STAR station · Bakersfield
If your DMV renewal notice says certification is required at a STAR station, you’re in the right place — at the same $41.75 price as any other smog check.
What STAR means
STAR is the Bureau of Automotive Repair’s program for smog stations that meet stricter performance standards. STAR stations are monitored more closely than regular stations, and some vehicles can only be certified at one.
Each cycle the DMV directs a share of vehicles to STAR stations. When yours is one of them, only a STAR station can issue the certificate.
We’re STAR-certified and test-only — we never sell repairs, so the result is impartial.
A STAR smog is $41.75 for most vehicles, plus the $8.25 certificate on a pass. No STAR surcharge.
Regular vs STAR
Any licensed station can perform a standard Smog Check. But only a STAR-certified station can issue a certificate of compliance to a vehicle the DMV has directed to a STAR station. Take a directed vehicle to a regular shop and you’ll be sent elsewhere to finish the job.
To check, look at your registration renewal notice. If it says the smog must be done at a STAR station, bring it to White Ln and we’ll handle exactly what the state is asking for. Grab the $41.75 coupon first.
STAR FAQ
Your DMV registration renewal notice will say so. If it states that certification is required at a STAR station, bring it here.
The DMV directs a share of vehicles to STAR stations based on how likely they are to fail, and some at random. It’s routine and doesn’t mean anything is wrong with your car.
No. A non-STAR station may test it, but only a STAR-certified station can issue the certificate for a vehicle the DMV directed to STAR.
No. It’s $41.75 for most vehicles, the same as any smog check at White Ln, plus the $8.25 certificate on a pass.
The inspection itself follows the same procedure; the difference is that STAR stations meet stricter performance standards and are monitored more closely.
Yes. Gross polluters must be certified at a STAR station, and we’re a STAR-certified test-only station.
We’ll explain what needs attention. After the repair, bring it back for a retest, and check whether you qualify for the state’s Consumer Assistance Program.