Jay Leno’s Law Signed By Governor Newsom, But Some Owners Must Wait

California has approved a new smog-check exemption for certain classic cars. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 1392, known as “Jay Leno’s Law,” on Wednesday, Sept. 16. For owners of qualifying vehicles, it is welcome news. For anyone hoping to skip a smog check at the next registration renewal, there is a catch: The exemption does not begin until Jan. 1, 2028.

According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, vehicles from the 1975 model year and earlier are already exempt from routine smog inspections. The new law reaches into a group that has remained subject to testing: collector vehicles from the 1976 through 1985 model years. It does so gradually, and owning an old car alone will not qualify it.

Under the schedule in SB 1392, eligible collector vehicles from the 1980 model year and earlier become exempt in 2028. The cutoff then advances one model year each January: 1981 models in 2029, 1982 models in 2030, 1983 models in 2031, 1984 models in 2032 and 1985 models in 2033.

That is the full schedule in the law. It does not establish an exemption that keeps moving forward indefinitely as other cars turn 35. A 1986 model does not become exempt in 2034 under SB 1392.

The vehicle also must meet California’s definition of a collector motor vehicle. The law says it must be at least 35 model years old and used primarily for activities such as shows, parades, charitable functions, historical exhibitions, display, maintenance or preservation. It cannot be the owner’s primary transportation. In other words, a 1978 car used for the daily commute does not get a pass simply because its owner calls it a classic.

The law provides two ways to meet an additional eligibility requirement, but they start at different times. Beginning in 2028, an owner can submit proof that the vehicle is insured as a collector car. Beginning in 2030, the law also provides a route for a vehicle driven fewer than 1,000 miles per calendar year, subject to a verification process the state must develop. The mileage route will not be available during the first two years of the exemption.

California’s Bureau of Automotive Repair and Department of Motor Vehicles still must establish the procedures and forms owners will use. Until those rules are in place, owners should not assume that an insurance card or an odometer reading, by itself, will be enough to claim the exemption.

For a qualifying owner, the practical benefit goes beyond skipping the inspection at registration renewal. Once the applicable model year becomes eligible, SB 1392 also removes the smog-certificate requirement for initial registration and transfer of ownership. That could matter when buying or selling an older car that has been difficult to get through an inspection.

The measure reflects a compromise. An earlier version of “Leno’s Law” stalled in 2025. The bill that passed limits the exemption to collector use, phases it in over six years and directs the state to verify eligibility. Supporters, including Leno, argued that maintaining and testing older, lightly used cars had become a growing burden. The final law focuses on vehicles preserved as collectibles rather than used as everyday transportation.

My advice to California listeners is straightforward: Continue meeting your current smog-check requirements until your car’s model year becomes eligible, and watch for the state’s rules before claiming the exemption. The law has passed, but the first exemption is still more than a year away. The old car may be ready for the parade; the paperwork has a little catching up to do.