California Senate Bill SB712

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/21/25
• Refer: 3/12/25
• Refer: 3/24/25
• Report Pass: 4/9/25
• Refer: 4/9/25
• Report Pass: 5/27/25
• Engrossed: 6/4/25
• Refer: 6/16/25
• Report Pass: 7/15/25
• Refer: 7/16/25

Caption

An act to amend, repeal, and add Section 44011 of the Health and Safety Code, and to amend, repeal, and add Section 4000.1 of the Vehicle Code, relating to air pollution.

Summary

SB 712 would expand California’s smog-check exemptions for certain older collector and historical vehicles. Beginning January 1, 2027, the bill would fully exempt from biennial smog inspections and smog checks at transfer of ownership vehicles that are at least 35 model years old, were manufactured before the 1981 model year, have a historical vehicle special plate, and are insured as collector vehicles. The bill then phases that exemption forward one model year at a time starting in 2028, so that by 2032 the exemption would apply to vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year. The measure also makes conforming changes to both the Health and Safety Code and the Vehicle Code so that these vehicles are not required to present a smog certificate for registration or transfer. It preserves existing smog-check rules for most other vehicles, including newer vehicles, diesel vehicles, and vehicles subject to other testing exceptions. The bill is designated “Lenos Law.”

Impact

SB 712 would narrow the reach of California’s smog-check program by creating a new statutory exemption for qualifying historical/collector vehicles and by extending that exemption gradually over five years. It would amend Health and Safety Code Section 44011 and Vehicle Code Section 4000.1, then repeal the current versions of those sections and replace them with operative provisions beginning January 1, 2027. The practical effect would be to remove certain older collector vehicles from biennial emissions testing and from smog certification requirements at registration and transfer, while leaving the broader inspection-and-maintenance framework intact for most vehicles.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have received generally favorable treatment in committee and on the floor, with multiple “do pass” votes and strong margins at several stages. The legislative digest identifies it as a majority vote bill, and the vote history shows broad support, including unanimous or near-unanimous committee action at some points and a 32-3 Senate third-reading vote. At the same time, the bill was ultimately held in committee and under submission, indicating that support was not sufficient to secure final advancement at the time reflected in the record.

Contention

The main policy tension is between easing regulatory burdens on collector and historical vehicle owners and preserving air-quality protections under California’s smog-check program. Supporters appear to favor a targeted exemption for older, insured collector vehicles that are driven infrequently and maintained as historical vehicles. Potential concerns likely center on whether expanding exemptions could weaken emissions oversight, create a precedent for broader carve-outs, or complicate compliance with state and federal clean-air commitments. The phased expansion suggests an attempt to balance those concerns by limiting the initial exemption and extending it gradually.