Key takeaways from California BAR’s Smog Check Executive Summary for November 2025.

This page explains differences between STAR and non-STAR station performance, why STAR failure rates can look higher, and how station/equipment mix affects the numbers. For drivers, if your DMV renewal notice says “STAR station required” (sometimes shown as “STAR required”), you must use a STAR-certified station; if it doesn’t, you can complete your smog check at either a STAR or non-STAR station. Bureau of Automotive Repair

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Quick Highlights

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​ OIS initial test failure rate:
• STAR Test-Only — 7.88%
• STAR Test-and-Repair — 8.17%
• Non-STAR Test-Only — 6.43%
• Non-STAR Test-and-Repair — 5.82%

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 BAR-97 initial test failure rate:
• STAR Test-Only — 16.96%
• STAR Test-and-Repair — 19.30%
• Non-STAR Test-Only — 9.46%
• Non-STAR Test-and-Repair — 12.05% Bureau of Automotive Repair

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 Certificates issued on initial test:

• STAR Test-Only — 91.09% certified

• STAR Test-and-Repair — 89.82% certified

• Non-STAR Test-Only — 92.92% certified

• Non-STAR Test-and-Repair — 92.89% certified Bureau of Automotive Repair

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 Overall testing volume:

• Total initial tests — 714,895 (OIS + BAR-97) with an aggregated failure rate around 7.66% (OIS) and 17.16% (BAR-97). Bureau of Automotive Repair

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Directed vs Non-Directed Vehicles at STAR

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BAR directs certain vehicles (typically Enhanced area and Profile flagged vehicles) to STAR stations, but STAR certified locations also serve many non-directed vehicles. This mix of directed and voluntary customers affects relative failure and certification rates — directed vehicles tend to have higher failure rates due to vehicle age and condition profiles. Bureau of Automotive Repair

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INITIAL TEST FAILURES — BY STATION TYPE & EQUIPMENT (November 2025)

​​​STAR Test-Only: 408,523 tests; 32,202 OIS failures (7.88%); 31,942 BAR-97 tests; 5,416 BAR-97 failures (16.96%).

STAR Test-and-Repair: 186,757 tests; 15,265 OIS failures (8.17%); 14,589 BAR-97 tests; 2,816 BAR-97 failures (19.30%).

Non-STAR Test-Only: 26,670 tests; 1,715 OIS failures (6.43%); 1,469 BAR-97 tests; 139 BAR-97 failures (9.46%).

Non-STAR Test-and-Repair: 89,531 tests; 5,215 OIS failures (5.82%); 3,545 BAR-97 tests; 427 BAR-97 failures (12.05%). Bureau of Automotive Repair

 

​CERTIFICATION ON INITIAL TEST — BY STATION TYPE

​​​STAR Test-Only: 401,211 certificates (91.09%)

STAR Test-and-Repair: 180,843 certificates (89.82%)

Non-STAR Test-Only: 26,148 certificates (92.92%)

Non-STAR Test-and-Repair: 86,455 certificates (92.89%) Bureau of Automotive Repair

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STATIONS CONDUCTING TESTS — BY EQUIPMENT TYPE (November 2025)

​​​STAR Test-and-Repair: BAR-97 only: 1; OIS only: 317; Both: 1,411.

STAR Test-Only: BAR-97 only: 2; OIS only: 184; Both: 1,497.

STAR Sub-Total: BAR-97 only: 3; OIS only: 501; Both: 2,908; Total: 3,412+

Non-STAR Test-and-Repair: BAR-97 only: 1; OIS only: 1,565; Both: 228.

Non-STAR Test-Only: BAR-97 only: 0; OIS only: 212; Both: 68

Non-STAR Sub-Total: BAR-97 only: 1; OIS only: 1,777; Both: 296; Total: 2,074+

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Note: Totals may not exactly match the simple sum due to categorization of fleet, referee, and other specialized stations in the raw dataset. Bureau of Automotive Repair

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Source: California Bureau of Automotive Repair — Smog Check Executive Summary (November 2025). This page is a formatted summary (not the state website). Bureau of Automotive Repair