Article 6.5 - Vehicle Safety Systems Inspection

California Business and Professions Code — §§ 9888.5-9888.6

Sections (2)

Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 681, Sec. 9. (AB 1263) Effective January 1, 2024.

(a)The director shall develop inspection criteria and standards for specific safety systems and components of the vehicle in order to promote the safe and uniform installation, maintenance, and servicing of vehicle safety systems and components.
(b)The director shall issue vehicle safety systems inspection licenses to stations and technicians to conduct inspections of, and repairs to, safety systems of vehicles. The director may electronically issue these licenses.
(c)By January 1, 2024, the director shall adopt the regulations, in accordance with the rulemaking provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the

Government Code), including, but not limited to, all of the following:

(1)Inspection criteria and standards for specific safety systems and components of the vehicle in order to promote the safe and uniform installation, maintenance, and servicing of vehicle safety systems and components.
(2)The application fee and process for applicants, including any specialized application process for those licensees licensed pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 9887.1) and Article 6 (commencing with Section 9888.1).
(3)The certificate of compliance fee and certification process for vehicles, including any specialized certification process for those vehicles certified pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 9889.15). The director shall prescribe a form for the certificate of compliance that contains, at a

minimum, the date of issuance, the make and registration number of the vehicle, and the official license of the station.

(d)The vehicle safety systems inspection license shall replace licenses issued pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 9887.1) and Article 6 (commencing with Section 9888.1). Licenses issued in accordance with those articles shall remain valid until six months after the effective date of regulations adopted pursuant to subdivision (c). A licensee with a license issued pursuant to Article 5 (commencing with Section 9887.1) or Article 6 (commencing with Section 9888.1) shall thereafter be regulated under this article and shall apply for and be issued a vehicle safety systems inspection license under this article.
(e)The vehicle safety systems inspection certificate shall replace certificates issued pursuant to Article 8 (commencing with Section 9889.15).

Certificates issued in accordance with that article shall remain valid until six months after the director adopts regulations pursuant to subdivision (c).

Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 372, Sec. 9. (AB 471) Effective January 1, 2022.

(a)A licensee shall issue to the owner or driver of a vehicle a certificate of compliance on a form prescribed by the director if, after conducting an inspection of, and any necessary repair to, the safety systems of the vehicle, the licensee determines that the safety systems conform with the inspection criteria and standards adopted by the director.
(b)(1) The director may require a licensee to electronically transmit to the department a record of each certificate of compliance issued.
(2)The department may, for each transmission pursuant to this subdivision, charge a licensee a

transaction fee established by the department that shall be only sufficient to cover the actual regulatory costs of administering those transmissions.

(c)The director may electronically transmit to the Department of Motor Vehicles certificates of compliance issued by licensees.
(d)(1) The director shall evaluate the feasibility of augmenting existing database systems to support the charging of fees with respect to, and the issuance and tracking of, certificates of compliance.
(2)The director may enter into a contract for services necessary to maintain and operate an electronic certificate system for the program.