The District no longer issues smog exemption letters. The Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) directly handles exemption requests via email (below).

How to Apply

A vehicle registered in the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District territory may be issued a biennial Smog Check exemption. Note that California law still requires a Smog Check inspection when a vehicle changes ownership or when it is registered for the first time in California.

To obtain an exemption, consumers must submit a request via email to the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) at BAR.NOSOCO@dca.ca.gov.  The request must include the following information:

• Name of registered vehicle owner(s)
• Phone number of registered vehicle owner
• Address where vehicle is registered
• Vehicle license plate number

If the request is approved, the BAR will notify the consumer via email and electronically forward the approval to the DMV for their records. The consumer can then register and/or renew the registration of the vehicle without obtaining a Smog Check certificate.  Exemptions are available only in NoSoCo Air territory; not all of Sonoma County.  Add your address to the map on our home page to verify that you are in NoSoCo Air.