The automotive steward and comedian hopes the state will exempt cars 35-years-old or more from smog checks
- Jay Leno supports a California bill exempting 35-year-old cars from smog checks.
- The proposed bill, SB-712, would expand the current 1975 exemption for older vehicles.
- Leno says most smog stations lack the tools needed to test vintage cars properly.
California has a long history of regulating what comes out of your tailpipe, but now, a familiar face is throwing his weight behind a bill that could loosen things up—at least for classic car enthusiasts. Jay Leno famously steers clear of politics in his comedy, which makes it all the more surprising that he was just spotted at the California State Capitol backing Senate Bill 712.
Dubbed “Leno’s Law,” the proposed legislation would exempt cars 35 years and older from smog checks, offering a small but significant carveout for vintage vehicles.
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As it currently stands, most vehicles built after 1975 must pass a smog check if registration or ownership changes. But according to Leno, many smog stations don’t even have the right equipment to test older cars. The bill has bipartisan support, and proponents point out that less than one percent of the cars on the road in California would qualify for the exemption.
A Celebrity Pitch, With a Pontiac Twist
“I know I’m an annoying celebrity coming to Sacramento. I’ve watched them on TV, and some have no idea what they’re talking about. But this is a subject I’m interested in,” Leno said after showing up in a classic Pontiac Trans Am.
“I watched the movie industry get decimated. Everybody moved out of California, they charged so much to film. Everyone went to Texas, Georgia, Atlanta. We have the hotrod culture,” the former late-night talk show host continued, noting several automakers have hotrod design studios all over the state. “To see all these good ideas leave and go to Texas and go other places to do business, I don’t want to see the hot rod business or mechanical business leave the way the film business did.”
Opponents of the bill say that it will open up a way for people to keep heavily polluting cars on the road. It’s worth noting that California already exempts cars made before 1976 from its smog-check program. In fact, for diesel-powered vehicles, it exempts everything made before 1998.
On top of that, gas-powered cars that are less than eight years old don’t need smog checks either. All of that said, it would seem like carving out an exception for Leno’s law makes sense. The bill passed the Senate Transportation Committee and will now go to the Appropriations Committee for additional consideration.
While it’s far from a done deal, “Leno’s Law” could give vintage car owners a break, and keep a few more Trans Ams cruising California streets without a date at the smog shop.
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