California Advances Jay Leno’s Law to Expand Smog Exemptions for Classic Cars

For years, California has been one of the United States’ foremost auto states, featuring a love of cars and some of the strongest environmental emissions laws in the country. However, those emissions laws can present a Catch-22 for classic-car fans looking to preserve their favorite vehicles- and follow state guidelines. In the system detailed above where the source material is discussed, any vehicle manufactured in the 1975 model year or earlier is perpetually exempt from biennial smog tests while those following ( classics that have just turned older, etc.) continue to be smogged. A new proposal may make such boundary permanent no more.

The California Legislature has passed another attempt, Senate Bill 1392, nicknamed “Leno’s Law,” which would eventually apply to more model year collector vehicles. However, the proposed bill would provide gradual exemptions and not immediate blanket immunity from smog checks for exempt vehicles. Backers of the bill cite that the collector cars that would be exempted are used significantly differently and for fewer miles and would thus receive regulatory discretion and different treatment as most standard cars are driven on the commute. Passage through the state legislature marks another attempt in modifying what many restorers and collector-car organizations feel are dated regulations.

SB 1392 is an emission’s inspection issue of greater proportion than merely an issue over when a vehicle will have to pass emission’s testing and how long this should take for a vehicle, it is an issue about retaining California’s auto history, of creating a financial burden for people who own older vehicles, of having places to get a vehicle properly smog tested, it is about ecological and economical questions of where the state and world of classic cars and the associated people and places would go, if all of the car modifications used would be rendered obsolete, with the current exemption having gone further than ever and being reintroduced.

1. California’s Existing Classic-Car Smog Requirements

What happens under California’s current emissions regime is to a very old vehicle’s owner, this big dividing line in the law. In fact, vehicles that are a model year 1975 or earlier are perpetuallyexempt from these biannual smog checks. After 1975 they are still subject to the requirement of periodic emissions inspections-for example, when the vehicles are thirty or fourty years old, seldom driven, and are now of Collector’s Status. The impact of the statute, more vehicles that we saw being issued the “old style” certificates or whatever they were the vehicles produced in the very late seventies and early eighties-owners of cars from this period must now still come to the system that the state created in a really long-gone automotive day.

Key Issues With Existing Requirements:

• Fixed 1975 exemption model-year cutoff
• Later classics still require testing
• Occasional use does not remove requirements
• Malaise-Era vehicles face recurring inspections
• Older emissions systems can be difficult

But that’s not the whole problem for collectors. Most collectible autos sit in the garage and only come out for shows, cruises, parades, shows, charity work or just recreational drives. Even with so few miles on them annually, any qualifying auto older than the existing exemption line is still subject to being smog checked with similar regularity. Thus, enthusiasts feel their older collectables aren’t necessarily separated from more traditional automobiles that are used by people every single day, logging tens of thousands of miles per year.

This rule has been very controversial among Malaise Era owners. The years from 1976-1985 are a significant time in the American automotive world- they form a “transitional” time period, based around emission regulations, fuel economy issues, and differing designs. Many argue that there are plenty of Malaise Era cars which would now be considered proper collector automobiles, rather than transportation, and an update to the exemption system could allow the historical significance of many of the cars in this era to be reflected while further increasing emissions control precision.

2. SB 1392 and the Leno’s Law Proposal

Senate Bill 1392 marks the latest in an ongoing series of legislative efforts designed to increase California’s exemption of older classic cars from smog checks. Popularly known as “Leno’s Law” due to its association with Jay Leno, the bill is co-sponsored by State Senators Dave Cortese and Shannon Grove. Source material confirms the bill passed the California Senate with bipartisan support and that it crossed another significant threshold by winning the passage of its appropriations committee suspense file. If the bill progresses to a full Assembly vote, its supporters may have good reason to hope that some of the stumbling blocks which have contributed to previous attempts could have been removed.

Key Features of SB 1392:

• Expands exemptions for qualifying collector vehicles
• Co-authored by Cortese and Grove
• Advanced with bipartisan legislative support
• Passed Assembly Appropriations suspense file
• Uses narrower eligibility requirements

The idea behind the bill isn’t to remove emissions requirements from every older car but to implement a more organized system for collector vehicles. SB 1392 directly applies to cars created between the years currently exempt permanently by California’s permanent smog. Its advocates believe the bill has become a way of keeping car history and being environmentally conscientious as well. Senator Dave Cortese spoke of the achievement as a good step forward for California’s car lover and that old vehicles hold a real cultural worth:

Another angle on the proposed law that has garnered considerable interest is the tension between seemingly contradictory interests the law strives to balance. Environmental concerns, always very relevant in the state of California, make a blanket exemption politically challenging. In their bill, the authors instead target specifically collectable vehicles subject to both age limitations and usage restrictions to separate the more unusual weekend cars from everyday transportation. By limiting the field of qualifying collector vehicles through both requirements relating to age and driving limits of how often the car can be used each year, California legislators have crafted what hopefully is a bill giving real benefits to car hobbyists without providing for unchecked exemptions of common, regularly driven vehicles.

3. Phased Expansion of the Collector-Car Exemption

SB 1392 does not put forth a plan that would immediately bring all of the vehicles targeted by the law within the law’s coverage. Instead, it establishes a schedule for implementing relief starting on January 1, 2007 to the eligible collector vehicle of years earlier than and including model year 1981. This gives states a starting date from which to prepare for the administrative burden on states required with the proposed new exemption framework, rather than requiring changes to current law for every applicable model year at once.

Key Timeline Details:

• Implementation begins January 1, 2027
• Initial coverage targets pre-1981 vehicles
• Cutoff advances one year annually
• Five-year phased expansion period
• Pre-1986 vehicles targeted by 2032

With a proposed schedule, the threshold exemption year would advance one more model year each successive year for five years. Beginning on January 1, 2032, collector vehicles built prior to the 1986 model year could qualify. This includes the model years 1976 to 1985 in the order specified above (assuming the requirements set forth by the law are otherwise met) due to the phased system, thus creating stability for owners and the ability for regulations to cope.

It also comes in a phased-in structure, as a means to lessons learned from recent attempts to enact law in this area. An “instant-wide” rolling exemption could present administrative problems and heighten worries about how many vehicles become exempt. Implementing the change over several years under SB 1392 allows for a less radical approach, and under this law, the time frame of how old a Malaise-Era vehicle is matters and so does where the vehicle model falls within that schedule to deem if it fits into this program; it makes the measure less indiscriminate than one simple, blanket rolling exemption.

4. Strict Requirements for Qualifying Collector Vehicles

Since the intent of SB 1392 is to assist collector vehicle owners, rather than typical commuter vehicles, criteria are listed on how to qualify a car to become such a collector vehicle. Requirements listed include a vehicles minimum 35 years old and is mainly driven at events like auto shows, car parades, collector car auctions and exhibition runs, while it’s main driver may operate the vehicle for charity purposes. It has been argued by backers of the bill that this demonstrates the car will in fact operate as a hobby or collectible vehicle and not for typical driving; which makes it unique since backers are seeking less mandatory tests by not making wide exceptions to cars remaining used and driving in California more.

Key Eligibility Requirements:

• Vehicles must reach 35 model years
• Collector-use activities must be demonstrated
• Dedicated collector insurance may be required
• Annual mileage may stay below 1,000
• Regular commuter use is excluded

Owners would need to carry, along with vehicle registration to the DMV, specific insurance for collector motor vehicles, or in a future DMV process show the vehicle travels less than 1,000 miles per calendar year. Through usage limits, there is also a method to segregate infrequent user collector cars from everyday transport vehicles. While this approach is possibly more complex operationally for an owner to satisfy than registering a car aged 25 years or more, it also provides the State some form of control over whom utilizes the exemption’s benefit.

As shown through the proposed eligibility criteria, SB 1392 is aimed at mitigating the concerns that were addressed during past discussions about the bill. In the past, environmental critics have questioned whether broader smog exemptions will jeopardize California’s clean air laws. By limiting SB 1392 to older vehicles that is not frequently driven, proponents argue that it will have a minimal impact on emissions. These criteria will also provide hobbyists with defined measures by which to discover whether or not their vehicle is eligible; instead of granting unlimited exceptions to the smog laws, the bill provides the owner with a mechanism by which to provide his or her vehicle is authentically a collector’s item.

5. Previous Attempts and Legislative Roadblocks

The effort to modernize California’s classic-car smog rules did not begin with SB 1392. According to the source material, enthusiasts and industry organizations such as the Specialty Equipment Market Association have supported similar proposals on four separate occasions during the past decade. Those attempts repeatedly encountered legislative obstacles before reaching final approval. Earlier examples include Senate Bill 1239, which stalled on the Senate floor in 2016, and Assembly Bill 467, which was held in committee in 2022. The repeated failures illustrate how difficult it has been to change California’s established emissions framework.

Key Legislative Roadblocks:

• Earlier exemption bills repeatedly stalled
• SB 1239 failed in 2016
• AB 467 stalled during 2022
• SB 712 faced environmental opposition
• Administrative costs raised additional concerns

One of the most significant predecessors was Senate Bill 712, introduced in early 2024. That proposal sought to create a 35-year rolling smog exemption rather than maintaining a fixed model-year cutoff. It became associated with the name “Leno’s Law” because of early support from collector and comedian Jay Leno. SEMA Chief Executive Officer Mike Spagnola also supported the proposal, describing it as a practical approach for collector-car owners. SB 712 attracted bipartisan support in the Senate Transportation Committee, showing that the issue could generate support across political lines.

Despite that momentum, SB 712 faced opposition from environmental groups and state agencies. The Bureau of Automotive Repair estimated that the agency could receive approximately 17,500 smog-check exemption requests annually if the measure became law. Public-health organizations also argued that weakening existing emissions requirements could undermine clean-air protections. Even after amendments attempted to narrow the proposal through requirements involving historic vehicle plates and a more limited model-year range, SB 712 ultimately stalled in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in 2025. Those setbacks directly influenced the design of the newer SB 1392 proposal.

6. Why SB 1392 Has a Different Strategy

The experience of earlier bills encouraged supporters to redesign the approach taken by the latest legislation. Rather than creating an unrestricted 35-year rolling exemption, SB 1392 focuses specifically on pre-1986 vehicles and places verifiable limits on how qualifying cars can be used. This narrower structure is intended to address some of the fiscal and environmental concerns that contributed to previous failures. The proposal therefore represents not simply another attempt at the same legislation, but a strategic adjustment based on the objections raised during earlier committee reviews.

Key Strategic Changes:

• Focuses specifically on pre-1986 vehicles
• Limits qualifying collector-car usage
• Introduces phased implementation
• Includes insurance and mileage conditions
• Addresses administrative concerns more directly

The revised approach also places greater emphasis on administrative clarity. By specifying a phased implementation schedule, age requirements, collector-use restrictions, insurance requirements, and a potential annual mileage limit, SB 1392 provides state agencies with more defined parameters for determining eligibility. Supporters believe this makes the proposal easier to manage than a broad rolling exemption. The fact that the legislation advanced through the Assembly Appropriations Committee suspense file suggests that this narrower framework helped it navigate an important stage that previous efforts could not overcome.

For enthusiasts, the change in strategy could prove significant. Previous bills demonstrated that strong support from the collector community alone was not enough to overcome concerns about emissions and administration. SB 1392 attempts to show that relief can be provided without creating a sweeping change affecting large numbers of frequently driven vehicles. By concentrating on genuinely old collector automobiles and restricting their use, the proposal gives lawmakers a more controlled mechanism for preserving automotive heritage while continuing to acknowledge California’s environmental priorities.

7. The Practical Burden of Smog Testing Older Cars

The challenge facing classic-car owners is not limited to the inconvenience of scheduling a smog inspection. Finding an appropriate facility can itself become difficult as older vehicles require knowledge and equipment that are less common in modern repair shops. The source material notes that many testing facilities no longer have technicians experienced with mechanical carburetors or older emissions systems. Owners of vintage automobiles may therefore have to travel considerable distances to locate a shop capable of properly handling their vehicles.

Key Testing Challenges:

• Fewer facilities understand older systems
• Carburetors require specialized technical knowledge
• Vintage emissions components can be difficult
• Repairs may become expensive over time
• Owners may travel farther for testing

Once a suitable facility is found, maintaining an aging emissions system can create another layer of expense. Components on older vehicles can be difficult to source, diagnose, or repair, particularly when the technology differs substantially from that found in modern fuel-injected automobiles. Classic-car owners may have to spend considerable amounts of money simply to keep an older vehicle compliant with recurring testing requirements. This can be especially frustrating when the car is driven only occasionally and otherwise remains carefully preserved.

The source provides the experience of classic-car owner Kemyatta Harris as an example. Her 1984 Chevrolet El Camino reportedly remained in her garage while she worked through its restoration and smog-related requirements. Harris estimated spending approximately $700 to $800 every two years addressing issues connected with passing the smog inspection. Her experience illustrates why some enthusiasts view the existing system as disproportionately burdensome for collector vehicles. The expense and repeated repairs can discourage owners from driving, restoring, or preserving cars that have become important parts of automotive history.

8. Preserving California’s Classic-Car Culture

The emotional argument behind SB 1392 is just as important to supporters as the financial and regulatory arguments. Classic cars often represent memories, family traditions, craftsmanship, and community identity rather than simply transportation. Carmen Vera, owner of Pasadena Classic Car, emphasized this perspective by describing restoration as a way of preserving memories. Her comments highlighted the possibility of passing a restored 1979 Buick Cutlass to the next generation while maintaining the traditions and community surrounding these vehicles. For many enthusiasts, preserving an automobile is therefore connected to preserving a personal and cultural history.

Key Cultural Contributions:

• Preserves automotive memories and traditions
• Supports restoration and customization communities
• Encourages intergenerational vehicle ownership
• Connects cars with local identity
• Protects specialized automotive craftsmanship

Supporters also point to the broad range of activities associated with California’s automotive culture. Senator Dave Cortese emphasized restoration, customization, motorsports, lowriders, car clubs, parades, museums, and community gatherings as examples of how vehicles serve as forms of personal expression. Senator Shannon Grove similarly argued that collector cars evoke memories and contribute to local communities. This broader perspective helps explain why the debate over smog exemptions has developed into a discussion about cultural preservation rather than remaining solely a technical emissions issue.

The proposed law has received particularly strong backing from California’s lowrider community. Joseph Mendez, CEO of The Lowrider Grind, organized support that reportedly generated more than 1,700 letters to state legislators. The community argues that classic-car culture supports builders, painters, upholsterers, chrome shops, clubs, and other small businesses involved in restoration and customization. From that viewpoint, protecting collector vehicles also helps preserve an ecosystem of skilled craftspeople and neighborhood businesses that depend on the continued existence and use of historic automobiles.

9. Support From Automotive Organizations and Environmental Debate

The proposed legislation has attracted support beyond California’s traditional collector-car organizations. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, through its International Historical Commission, sent formal correspondence to the Senate Appropriations Committee urging a favorable vote. FIA representatives described SB 1392 as a balanced approach that could protect automotive heritage while maintaining environmental standards. Their support reflects the international significance of historic vehicles and the broader recognition that preservation programs can play an important role in maintaining automotive history.

Key Sides of the Debate:

• FIA supports automotive heritage preservation
• SEMA continues advocating for legislation
• Car culture spans many communities
• Environmental groups remain concerned
• Usage limits support targeted exemptions

SEMA has also continued advocating for the legislation and emphasizes the unifying nature of car culture. Victor Muñoz, SEMA’s senior manager for state government affairs, argued that the movement should not be viewed simply through the lens of expensive collector cars or high-dollar auctions. The organization instead presents the legislation as a way to support future generations of enthusiasts and recognize California’s diverse automotive heritage. That argument is particularly relevant because classic-car culture encompasses everything from lowriders and hot rods to restored family vehicles and museum-quality automobiles.

Environmental concerns remain an important part of the debate, however. Opponents of earlier legislation argued that exemptions could weaken clean-air protections, while supporters contend that collector vehicles are driven so infrequently that their contribution to everyday emissions is minimal. The distinction between a collector car driven occasionally and a commuter vehicle used daily is central to this argument. SB 1392 attempts to address that distinction through its age, usage, insurance, and mileage requirements, giving supporters a basis for arguing that the proposal is narrowly targeted rather than a broad rollback of California emissions policy.

10. What Still Stands Between SB 1392 and Becoming Law

Although SB 1392 has already cleared major legislative hurdles, its journey is not complete. The bill still needs to move through the remaining Assembly process before it could reach Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk. Senators Dave Cortese and Shannon Grove have been working with Assembly members and the governor’s office as the proposal advances. That means the legislation remains subject to additional debate, voting, and potential changes before the final outcome is known. For classic-car owners, the current progress is encouraging, but the proposed exemption should not be treated as an existing legal change until the legislative process is completed.

Key Steps Still Remaining:

• Complete the remaining Assembly process
• Face additional legislative debate
• Secure final legislative approval
• Reach the governor’s desk
• Await the final outcome

If the bill ultimately becomes law, its effects would be felt gradually rather than immediately across the entire targeted model-year range. The planned January 1, 2027 start would initially benefit qualifying collector vehicles built before the 1981 model year, followed by an annual expansion of the cutoff. By January 1, 2032, the proposal would cover qualifying vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year. Owners would still need to meet the collector-use requirements and other conditions established by the legislation, meaning the exemption would remain more selective than a simple age-based rule.

For California’s classic-car community, the advancement of SB 1392 represents an important opportunity to reconsider how decades-old collector vehicles are regulated. The proposal attempts to recognize the cultural and economic importance of restoration while maintaining restrictions intended to limit its environmental impact. From Malaise-Era cruisers and restored El Caminos to lowriders, hot rods, and other historic vehicles, supporters see these automobiles as living pieces of California history. Whether Leno’s Law ultimately reaches the governor and becomes law remains to be determined, but its progress has already renewed the debate over how California can preserve its automotive heritage while continuing to pursue its environmental goals.