Currently California requires a vehicle be smog checked every other registration renewal period, unless the vehicle is 6 years old or newer. In the case of a title transfer (when the vehicle is being bought or sold) the six year smog check exemption drops to 4 years. The six year or four year smog check exemption is not applicable to vehicles which have been brought in from out of state and require an initial registration in California. These vehicles will undergo a smog check every other year, beginning at the time of the vehicle's initial California registration. To answer your question... if this is an out of state vehicle which you bought brand new, it will need a smog check now, and every other year thereafter.
