CARB Clean Truck Check compliance checker

By Fernandez · Updated October 2026

Check whether California's Clean Truck Check applies to your truck and what you need to do.

GVWR

Clean Truck Check applies?

Yes, when operating in California

Testing

twice a year (semi-annual)

Annual compliance fee

$32.13 (2026), $33.12 (2027)

1. Report the vehicle in CTC-VIS and pay the annual fee there (other CARB portals do not count).
2. Pass an emissions test by a CARB-credentialed tester using the OBD data on schedule.
3. Keep it current: California registration can be held back if you are not compliant.

From CARB Clean Truck Check program pages and compliance fee fact sheets, checked 2026-10. Covers heavy-duty diesel vehicles over 14,000 lb. CARB plans more frequent testing for OBD vehicles in later years; dates differ between summaries, so check CARB before planning around it. Not affiliated with CARB; confirm with CARB before you rely on this.

Compliant and ready for California loads? We plan lanes in and out of the state.

Our dispatchers find and negotiate the loads; you approve each one and sign the rate con. 5% of gross for one truck with an MC 6 months or older, no setup fee.

Start dispatch

How the checker decides

Covered if the vehicle is diesel and its GVWR is over 14,000 pounds, whether registered in California or elsewhere, when it operates in California.
Testing is twice a year for most covered vehicles, and annual for agricultural vehicles and California motorhomes.
Fee is $32.13 for 2026 compliance deadlines and $33.12 for 2027, paid in CTC-VIS.

Sources: CARB's Clean Truck Check program pages and its compliance fee fact sheet, checked October 2026. We are not affiliated with CARB.

Worked example

Question	EXAMPLE answer
GVWR	33,000 lb
Fuel	Diesel
Registered	Out of state, runs into California
Agricultural or motorhome	No
Result	Covered, tests twice a year, $32.13 fee for 2026

Buying a used truck that will run in California

Check the truck's Clean Truck Check status in CTC-VIS before you buy, along with its emissions equipment and any open recalls. A truck that cannot pass, or has had its emissions system tampered with, can be expensive or impossible to bring into compliance. Our used semi truck checklist covers what to inspect.

Check axle and gross limits with the truck weight limit checker, and confirm the engine and model year with the semi truck VIN decoder. Vocational truck buyers can also read dump truck financing.

Common Clean Truck Check mistakes

Most problems with the program come from timing and paperwork rather than failed tests. Owners find out about the requirement when a California load comes up, or when a registration renewal is held back. A few minutes in CTC-VIS before the first California load avoids that. These are the mistakes we see most often:

Paying the fee in the wrong place. CARB says only payments through CTC-VIS count toward Clean Truck Check.
Assuming out-of-state plates are exempt. Trucks registered elsewhere must comply when they operate in California.
Waiting for a California load to start. Report the truck, pay the fee and test before you accept freight into the state, so the first load is not your first problem.
Using any shop for the test. The test must come from a CARB-credentialed tester; check the list on CARB's site.
Treating this checker as the final word. Rules, fees and testing dates change; confirm on CARB's program page before relying on any summary, including this one.

Compliant and ready for California freight?

We plan lanes in and out of the state. A dispatcher calls you back.

Plan my California lanes

YOUR NUMBERS, EXAMPLE

Payment: $1,715 /mo
Our fee: 5% of gross
YOU KEEP: the rest

Questions

What is the CARB Clean Truck Check?

It is California's heavy-duty inspection and maintenance program, run by the California Air Resources Board. Covered vehicles must be reported in CARB's CTC-VIS system, pay an annual compliance fee and pass periodic emissions tests by credentialed testers. It applies to heavy-duty diesel vehicles over 14,000 pounds operating in California.

Does California Clean Truck Check apply to out-of-state trucks?

Yes. CARB says the requirements apply to subject vehicles registered outside California when they operate in the state. If you plan to haul into California, report the truck, pay the fee and keep its testing current before the first load.

How much is the Clean Truck Check fee?

CARB set the annual vehicle compliance fee at $32.13 for compliance deadlines on or after January 1, 2026, and has published $33.12 for deadlines on or after January 1, 2027. Pay it through CTC-VIS; payments made through other CARB systems do not count.

How often does a truck need a Clean Truck Check test?

Most covered vehicles test twice a year. Agricultural vehicles and California motorhomes have annual requirements. CARB plans more frequent testing for OBD-equipped vehicles in later years, and summaries disagree on the date, so check CARB's program page before planning around it.

Where do I get a Clean Truck Check certificate?

A CARB-credentialed tester submits the passing test, and the vehicle's compliance shows in CTC-VIS once it is reported and the fee is paid. Search CARB's list of credentialed testers near you; testers in any city, Bell Gardens included, must be on that list.