog check at a Test Only station before? I think the only shops that were allowed to do smog related repair work were Gold Shield stations, I never really understood this because can't you just go to any regular automotive shop and have your car fixed then go smog your car again? I believe the Gold Shield stations are replaced by STAR Test & Repair stations now.

I believe they will offer to fix it if you meet the Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) requirements. Only if you live in California though. I heard they will also pay you to retire your vehicle if you fail smog and if you meet some other requirements but I know someone who has been waiting for over 6 months to get the $1,000 for their retired vehicle.
http://www.bar.ca.gov/03_barprograms/smog_check.html

[Mr.Fujiwara]

**** CALIFORNIA SMOG LAWS!!!!!!!!!

[Stock4AG]

Passed..

[moonshine71]

I guess I'm not seeing the big deal here with STAR. I've read the info on the system, from what I can tell:

-Before we had Smog Test and Test-Only Centers and Gold Centers
-We just merged Test Only and GOLD centers together to make STAR centers
-Test only centers need to get higher certification to meet the previous GOLD Center standard (now STAR), GOLD centers get a facelift and renamed STAR
-Forces Test-Only centers to pay to become STAR centers or fall behind and become smog-only, really just screws over small businesses so the state can make money.


From what I can tell we just changed the setup/certification process. I don't read anything about different testing procedures, changing how they target cars for Test Only (now called STAR), or anything else. They target cars the same way they always have. Gross emitters, probably gunna fail due to age, or at random. Most of us get popped due to failing smog before OR because our cars are old and probably WILL fail.

Remain calm. Where there is a market, there will ALWAYS be smog hookups.

That's true! You just going to pay more, that's what happened to me.

[Big Mike Socal Muniz]

shops that got caught this year:
http://smogcheck.ca.gov/enforcement/DiscActions_Citations/DiscActions_04_2013.pdf
http://smogcheck.ca.gov/enforcement/DiscActions_Citations/DiscActions_03_2013.pdf