Clean Truck Check – Periodic Inspections

California’s new Clean Truck Check Program requires all vehicles entering California to complete a proactive, periodic inspection, per truck and provide inspection results to CARB in order to receive a Truck Certificate. Truck Certificates are required to renew DMV registration and operate in California. The Clean Truck Check program applies to all non-gasoline vehicles with gross vehicle weight of 14,001+ lbs. and above. This regulation applies to vehicles registered out of state, but come into California.

Program Phases:

Phase 1 (2023 & 2024): Vehicle Registration & Fees Paid in new CARB VIS Portal
Phase 2 (2025): Periodic Testing submission twice a year, using a credentialed CARB tester, to prove there are no active ECU or MIL issues on your vehicle. Failure to provide inspection results will result in a CARB hold when you attempt to renew your DMV registration.
Phase 3 (2026-2027): Enforcement and fines sent to fleets who have not complied with the periodic testing schedule. Bi-annual testing and fees still required.
Phase 4 (2028): Testing frequency increases from twice a year to four times a year.

Inspection Due Dates:

For California-registered trucks: inspection due date is based on the truck’s registration expiration date.
For trucks with California exempt plates or trucks registered outside of California, the inspection due date is based on the last digit of the VIN.

Inspection Window:

Fleets can perform inspections up to 90 days before the due date.

Emission Requirements:

CARB (California Air Resources Board) require there are no active MIL (Malfunction Indicator Light) issues or emission-related fault codes present at the time of inspection.

Testing Frequency:
Clean Truck Check periodic inspections will need to be performed and submitted to CARB twice a year. In 2027, the frequency will increase to quarterly.

In 2025-2027, the Periodic Testing Interval is 2 times per year
In 2028, the Periodic Testing Interval is 4 times per year

Inspection Schedule – California Registration Renewal Date:
Your registration renewal date determines when your periodic Clean Truck Check inspections are due. Inspections may be completed up to 90 days prior to each due date. Please do not complete testing earlier than this window, as CARB will require a second inspection within the 90-day period for the results to be accepted, the vehicle to pass, and a compliance certificate to be issued.

Inspection Schedule – Out of State Registered or Exempt Plates:
If your registration is valid through 12/31/2099, your vehicle is registered out of state, or it has government-exempt plates, your inspection due dates are determined by the last digit of your VIN. For example, if the last digit of your VIN is 4, your due months are February and August each year. You may begin inspections up to 90 days prior to each due date. In this example, testing may begin in December and June, allowing sufficient time to complete any necessary repairs and ensure compliance within the required window.

FleetCrew helps fleets—just like yours—manage this program from start to finish. From account creation and ongoing updates to monitoring inspection due dates and proactive outreach, we ensure nothing falls through the cracks. We can also dispatch mobile technicians directly to your facility to complete the required CARB testing.

Our goal is simple: keep your fleet on the road and fully compliant with California regulations.

If you would like to outsource all or part of this program, please feel free to email or call us—we are here to help.

FleetCrew is a trusted compliance partner for California regulations, with deep expertise in CARB requirements and the operational infrastructure to support fleets of any size—including managing thousands of vehicles at scale.

If you know of another fleet manager who may be overwhelmed navigating yet another California regulation, we would appreciate the introduction—we would be happy to support them as well.