What is SB 210 and Who Does It Affect?

I've spent the last several years watching California's trucking industry navigate one of the most significant regulatory changes in recent memory. Senate Bill 210 — better known as SB 210 or the Clean Truck Check program — has fundamentally changed what it means to keep a commercial fleet compliant in this state. If you operate heavy-duty vehicles in California and you're still not sure exactly what SB 210 requires, this post will clear it up.

What is SB 210?

Senate Bill 210 was signed into California law in 2019 and directed the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to develop the Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance (HD I/M) regulation — now known as the Clean Truck Check program. The goal is straightforward: ensure that heavy-duty diesel and alternative fuel vehicles operating on California roads have properly functioning emissions control systems.

CARB began roadside emissions monitoring in early 2023 and full periodic testing enforcement kicked in for most vehicles starting January 1, 2025. That's the date most fleet operators felt the program become real.

Who does SB 210 affect?

This is the question I get most often. The short answer: almost every heavy-duty diesel or alternative fuel vehicle over 14,000 pounds GVWR that operates on California public roads — regardless of where it's registered.

That includes:

• Commercial semi-trucks and tractor-trailers

• Heavy-duty buses and motorcoaches

• Privately owned heavy-duty vehicles

• California-registered motorhomes

• Out-of-state trucks that operate in California

• Government and federal vehicles

If your truck weighs more than 14,000 pounds and runs on diesel or alternative fuel, there's a very good chance SB 210 applies to it.

What are the exemptions?

There are some vehicles that are exempt or have modified requirements. Gasoline-

powered vehicles are generally exempt. Zero-emission vehicles — battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell — are also exempt. Vehicles registered as Planned Non-Operation (PNO) with the DMV are not subject to testing while in that status. New vehicles with engines certified to CARB's most stringent optional NOx standard are exempt until January 1, 2027.

If you're not sure whether your specific vehicle is subject to the program, the safest approach is to log into your CTC-VIS account at cleantruckcheck.arb.ca.gov or call me directly at (916) 847-3811 — I'm happy to help you figure it out before your deadline.

How often does testing happen?

Most vehicles subject to Clean Truck Check are required to test twice per year — semi-annually — in 2025 and 2026. Starting October 2027, OBD-equipped vehicles (2013 and newer engines) will be required to test four times per year, quarterly. California-registered motorhomes used for recreational purposes and certain agricultural vehicles test once per year.

What happens if you don't comply?

Non-compliance is expensive and disruptive. CARB places a DMV registration hold on vehicles that miss their testing deadline — meaning you can't renew your registration until the hold is cleared. CARB also conducts roadside enforcement with CHP at border crossings, ports, and railyards. Vehicles flagged by roadside monitoring can receive a Notice to Submit to Testing, which gives you just 30 days to submit a passing test or face fines up to $10,000 per day.

I've worked with plenty of fleet operators who didn't take the deadlines seriously until they had trucks they couldn't register. It's not a situation you want to be in — especially when compliance is genuinely straightforward once you have a system in place.

The bottom line

SB 210 is here to stay and the enforcement is real. If you operate heavy-duty vehicles in California and haven't gotten your fleet tested, the time to act is now — before a missed deadline turns into a registration hold or an NST.

Fleet Rescue is a CARB-credentialed mobile testing service based in Citrus Heights. I come to your location throughout Northern California and beyond. You can book online at fleetrescueca.com/book or call me directly at (916) 847-3811.

— Jeff LeMaster, Owner · Fleet Rescue, LLC · CARB Tester ID E237783