The $8.25 smog certificate fee

Who pays it

The customer. BAR’s consumer page says the station must charge a $8.25 Smog Check certificate fee, and that inspection prices are not regulated by BAR. The $8.25 is set; your inspection price is your own.

What the customer gets

When the car passes, the station issues the smog certificate. It goes to the DMV electronically and is good for 90 days.

Buying certificates

• Order electronic certificates of compliance through the BAR-OIS. Before your first order, register and install the Cal-VIS software on the BAR-OIS and enroll in the Cal-VIS billing portal.
• You can also order through the BAR-97 EIS, or by mail.
• If you have unused certificates, you can ask BAR for a refund.

On the estimate and the invoice

• Give the customer an estimate and get their approval before the inspection starts.
• Post your list of prices for your services where customers can see it.
• On the invoice, itemize every service with its price.
• Don’t bill generic items separately, such as shop supplies, miscellaneous parts or fees for electronic communication with the Smog Check database.

SmogScanner puts the $8.25 certificate fee on the invoice for you. See what a smog check invoice must show.