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In PA (in the counties that have emissions testing), the annual inspection results in a sticker that is good for a year. The dealer would only have to inspect it if the sticker has (or will) expired, and then only if the sale is to someone who will be registering it. Selling to another dealer, auctioning it, or selling out of state does not require a current emissions (or safety) sticker.
In the 9 counties in Colorado that require emission tests, the seller must provide the buyer with a new test as part of sale. A dealer can provide a voucher for buyer to get own new test (required for re-registration), but is liable for buyback if car fails test. See Air Care Colorado :: Change of Ownership for more details.
We seldom sent a car to auction and the problem with paying for a smog test is/was the shelf life of the test. It was not uncommon to get another test because the car was on the lot too long.
Could have changed since I was around the business...
Some people actually sell or trade to a licensed Dealer because no Smog is required by the State for these transactions... just like when a Dealer sells to another Dealer.
Most any car post 96 with OBD-II, if the CEL is not on, it will pass SMOG.
Despite the tall tale posts here about going round and round with SMOG testing, a mechanic who knows what he's doing can make the necessary adjustments to a mechanically sound car to get it to pass easily. The one exception is if the cat needs replacing. That's relatively rare on newer cars.
Hows this for the ultimate scam. In CA the law dictates that whenever a car is sold via private party it must be smogged and the responsibility falls on the seller however very few people, especially on Craigslist, do this even though it's the law. Often times they will discount the asking price under the condition that "Buyer smogs it". I've seen it and done it dozens of times. Here is where it gets interesting though. The smog certificate issued when it passes the test is only good for 90 days. If you sell your car 91 days later it needs to be re-smogged AGAIN. So theoretically a car can be smogged up to 4 times in the same year if it is sold after only 90 days of ownership. It's a huge scam because even though there's a 99.9% certainty that it will pass the test 91 days after it was tested it still has to be done and you still have to pay for it. 50 bucks per test. Millions of cars in CA. That's a lot of revenue when you think about it. That's also not even including the "transfer fees" they charge too on top of the registration fees.
Hows this for the ultimate scam. In CA the law dictates that whenever a car is sold via private party it must be smogged and the responsibility falls on the seller however very few people, especially on Craigslist, do this even though it's the law. Often times they will discount the asking price under the condition that "Buyer smogs it". I've seen it and done it dozens of times. Here is where it gets interesting though. The smog certificate issued when it passes the test is only good for 90 days. If you sell your car 91 days later it needs to be re-smogged AGAIN. So theoretically a car can be smogged up to 4 times in the same year if it is sold after only 90 days of ownership. It's a huge scam because even though there's a 99.9% certainty that it will pass the test 91 days after it was tested it still has to be done and you still have to pay for it. 50 bucks per test. Millions of cars in CA. That's a lot of revenue when you think about it. That's also not even including the "transfer fees" they charge too on top of the registration fees.
Yes... it does add up.
Also, I stopped driving my 1976 Truiuph because I was tired of having to Smog it for the 300 miles I would drive annually.
Few, if any other States Smog vehicles fast approaching 30 years old.
The last time I took my VW Thing for a Smog Check the tech said he could not do "Kit" cars... it was frustrating to have to school the guy that is being paid to Smog my car.
So many buyers get burned on buying as-is without a Smog... if the car has been modified or otherwise fails... the car is only worth salvage/scrap.
The law is very clear the seller is responsible... but, first you have to find the seller and then good luck collecting.
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