Q&A: Clean Truck Check Requirements

The California Air Resource Board has assembled the below Q&A to answer expected questions on the new Clean Truck Check Requirements.

Testing Deadlines/Certification

When do we have to start reporting?
The reporting window opened in October, information and compliance fees for vehicles operating in California will need to be entered by 12-31-2023.

How many emissions checks will be required every year?
That answer depends a little bit on what type of vehicle you own, and what year it is.

In 2024, there is only one test required per vehicle as testing deadlines will begin no sooner than July 2024. Testing deadlines are based on your DMV registration or the last digit of the VIN (for non-California registered vehicles and vehicles exempt from California DMV registration) In 2025 and 2026, there will be semi-annual testing for non-agricultural vehicles and non-California registered motorhomes. The second test per year will be due six months after your first test. Starting in 2027, vehicles equipped with OBD equipment will begin reporting quarterly. Additional information is provided HERE.

Will Vehicle Compliance Certificates need to be in the vehicles?
It is not a requirement; however, CARB recommends keeping a record of your compliance certificate easily accessible.

Will submitted compliance tests be stored/viewable in the CTC-VIS database for each vehicle?
Yes, when testing for Clean Truck Check begins in 2024, the tests will be in CTC-VIS.

After we report in CTC-VIS, do we still have to follow the Periodic Testing schedule?
Once you report and pay your compliance fees by the end of 2023, vehicles subject to Clean Truck Check will need to comply with ongoing periodic testing requirements. Please send additional questions to hdim@arb.ca.gov.

Does the Portal alert when CTC tests are coming due for units registered?
If your vehicles are reported in CTC-VIS and the annual per vehicle compliance fees are paid, you will receive alerts once the periodic testing aspect begins in 2024.

Does every truck get its own certificate or does the company get one?
Each vehicle will receive its own individual compliance certificate. You may also print an affirmation of fleetwide compliance for the fleet when the entire fleet is in compliance with Clean Truck Check.

When will the testing begin?
CARB expects the periodic vehicle testing requirements will become effective in mid-2024 with each vehicle subject to one test in 2024 ranging from July 1 to December 31 depending on your DMV registration expiration date for CA registered vehicles or the last digit of your VIN for out-of-state registered and exempt plated vehicles. Please refer to Guidance to Vehicle Owners on 2024 Periodic Testing Requirements for Vehicles Subject to Semiannual Testing | California Air Resources Board.

Payment Questions

What payment forms will you accept?
Credit/debit cards and eCheck are acceptable forms of payment within CTC-VIS.

How much are the fees and dues?
There is a $30 annual fee per vehicle.

If one truck is registered under two different companies, do both companies need to pay $30? Or can one company report the vehicle and pay the compliance fee?
The recommendation currently is entering the vehicle into CTC-VIS under a single company and only paying the fee once. If you have more questions on this topic, please email hdim@arb.ca.gov.

We paid the fees but we it shows processing. How long until the payments are finalized? 
Please give the system up to five business days to process. If after that the fee is showing as unpaid, please reach out to hdim@arb.ca.gov

Is the annual payment due date 12/31 of each year?
This year the payment due date is 12/31. In subsequent years, the fee payment for each vehicle will be due on the same day as the vehicle’s first compliance test for the year.

• 2024: Between July and the end of the year based on your testing schedule.
• 2025 and beyond: Due date is based on the first compliance test of the year.

Is there a processing time and fee for credit card payments?
Credit card payments would be processed within the same day with 2.99% processing fee charge. Paying with a bank account doesn't charge a processing fee but will take five business days to process.

Exemptions

Is there an exemption for Low-Use Vehicles?
The Clean Truck Check program does not include a Low-Use exemption.

Is there an exemption for small fleets?
No. All vehicles that exceed 14,000 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) and are powered by diesel or alternative fuel will be subject to Clean Truck Check, including small fleets.

Do off-road vehicles need to be reported?
Any vehicles that are registered as PNO with DMV will not be subject to Clean Truck Check. Any vehicles that exceed 14,000 lbs. GVWR, are powered by diesel or alternative fuel, such as natural gas and are registered with DMV, will be subject to Clean Truck Check and should be reported in the CTC-VIS database by no later than 12-31-23. Annual per vehicle compliance fees for subject vehicles should also be paid by 12-31-23.

If the vehicle is strictly off-road and is not required to be registered with DMV with a license plate, the vehicle is not subject to Clean Truck Check.

Do vehicles of any year qualify for exemptions? For example, older than 2013?
If the vehicle is not within the very limited exemptions list, the vehicle is subject to the Clean Truck Check requirements, the answer would be yes. There is no exemption based on the model year of the vehicle or engine.

Do LNG trucks need to be reported?
Yes, the Clean Truck Check requires non-gasoline (diesel, alternative fuel, and hybrid) trucks, buses, and other heavy-duty vehicles, such as California-registered motorhomes, with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 14,000 lbs that operate in California to report and undergo emissions testing.

Which vehicles are exempt, and do they need to be registered into CTC-VIS?
The Clean Truck Check Program does not apply to:

• Zero-emission trucks
• Military tactical vehicles
• Authorized emergency vehicles California Vehicle Code section 165
• Motorhomes registered outside of California
• Vehicles operating under an experimental permit
• Historical vehicles
• Gasoline vehicles

You are not required to report vehicles that are exempted from the program.

Do SE special equipment license plated vehicles (Non-operational DMV) need to be registered in CTC or need to be tested?

If any of your vehicle/s are registered as PNO with DMV, they will not be subject to Clean Truck Check and will not need to be reported in CTC-VIS. Any vehicles that are actively registered with DMV as operational will need to be reported in CTC-VIS by 12-31-23. Annual per vehicle compliance fees will need to be paid by 12-31-23 as well.

Is it explicitly required to upload exempt vehicles in the CTC-VIS portal? And if so, will the exempt vehicles trigger the $30 per vehicle fee?

You don’t have to report exempted vehicles, but we have the option for you to mark a vehicle as “exempted” if you'd like to.  Exempted vehicles will not be charged with the $30 fee.

Are school districts subjected to the fees?
Yes.

Do trailers equipped with diesel engines apply?
Only self-propelled vehicles registered for on-road use are subject to Clean Truck Check and required to be reported in the database.

Is there an exemption for NOx Exempt areas?
The Clean Truck Check program does not have an exemption for the NOx exempt areas.

Do I need to comply if my vehicle is only operating in California for a short period of time?
The Clean Truck Check Program does have a Five-Day Pass available for vehicles that operate five or less days per year, per vehicle.

Technical Questions/Issues

I am having issues with the website, 504 gateway time out, unexpected errors, etc.
This should not be happening. Please fully close your browser try this link again Clean Truck Check Reporting. If you continue to have issues, please email hdim@arb.ca.gov.

Do desktops and smart phones have the same functionality when accessing your account?
Smart devices and desktop computers can both use the CTC-VIS. Often the desktop computer will provide a better user experience and may resolve potential technical issues.

We have two entities to register. Do we need to set up two separate accounts?
Yes, separate companies should be reported in two separate accounts. You cannot duplicate the Entity Legal name. For a company with multiple terminals, you can create one Entity account for the company, then add all vehicles to the Entity and organize them by locations. Then you can add co-entity admin users to help manage vehicles for certain locations. That way, you don’t have to create multiple entity accounts.

We posted the CTC-VIS database training videos you may find useful.

Why does my interface say "Add apps to your launcher"?
Please ignore this message. After initially registering for Okta and creating your password, log out of Okta. Then go to the Welcome - CTC-VIS (ca.gov) and log into the database.

Vehicle Management

For Government Vehicles, what will the system accept in the License plate field and Registered County Field?
The license plate should be entered as it appears, and registered county should be listed as where the vehicle predominantly operates or where the vehicle is based out of.

Are you able to edit in bulk your vehicle information? In case you missed certain information? Can we enter multiple bulk uploads?
Once the vehicle info is loaded in your "Vehicle Information" page, you can edit each information by clicking on the blue "Action" icon. You will find a training video HERE.

Yes, once one bulk upload is processed, you can start a new form and do another bulk upload.

Can you enter a truck into the Clean Truck database with a temp license?
Yes. You may also update a license plate if applicable.

Can we have all our units in the same location?
Yes, it's up to you how you would like to organize your vehicles to what locations.

If your fleet has multiple companies under one location, how would we proceed with the entities and vehicles?
If the companies are truly separate entities, there should be no issue reporting multiple entities using the same physical address.

Can one vehicle be added to multiple/different entity accounts?
Yes, one vehicle can be added to multiple entity accounts; however, CARB recommends keeping vehicles registered to a single Entity at this time.

As a broker, should we report the vehicles in CTC-VIS or should the owner/operators report the vehicles?
Meeting the reporting requirements of the Clean Truck Check is the responsibility of the owner. If you have any questions about the brokerage aspect, please see the Clean Truck Check Program page and visit the Freight Contractor, Broker, and Applicable Freight Facility Requirements. If these drivers operate as separate entities, they should create their own separate accounts within CTC-VIS.

Where do I add MCP and PUC IDs after registration?
You can add MCP and PUC ID's when you add/edit vehicles, or you can add MCP and PUC ID's when you edit the entity information.

Do you have a list of the info we need to enter in for a vehicle so we could start gathering it and have it ready for entry?
Yes, vehicle fields are: VIN, License plate number, State in which the vehicle is registered with a DMV, Vehicle make, Vehicle model, Vehicle model year, Engine fuel type, and Gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR). Additional information can be found on the Reporting Database webpage.

Do we need to add all fleet vehicles into the account or just the ones that are affected by Clean Truck Check?
Only report the ones that are subject to Clean Truck Check.

Do we deactivate a unit if it is taken out of service or not used after purchase?
Yes.

Do vehicles moving to PNO need to be removed from CTC-VIS then?
Yes. Vehicles designated as PNO by DMV will not need to be reported in CTC-VIS, therefore they should be removed.

How do I register units without a license?
Enter a default license plate, for example 1111111, and update it once the vehicle has a valid license plate.

If we enter a vehicle into the system that has out of date registration tags, will this have any adverse effects on the CTC program?
Regardless of whether your vehicle's registration status is up to date, there still will be a registration expiration date associated with your vehicle. Once periodic testing begins in 2024, you will need to have your vehicle tested according to its compliance schedule in order to be deemed in compliance with Clean Truck Check. Vehicles not in compliance with the Clean Truck Check will not be able to reregister with DMV.

How do you determine if a vehicle has a GVWR >14,000 lbs?
Each vehicle has a label on the door jamb that tells you what the GVWR of the vehicle is. CARB refers to GVWR as the Manufacturer’s GVWR.

When are new vehicles, or newly acquired vehicles required to be entered by?
New vehicles are required to be reported within 30 days of when the vehicle is acquired.

Account/User Management

Can a third-party licensing agency report on behalf of their clients?
If you have been hired by the fleet owner as a fleet representative, you are more than welcome to report on their behalf.

We have two entities to register. Do we need to set up two separate accounts?
Separate companies should have separate accounts. Companies that have multiple locations may be in the same account with multiple addresses.

Can a location admin be assigned to multiple locations? How is that done?
A location admin can be assigned to multiple locations.  When you add a user as location admin, on the location dropdown menu, there is a list of your added fleet locations for you to assign the user to.

Can both the admin and co-admin make payments and attest their fleet compliance to submit?
Yes, both have the ability to make payments and attest the compliance.

Under “form information,” what do we put in the description box?
There's nothing “correct” that you must input there. You can simply write a short sentence on why you’re editing the form for your own notes to go back and look at what changes you made.

If I register 2 co-entity admins & I leave the organization and deactivate myself, will the other co-administrators still have full access to the account?
Yes, the co-entity admins have the same privileges as the entity admin.

What if a parent company owns multiple companies? Do we need to set up a separate account for all entities or can they all go the one account?
They can all go under one account. You can choose to enter them as separate locations for each sub-company.

If an account is created with the wrong contact person, how can we remove them from the account and change the account contact to someone else?
You can deactivate the individual and create a new user if you’d like. Please refer to this walkthrough VIDEO.

For a company with 2 locations, how should the users be classified in CTC-VIS to pay for their respective fleets individually?
You can add multiple fleet locations in your Entity account and categorize vehicles to their corresponding locations. Only Entity admin and co-entity admins can pay for the program compliance fee.  When adding vehicles to the fee payment cart, you can filter and add vehicles for the fleet location that you would like to pay for and pay accordingly.

Can one person be a Co-Entity Admin on multiple CTC-VIS entity accounts? If yes, can they use the same email or do they need to have a unique email address for each entity they are co-admin on?
Yes, one person can be a co-admin on multiple CTC-VIS entity accounts using one email account.  You will need to have the entity admin add your email address as the co-entity admin.

Registering in CTC-VIS

How can I update the entity type from individual to company?
You cannot change the Entity type.  If you have not input any vehicle information, please create a different account with the correct entity type for your business.

Who is responsible for reporting during a lease?
The lessor (leasing entity) is responsible for reporting, paying the annual compliance fee, and ensuring the vehicle is tested according to the periodic testing schedule unless the lease period is longer than 1 year and the responsibility for vehicle compliance is designated as the lessee in the lessor/lessee contract.

What is the purpose and use of the Affirmation of Fleetwide Compliance? Do we need to present it to any organizations or use it in some certification manner to conduct business?
Freight contractors and brokers are required to verify compliance with the Clean Truck Check prior to entering into agreements and contracts with fleets. The Affirmation of Fleetwide Compliance can be used as a way to streamline these compliance verification checks versus looking up the compliance certificate of individual vehicles.

Reporting Systems for Other CARB Programs (TRUCRS and DOORS for ACF, SWCV, ZEAS, Truck and Bus, and Off-Road)

If we are already registered with CARB, do we need to re-register?
If you are reported, for example, in TRUCRS to comply with other CARB fleet regulations, that is a separate reporting system. You will need to create an account in CTC-VIS to comply with the Clean Truck Check requirements.

Does this overlap with Advanced Clean Fleet (ACF)? Is this the platform we will use to report for ACF or is this totally separate?
This reporting system is separate from ACF. For ACF questions, please email zevfleet@arb.ca.gov.

Will our information in DOORS, TRUCRS or other CARB programs automatically transfer over into CTC-VIS?
You can download your data from TRUCRS and DOORS and then upload the required data to the CTC-VIS database.

Do we report trucks that are in the Solid Waste Regulation?
Yes. All vehicles subject to Clean Truck Check should be reported into the CTC-VIS database.

Is the biannual testing different than a regular smog check?
Yes, the Clean Truck Check Program is a separate program and vehicles subject to the program will require testing twice per year. Beginning in 2027, OBD-equipped vehicles will need to test four times per year. Note that vehicles subject to the smog check program are not subject to Clean Truck Check and vice-versa.

Is the CTC program in addition to the PSIP/HDVIP smoke testing we currently do? I.e., does the CTC reporting change anything regarding smoke testing?
Clean Truck Check will replace the PSIP testing requirements. If your vehicle is equipped with a diesel engine older than 2013, the testing process will be very similar to that of PSIP. These vehicles will require the same smoke opacity test inspection with an added visual inspection component. For newer vehicles equipped OBD, only an OBD test submitted by a CARB approved OBD device will be required.

Out Of State Vehicles

Do companies have to report vehicles that do not reside in CA, but may deliver and/or pass through the state?
Yes. A vehicle that operates in California is subject to the Clean Truck Check requirements regardless of where they are registered.

How do we handle compliance with out of state vehicles?
Until mid-2024, out of state vehicles operating in California just need to be registered and the compliance fee needs to be paid to be considered compliant. Once periodic testing is implemented in after July 1, 2024, vehicles will need to be registered and submit a passing compliance test before entry to be completely in compliance with the regulation. If a vehicle is not in compliance with the Clean Truck Check while operating in California, it may be cited for being out of compliance.

If we register all vehicles (out of abundance of caution), but they do not go into California, do we still need to submit to testing requirements?
No, only vehicles operating in California will need to submit passing tests to remain in compliance. However, if plans change for these vehicles, be sure to complete the testing requirements prior to entering California.

How do out of state vehicles get checked?
Out of state vehicles have the same compliance requirements as California registered vehicles. To maintain a level playing field between trucks registered in California and trucks registered in other states, staff conducts field inspections at border crossings and throughout the state. Emissions detection systems and automated license plate reader (ALPR) cameras are also deployed throughout the state to verify compliance. Further, CARB coordinates enforcement efforts with California Highway Patrol and other state agencies to enhance enforcement efforts.

DMV Issues

How will CARB noncompliance be removed from the DMV record after a truck passes a Clean Truck Check test if reported in CTC-VIS?
Vehicles that comply with Clean Truck Check are sent to DMV daily and it will take about three business days for DMV to process and reflect the vehicle as compliant.

We have a commercial account with the CA DMV. Do I need to send the fleet compliance certificate to them with each renewal?
No. A list of vehicles that comply with Clean Truck Check is provided to DMV daily and DMV will process the vehicle as compliant in about three business days.

If you have a truck on Partial Year Registration (PYR), when is the expiration date?Commercial partial year registration (PYR) vehicles are subject to the same testing requirements associated with the Clean Truck Check Program as other vehicles, unless the owner designates a vehicle as “nonoperational” with the California DMV. On your vehicle's paperwork, you will find the registration expiration date.

Are registration holds only on California registered vehicles?
Yes.

Testing Questions

When we do opacity testing, does that electronically send the pass/fail to this portal?No. Smoke opacity results and the Vehicle Emissions Control Inspection Form will need to be submitted manually by the credentialed tester to CARB.

Credentialed Testers Questions

Is or will there be a webinar or something for technicians that perform the test?
CARB has established a training course for technicians who are interested in performing Clean Truck Check compliance tests. Complete the videos in the training course and pass the exam to become a credentialed tester. Please see this webpage: Tester Training Course & Exam

Can one tester ID serve multiple companies under the same ownership?
Assuming the same individual is performing all of the testing, yes. Each credentialed tester is issued their own unique ID number and is the only person that can use that number.  Sharing a tester ID# among several people is not allowed and will result in invalid compliance test results and possible enforcement actions.

Enforcement Questions

What happens if a company fails to register by the end of the year?
Any vehicles that operate in California have not been reported and paid their compliance fees in CTC-VIS by 12-31-23 will be considered non-compliant. Non-compliant vehicles should receive a registration hold from DMV and may be subject to CARB enforcement action. Please report your vehicles and pay the compliance fees before 12-31-23 in order to avoid this scenario.

What if a unit fails to comply within the correct timeframe?
If a vehicle fails to meet compliance deadlines, it will be considered to be in non-compliance and may be subject to a Notice of Violation, financial penalties, and a registration hold at DMV.

Will a NST return to compliance tests performed to clear a Notice to Submit to Testing (NST) need to be submitted in the CTC-VIS system or will it have to be submitted via email?
The submission process to clear NSTs will remain the same. Refer to the following webpage if you receive an NST: Please refer to this FACT SHEET.