ARTICLE 2. Manufacturers and Dealers [43200. - 43214.]

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC 2.

in effect

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43200. Section 43200.

(a) The state board may adopt a regulation to prohibit the sale and registration in this state of a new motor vehicle certified by the state board to which there has not been securely and conspicuously affixed on a side window to the rear of the driver or, if it cannot be so placed, to the windshield of the motor vehicle in accordance with paragraph (3) of subdivision (b) of Section 26708 of the Vehicle Code, by the manufacturer a label on which the manufacturer shall endorse clearly, distinctly, and legibly true and correct entries disclosing the following information concerning the motor vehicle: (1) The emission standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 43101 that are applicable to that motor vehicle. (2) The information required by Section 43200.1 and related air pollution emissions information as specified by the state board. (b) A regulation may be adopted pursuant to this section only if the state board finds that the regulation is necessary for either of the following: (1) To enforce or ensure compliance with applicable statutes, standards, or procedures relating to vehicle emissions. (2) For the protection or information of consumers. (c) Nothing in this division or in any other statute shall be construed as prohibiting a purchaser from removing the decal required by this section, after the purchaser has taken possession of the vehicle.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43200.1. Section 43200.1.

(a) The Legislature finds and declares that since 1998, the state board has imposed smog index label specifications on new passenger cars and light-duty trucks that are sold and registered in the state to inform consumers about emissions of air pollutants from the use of new vehicles. (b) (1) (A) The state board, not later than July 1, 2007, shall revise the regulations adopted pursuant to Section 43200 to rename the existing label required by those regulations, and to require the renamed label to include, for model year 2009 and subsequent model year motor vehicles, information on the emissions of global warming gases from motor vehicles for the same model year. (B) This subdivision applies to, at a minimum, all passenger cars and light-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less, and to all motor vehicles subject to regulation pursuant to Section 43018.5. (C) Emissions of global warming gases shall include emissions, as determined by the state board, from vehicle operation and upstream emissions. (2) The label shall include all of the following: (A) A smog index that contains quantitative information presented in a continuous, easy-to-read scale, unless the state board determines, after at least one public workshop, that an alternative graphical representation will more effectively convey the information to consumers, and that compares the emissions from the vehicle with the average projected emissions from all vehicles of the same model year sold in the state for which a label is required. For reference purposes, the index shall also identify the emissions from the vehicle model of that same model year that has the lowest smog-forming emissions. (B) A global warming index that contains quantitative information presented in a continuous, easy-to-read scale, unless the state board determines, after at least one public workshop, that an alternative graphical representation will more effectively convey the information to consumers, and that compares the emissions of global warming gases from the vehicle with the average projected emissions of global warming gases from all vehicles of the same model year sold in the state for which a label is required. For reference purposes, the index shall also identify the emissions of global warming gases from the vehicle model of that same model year that has the lowest emissions of global warming gases. (C) A brief explanation, prepared by the state board, of the indices required by this section, including the identification of motor vehicle usage as a primary cause of global warming, and how emissions of those gases from motor vehicles may be reduced. (D) The use of at least one color ink, as determined by the state board, in addition to black. (c) In order to ensure that the label is useful and informative to consumers, the state board shall, to the extent feasible within its existing resources, do both of the following in designing the label: (1) Seek input from automotive consumers, graphic design professionals, and persons with expertise in environmental labeling. (2) Consider other relevant label formats consistent with paragraph (2) of subdivision (b). (d) The indices included in the label pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (b) shall be updated as determined necessary by the state board to ensure that the differences in emissions among vehicles are readily apparent to the consumer. (e) The state board, in consultation with other agencies as appropriate, may recommend to the Legislature additional sources of air pollution that emit significant amounts of global warming gases for which the disclosure of information regarding those emissions would be an effective means of educating the public about the sources of global warming and its impacts. (f) The state board shall, as it determines appropriate and to the extent feasible within its existing resources, incorporate information from the label into existing programs designed to educate motor vehicle consumers about emissions of global warming gases and other air pollutants. (g) The state board may accept donations or grants of funds from any person for the purposes of the program established pursuant to this section, and shall deposit amounts received from donations or grants into the Air Pollution Control Fund. The source of any funds received pursuant to this section shall be disclosed at all public hearings and workshops to implement this section. Donations, grants, or other commitments of money to the fund may be dedicated for specific purposes consistent with the goals of this section. (h) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Global warming gases” has the same meaning as greenhouse gases given in subdivision (h) of Section 42801.1. (2) “Upstream emissions” means emissions of global warming gases that occur during the extraction, refining, transport, and local distribution of motor vehicle fuels as determined by the state board.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43200.5. Section 43200.5.

(a) The sale and registration in this state of any new motor vehicle is prohibited unless a decal in the form specified by the state board pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 44254 has been securely affixed by the manufacturer to a window of the motor vehicle, and affixed in accordance with Section 43200 and any regulations adopted pursuant to Section 43200, which discloses the smog index for the vehicle. (b) This section does not apply to any authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in Section 165 of the Vehicle Code, or to any employer-provided carpool or vanpool vehicle. (c) This section shall become inoperative five years from the date determined pursuant to Section 32 of the act adding this section, and on the January 1 following that date is repealed.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43201. Section 43201.

Any dealer or person holding a retail seller’s permit who sells a new motor vehicle without the decal required by Section 43200 shall be subject to a civil penalty of not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000). Any penalty recovered pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the General Fund.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43202. Section 43202.

No new motor vehicle required to meet the emission standards adopted by the state board pursuant to Section 43101 shall be sold and registered in this state unless the manufacturer thereof permits the state board to conduct surveillance testing of emissions of new motor vehicles at his assembly facilities, or at any other location where the manufacturer’s assembly line testing is performed and assembly line testing records are kept. Authorization for the sale and registration of any new motor vehicle in this state may be rescinded or withheld if, at any time, the state board is prevented by the manufacturer from conducting surveillance of assembly line testing.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43202.5. Section 43202.5.

(a) For purposes of this section, “real-world conditions emissions testing” includes both new and used motor vehicles being driven on-road, outside of normal laboratory testing conditions. (b) The state board shall enhance its certification, audit, and compliance activities for new motor vehicles to detect defeat devices or other software used to evade emissions testing. Those certification, audit, and compliance activities shall include, but need not be limited to, the increased utilization of in-use and real-world conditions emissions testing. (c) To further the objectives of subdivision (b), the state board may consult or partner with academic institutions and their associated laboratories to do any of the following: (1) Develop new surveillance methods and test cycles. (2) Perform emissions testing on behalf of the state board. (3) Conduct research on vehicle emissions testing.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43202.6. Section 43202.6.

(a) The state board, by regulation, may impose fees on manufacturers of new motor vehicles to recover the state board’s reasonable costs in implementing Section 43202.5. The total amount of fees collected pursuant to this section shall not exceed five million dollars ($5,000,000) in the 2019–20 fiscal year, and in any subsequent year shall not increase by an amount greater than the annual increase in the California Consumer Price Index. (b) A manufacturer that fails to pay a fee imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) within 60 days after receiving an invoice shall pay the state board an additional charge equal to 10 percent of the fee specified in subdivision (a). If the manufacturer notifies the state board within 60 days after receiving the invoice that additional information is needed to honor the invoice, the state board shall grant an additional 90 days for payment without the imposition of an additional charge. An additional interest fee equal to the rate of interest earned by the Pooled Money Investment Account shall be imposed upon the fee specified in subdivision (a) and the additional charges specified in this subdivision and subdivision (c) for each 30-day period for which they remain unpaid, commencing 60 days after the receipt of the original invoice. (c) A manufacturer that fails to pay all the fees imposed pursuant to this section within one year from the date of receipt of the original invoice shall pay a charge equal to 100 percent of the fees imposed pursuant to subdivision (a). A manufacturer who fails to pay all the charges imposed pursuant to this section within two years from the date of receipt of the original invoice shall pay a penalty equal to 100 percent of the charges imposed pursuant to subdivision (a) and this subdivision for each one-year period for which they remain unpaid. (d) (1) All moneys collected pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be deposited in the Certification and Compliance Fund, created pursuant to Section 43019.2. (2) All moneys collected pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund, created pursuant to Section 43015.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43203. Section 43203.

(a) In connection with surveillance of emissions from new motor vehicles prior to their retail sale, the state board may, by regulation, impose fees on manufacturers of these vehicles to recover the state board’s costs in conducting this surveillance. (b) A manufacturer who fails to pay a fee imposed pursuant to this section within 60 days after receiving an invoice shall pay the state board an additional fee equal to 10 percent of the fee specified in subdivision (a). If the manufacturer notifies the state board, within 60 days after receiving the invoice, that additional information is needed to honor the invoice, the state board shall grant an additional 90 days for payment without the imposition of an additional fee. An additional interest fee equal to the rate of interest earned by the Pooled Money Investment Fund shall be imposed upon the fee specified in subdivision (a) and the additional fees specified in this subdivision and subdivision (c) for each 30-day period for which they remain unpaid, commencing 60 days after the receipt of the original invoice. (c) A manufacturer who fails to pay all the fees imposed pursuant to this section within one year from the date of receipt of the original invoice shall pay a penalty fee equal to 100 percent of the fees imposed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b). A manufacturer who fails to pay all the fees and penalties imposed pursuant to this section within two years from the date of receipt of the original invoice shall pay a penalty equal to 100 percent of the fees and penalties imposed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (b) and to this subdivision, for each one-year period for which they remain unpaid. (d) Fees authorized by this section shall be imposed only for surveillance of emissions from new motor vehicles actually conducted. (e) Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, all fees collected pursuant to subdivision (a) are continuously appropriated to the state board, to be credited as a reimbursement of the board’s costs incurred in its program for the surveillance of emissions from new vehicles. All fees collected pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) shall be deposited by the state board into the Air Pollution Control Fund.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43203.5. Section 43203.5.

The state board shall adopt, by regulation, a certification program for new direct import vehicles, as defined by Sections 39024.6, and 39042, which are less than two years old. The state board shall issue a certificate of conformance to each new direct import vehicle which meets the requirements of the certification program. Any bonding requirements for the certification program may not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) per new direct import vehicle or engine. The model year designation for new direct import vehicles in an engine family shall be determined on the same basis as vehicles in the same engine family which are offered for sale in California by the manufacturer. The model year designation for any new direct import motor vehicle in an engine family which the manufacturer does not offer for sale in California shall be determined in accordance with the regulations adopted by the state board. The designations shall apply for all purposes of the certification program and for registration of new direct import vehicles. The state board shall, by regulation, impose fees to recover the state board’s costs, including enforcement costs, of administration of the certification program. Failure to pay the fees within 60 days of receipt after notification by the state board shall result in the assessment of a 10 percent penalty. An additional interest assessment on the fees equivalent to the rate earned by the Pooled Money Investment Fund shall accrue at the end of each 30-day period that the fees remain unpaid. Nonpayment of the fees for more than one year shall result in the state board withholding future certification of new vehicles for sale in California. Fees collected in accordance with this section shall be deposited in the Air Pollution Control Fund.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43204. Section 43204.

(a) The manufacturer of each motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine manufactured prior to the 1990 model-year shall warrant to the ultimate purchaser and each subsequent purchaser that the motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine is: (1) Designed, built, and equipped so as to conform, at the time of sale, with the applicable emission standards specified in this part. (2) Free from defects in materials and workmanship which cause such motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine to fail to conform with applicable regulations for its useful life, determined pursuant to subdivision (b). (b) As used in subdivision (a), “useful life” of a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine means: (1) In the case of light-duty motor vehicles, and motor vehicle engines used in such motor vehicles, a period of use of five years or 50,000 miles, whichever first occurs, except that, in the case of fuel metering and ignition systems and their component parts which are contained in the state board’s “Emissions Warranty Parts List” dated December 14, 1978 (items I(A), I(C), III(A), III(C), III(E), IX(A), and IX(B)), and which are contained in vehicles or vehicle engines certified to the optional standards pursuant to Section 43101.5 and subject to subdivision (a) of Section 43009.5, “useful life” means a period of use of two years or 24,000 miles, whichever occurs first. (2) In the case of any other motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine, a period of use of five years or 50,000 miles, whichever first occurs, unless the state board determines that a period of use of greater duration or mileage is appropriate.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43205. Section 43205.

(a) Commencing with the 1990 model-year, the manufacturer of each light-duty and medium-duty motor vehicle and motor vehicle engine shall warrant to the ultimate purchaser and each subsequent purchaser that the motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine meets all of the following requirements: (1) Is designed, built, and equipped so as to conform with the applicable emissions standards specified in this part. (2) Is free from defects in materials and workmanship which cause the motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine to fail to conform with applicable requirements specified in this part for three years or 50,000 miles, whichever first occurs. (3) Will, for a period of three years or 50,000 miles, whichever first occurs, pass a test established under Section 44012, but that the warranty shall not apply if the manufacturer demonstrates that the failure of the motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine to pass the test was directly caused by the abuse, neglect, or improper maintenance or repair of the vehicle or engine. (4) Is free from defects in materials and workmanship in emission related parts which, at the time of certification by the state board, are estimated by the manufacturer to cost individually more than three hundred dollars ($300) to replace, for a period of seven years or 70,000 miles, whichever first occurs. (b) The state board shall, by regulation, periodically revise the three hundred dollar ($300) replacement cost level specified in paragraph (4) of subdivision (a) in accordance with the consumer price index, as published by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. (c) For purposes of this section and Sections 43204 and 43205.5, a motorcycle is not a light-duty vehicle.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43205.5. Section 43205.5.

Commencing with the 1990 model-year, the manufacturer of each motor vehicle and motor vehicle engine, other than a light-duty or medium-duty motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine, shall warrant to the ultimate purchaser and each subsequent purchaser that the motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine meets all of the following requirements: (a) Is designed, built, and equipped so as to conform with the applicable emission standards specified in this part for a period of use determined by the state board. (b) Is free from defects in materials and workmanship which cause the motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine to fail to conform with applicable requirements specified in this part for the same or lesser period of use established under subdivision (a).

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43206. Section 43206.

Commencing January 1, 1982, and annually thereafter, every person who manufactures new motor vehicles for sale in California shall file with the state board a report as to the person’s efforts and progress in meeting state standards adopted pursuant to Section 43101 and federal standards and research objectives specified in Section 7521 of Title 42 of the United States Code. The reports shall be available to the public. However, the manufacturer may designate that a portion of the report is a trade secret and the portion shall not be released except to the state board employees specifically designated by the executive officer, unless the state board, after an investigation, determines that the portion is not in fact a trade secret. State board employees having access to the trade secret shall maintain its confidentiality. The state board shall conduct investigations with respect to the reports as it deems necessary. No report is required from the manufacturer once all models of motor vehicles of the manufacturer which are sold in California and which are subject to the state standards adopted pursuant to Section 43101, and the federal standards and research objectives specified in Section 7521 of Title 42 of the United States Code, meet all those standards and objectives.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43207. Section 43207.

The state board may revoke outstanding certification of new motor vehicles for sale in California if the manufacturer thereof willfully fails to file any semiannual report required by Section 43206 or files a report which is deemed by the state board to inadequately describe the manufacturer’s efforts and progress. The state board may also withhold future certification of such manufacturer’s vehicles until such time as the manufacturer offers for sale in California vehicles which meet the standards promulgated pursuant to Section 1857f-1(b)(1) of Title 42 of the United States Code.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43208. Section 43208.

Factory assembly line test procedures shall not apply to light-duty motor vehicles, if (a) the manufacturer thereof advises the state board in writing that the manufacturer does not intend to sell more than 1,000 motor vehicles in California in a given model year, and (b) the manufacturer does not sell more than 1,000 motor vehicles of its make in such a year. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the state board from requiring testing by the applicable certifying test procedure of up to 2 percent of the motor vehicles of such a manufacturer sold in California. This section shall not apply to 1976 and later model year motor vehicles.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43209. Section 43209.

No manufacturer or distributor who pays a penalty pursuant to Section 43212 shall add the amount of such penalty to the cost of any motor vehicles sold by such manufacturer, and any provision of any contract of sale including such penalty as part of the cost of a motor vehicle shall be void and unenforceable.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43210. Section 43210.

(a) The state board shall provide, by regulation, for the testing of motor vehicles on factory assembly lines or in a manner which the state board determines best suited to carry out the purpose of this part and this section. (b) If a motor vehicle does not meet the prescribed assembly line standards, the motor vehicle may be retested according to the official test procedures upon which original certification for that make and model vehicle was based. Any motor vehicle meeting the applicable emission standards by either of the testing procedures shall be deemed to meet the emission standards of the State of California and shall be eligible for sale in this state. (c) The regulations adopted by the state board pursuant to subdivision (a) shall provide for reduced, statistically valid testing of motor vehicles contained in large engine families and for which initial test results indicate compliance with the applicable standards.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43210.5. Section 43210.5.

The state board shall, by regulation, require manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines to determine the extent to which emissions-related defects exist in each engine family and to recommend the diagnostic and repair procedures that can result in the identification and correction of these defects under vehicle inspection and maintenance programs.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43211. Section 43211.

(a) A new motor vehicle sold in California shall meet the emission standards adopted by the state board, and a manufacturer who sells, attempts to sell, or causes to be offered for sale a new motor vehicle that fails to meet the applicable emission standards shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars ($37,500) for each such action. (b) For purposes of calculating the penalty for failure to meet zero-emission vehicle credit requirements pursuant to Sections 1962, 1962.1, and 1962.2 of Title 13 of the California Code of Regulations or any subsequent or related regulation, the civil penalty shall not exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000) per zero-emission vehicle credit. (c) The state board shall adjust the maximum penalty specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) for inflation based on the California Consumer Price Index. The adjustment shall be exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). (d) Any penalty recovered pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the General Fund.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43212. Section 43212.

(a) (1) A manufacturer or distributor who does not comply with the emission standards or the test procedures adopted by the state board shall be subject to a civil penalty not to exceed thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars ($37,500) for each vehicle that does not comply with the standards or procedures and that is first sold in this state. The payment of those penalties to the state board and making the vehicles compliant with applicable emission control laws and test procedures may be required by the executive officer of the state board as conditions for the further sale in this state of those motor vehicles. (2) The state board shall adjust the maximum penalty specified in paragraph (1) for inflation based on the California Consumer Price Index. The adjustment shall be exempt from the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code). (b) Any penalty recovered pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Air Pollution Control Fund.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43213. Section 43213.

Sections 43211 and 43212 shall be enforced by the state board, and may be enforced by the Department of the California Highway Patrol, the Department of Motor Vehicles, and the bureau.

Cal. Health and Safety Code - HSC § 43214. Section 43214.

The state board may order a manufacturer of motor vehicles to bring its vehicles into compliance with the emissions configuration to which they were certified. Compliance with the order may be required by the executive officer of the state board as a condition for the continued sale of those motor vehicles by that manufacturer in this state.

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