ARTICLE 1. General Provisions [43100. - 43108.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 1.

in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43100. Section 43100.

The state board may certify new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines pursuant to this article.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43101. Section 43101.

(a) The state board shall adopt and implement emission standards for new motor vehicles for the control of emissions from new motor vehicles that the state board finds to be necessary and technologically feasible to carry out the purposes of this division. Before adopting these standards, the state board shall consider the impact of these standards on the economy of the state, including, but not limited to, their effect on motor vehicle fuel efficiency. (b) The standards adopted pursuant to this section may be applicable to motor vehicle engines, rather than to motor vehicles.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43101.5. Section 43101.5.

The emission standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 43101 for the 1983 and later model-year motor vehicles shall be limited by the following: (a) For all gasoline-powered passenger vehicles prior to the 1986 model year, the state board shall not adopt primary standards for the emission of oxides of nitrogen which are more stringent than 0.7 grams per vehicle mile, unless the state board by regulation also provides for optional standards which are not more stringent, with respect to each constituent, than 0.39 grams per vehicle mile for nonmethane hydrocarbon, 7.0 grams per vehicle mile for carbon monoxide, and 0.7 grams per vehicle mile for oxides of nitrogen. For gasoline-powered light-duty vehicles and medium-duty vehicles prior to the 1986 model year of less than 4,000 pounds unladen weight, the state board shall not adopt primary standards for the emission of oxides of nitrogen which are more stringent than 1.0 gram per vehicle mile, unless the state board by regulation also provides for optional standards which are not more stringent, with respect to each constituent, than 0.39 grams per vehicle mile for nonmethane hydrocarbon, 9.0 grams per vehicle mile for carbon monoxide, and 1.0 gram per vehicle mile for oxides of nitrogen. Any option may not impose certification, warranty, or enforcement requirements of greater duration or stringency than those set forth in the regulations applicable to 1983 and later model years, as adopted or amended by the state board on May 20, 1981. (b) If the state board intends by regulation to eliminate for 1986 and later model-year vehicles the optional standards specified in subdivision (a), the state board shall submit to the Legislature, not later than January 15th of the year which is at least two calendar years prior to the year in which production would commence of vehicles subject to the new standard, a report with an estimate of the air quality benefits of the more stringent standard, the technological and economic feasibility of requiring the standard, and the potential effects on fuel economy associated with the standard. The state board shall consult with the Environmental Protection Agency and motor vehicle and engine manufacturers prior to submitting the air quality and fuel economy estimates.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43102. Section 43102.

(a) No new motor vehicle or new motor vehicle engine shall be certified by the state board, unless the vehicle or engine, as the case may be, meets the emission standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 43101 under test procedures adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 43104. (b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), to assure that California consumers have an adequate selection of light-duty motor vehicle models, the state board shall adopt certification and enforcement regulations for future model years as soon as practicable, but not later than for the 1983 and subsequent model years, which will allow a manufacturer to certify in California federally certified light-duty motor vehicles with any engine family or families when their emissions are offset by the manufacturer’s California certified motor vehicles whose emissions are below the applicable California standards. This exemption shall not apply to emergency vehicles, as defined in Section 2002 of Title 15 of the United States Code. (c) Subdivision (b) shall not be applicable to any vehicle or engine model which is certified to meet the emission standards established pursuant to Section 43101 or 43101.5.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43104. Section 43104.

For the certification of new motor vehicles or new motor vehicle engines, the state board shall adopt, by regulation, test procedures and any other procedures necessary to determine whether the vehicles or engines are in compliance with the emissions standards established pursuant to Section 43101. The state board shall base its test procedures on federal test procedures or on driving patterns typical in the urban areas of California.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43105. Section 43105.

No new motor vehicle, new motor vehicle engine, or motor vehicle with a new motor vehicle engine required pursuant to this part to meet the emission standards established pursuant to Section 43101 shall be sold to the ultimate purchaser, offered or delivered for sale to the ultimate purchaser, or registered in this state if the manufacturer has violated emission standards or test procedures and has failed to take corrective action, which may include recall of vehicles or engines, specified by the state board in accordance with regulations of the state board. If a manufacturer contests the necessity for, or the scope of, a recall of vehicles or engines ordered pursuant to this section and so advises the state board, the state board shall not require such recall unless it first affords the manufacturer the opportunity, at a public hearing, to present evidence in support of the manufacturer’s objections. If a vehicle or engine is recalled pursuant to this section, the manufacturer shall make all necessary corrections specified by the state board without charge to the registered owner of the vehicle or vehicle with such engine or, at the manufacturer’s election, reimburse the registered owner for the cost of making such necessary corrections. The procedures for determining, and the facts constituting, compliance or failure of compliance shall be established by the state board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43105.5. Section 43105.5.

(a) For all 1994 and later model-year motor vehicles equipped with on board diagnostic systems (OBD’s) and certified in accordance with the test procedures adopted pursuant to Section 43104, the state board, not later than January 1, 2002, shall adopt regulations that require a motor vehicle manufacturer to do all of the following to the extent not limited or prohibited by federal law (the regulations adopted by the state board pursuant to this provision may include subject matter similar to the subject matter included in regulations adopted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency): (1) Make available, within a reasonable period of time, and by reasonable business means, including, but not limited to, use of the Internet, as determined by the state board, to all covered persons, the full contents of all manuals, technical service bulletins, and training materials regarding emissions-related motor vehicle information that is made available to their franchised dealerships. (2) Make available for sale to all covered persons the manufacturer’s emissions-related enhanced diagnostic tools, and make emissions-related enhanced data stream information and bidirectional controls related to tools available in electronic format to equipment and tool companies. (3) If the motor vehicle manufacturer uses reprogrammable computer chips in its motor vehicles, provide equipment and tool companies with the information that is provided by the manufacturer to its dealerships to allow those companies to incorporate into aftermarket tools the same reprogramming capability. (4) Make available to all covered persons, within a reasonable period of time, a general description of their on board diagnostic systems (OBD II) for the 1996 and subsequent model-years, which shall contain the information described in this paragraph. For each monitoring system utilized by a manufacturer that illuminates the OBD II malfunction indicator light, the motor vehicle manufacturer shall provide all of the following: (A) A general description of the operation of the monitor, including a description of the parameter that is being monitored. (B) A listing of all typical OBD II diagnostic trouble codes associated with each monitor. (C) A description of the typical enabling conditions for each monitor to execute during vehicle operation, including, but not limited to, minimum and maximum intake air and engine coolant temperature, vehicle speed range, and time after engine startup. (D) A listing of each monitor sequence, execution frequency, and typical duration. (E) A listing of typical malfunction thresholds for each monitor. (F) For OBD II parameters for specific vehicles that deviate from the typical parameters, the OBD II description shall indicate the deviation and provide a separate listing of the typical value for those vehicles. (G) The information required by this paragraph shall not include specific algorithms, specific software code, or specific calibration data beyond that required to be made available through the generic scan tool in federal and California on board diagnostic regulations. (5) Not utilize any access or recognition code or any type of encryption for the purpose of preventing a vehicle owner from using an emissions-related motor vehicle part with the exception of the powertrain control modules, engine control modules, and transmission control modules, that has not been manufactured by that manufacturer or any of its original equipment suppliers. (6) Provide to all covered persons information regarding initialization procedures relating to immobilizer circuits or other lockout devices to reinitialize vehicle on board computers that employ integral vehicle security systems if necessary to repair or replace an emissions-related part, or if necessary for the proper installation of vehicle on board computers that employ integral vehicle security systems. (7) All information required to be provided to covered persons by this section shall be provided, for fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory compensation, in a format that is readily accessible to all covered persons, as determined by the state board. (b) Any information required to be disclosed pursuant to a final regulation adopted under this section that the motor vehicle manufacturer demonstrates to a court, on a case-by-case basis, to be a trade secret pursuant to the Uniform Trade Secret Act contained in Title 5 (commencing with Section 3426) of Part 1 of Division 4 of the Civil Code, shall be exempt from disclosure, unless the court, upon the request of a covered person seeking disclosure of the information, determines that the disclosure of the information is necessary to mitigate anticompetitive effects. In making this determination, the court shall consider, among other things, the practices of any motor vehicle manufacturer that results in the fullest disclosure of information listed in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a). In actions subject to this subdivision, the court shall preserve the secrecy of an alleged trade secret by reasonable means, which may include granting a protective order in connection with discovery proceedings, holding an in-camera hearing, sealing the record of the action, or ordering any person involved in the litigation not to disclose an alleged trade secret without prior court approval. (c) If information is required to be disclosed by a motor vehicle manufacturer pursuant to subdivision (b), the court shall allow for the imposition of reasonable business conditions as a condition of disclosure, and may include punitive sanctions for the improper release of information that is determined to be a trade secret to a competitor of the manufacturer. The court shall also provide for fair, reasonable, and nondiscrimatory compensation to the motor vehicle manufacturer for the disclosure of information determined by the court to be a trade secret and required to be disclosed pursuant to subdivision (b). The court shall provide for the dissemination of trade secret information required to be disclosed pursuant to subdivision (b) through licensing agreements and the collection of reasonable licensing fees. If the court determines that disclosure of any of the information required to be disclosed under subdivision (b) constitutes a taking of personal property, a jury trial shall be held to determine the amount of compensation for that taking, unless waived by the motor vehicle manufacturer. (d) The state board shall periodically conduct surveys to determine whether the information requirements imposed by this section are being fulfilled by actual field availability of the information. (e) If the executive officer of the state board obtains credible evidence that a motor vehicle manufacturer has failed to comply with any of the requirements of this section or the regulations adopted by the state board, the executive officer shall issue a notice to comply to the manufacturer. Not later than 30 days after issuance of the notice to comply, the vehicle manufacturer shall submit to the executive officer a compliance plan, unless within that 30-day period the manufacturer requests an administrative hearing to contest the basis or scope of the notice to comply in accordance with subdivision (f). The executive officer shall accept the compliance plan if it provides adequate demonstration that the manufacturer will come into compliance with this section and the board’s implementing regulations within 45 days following submission of the plan. However, the executive officer may extend the compliance period if the executive officer determines that the violation cannot be remedied within that period. (f) If the motor vehicle manufacturer contests a notice to comply pursuant to subdivision (e) or the executive officer rejects the compliance plan submitted by the manufacturer, an administrative hearing shall be conducted by a hearing officer appointed by the state board, in accordance with procedures established by the state board. The hearing procedures shall provide the manufacturer and any other interested party at least 30 days notice of the hearing. If, after the hearing, the hearing officer appointed by the state board finds that the motor vehicle manufacturer has failed to comply with any of the requirements of this section or the regulations adopted by the state board, and the manufacturer fails to correct the violation with 30 days from the date of the finding, the hearing officer may impose a civil penalty upon the manufacturer in an amount not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per day per violation until the violation is corrected, as determined in accordance with the hearing procedures established by the state board. The hearing procedures may provide additional time for compliance prior to imposing a civil penalty. If so, the hearing officer may grant additional time for compliance if he or she determines that the violation cannot be remedied within 30 days of the finding that a violation has occurred. (g) Nothing in this section is intended to authorize the infringement of intellectual property rights embodied in United States patents, trademarks, or copyrights, to the extent those rights may be exercised consistently with any other federal laws.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43106. Section 43106.

Each new motor vehicle or engine required pursuant to this part to meet the emission standards established pursuant to Section 43101 shall be, in all material respects, substantially the same in construction as the test motor vehicle or engine, as the case may be, which has been certified by the state board in accordance with this article. However, changes with respect to new motor vehicles or engines previously certified may be made if such changes do not increase emissions above the standards under which those motor vehicles or engines, as the case may be, were certified and are made in accordance with procedures specified by the state board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43107. Section 43107.

(a) The state board may, by regulation, adopt emission standards for new 1977 and later model year motorcycles registered or identified by the Department of Motor Vehicles which are sold in the state on or after July 1, 1976, or such later date as established by the state board by regulation. (b) Motorcycles shall be exempt from the provisions of Section 43200.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43108. Section 43108.

(a) In lieu of certification pursuant to Section 43102, the state board may certify a new motor vehicle designed for exclusive use as a schoolbus, or a new motor vehicle engine intended for use in a schoolbus, if the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency has granted a certificate of conformity for the schoolbus or engine pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1857 et seq.). (b) The state board shall grant a certification pursuant to subdivision (a) only if the manufacturer of the schoolbus or engine demonstrates that an engine suitable for use in the manufacturer’s standard type of schoolbus which meets the applicable emissions standards established by the state board pursuant to Section 43102 is not available for installation. (c) The state board, prior to granting a certification pursuant to subdivision (a), shall require a showing by the manufacturer of the schoolbus or engine of a good faith effort to procure or manufacture an engine which meets the standards established by the state board pursuant to Section 43102 and, in the case of the schoolbus manufacturer, a good faith effort to accomplish a schoolbus redesign to accommodate such an engine. In the absence of these showings, the state board shall not grant a certification pursuant to subdivision (a).

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026