Jay Leno’s Law Signed, Providing Smog Check Exemptions for Classic Cars

Jay Leno’s Law was just signed into Law, providing smog check exemptions for qualifying classic cars manufactured between 1976 and 1985.

Leno’s Law will extend full smog check exemptions to qualifying classic and collectible vehicles, beginning on January 1, 2028, with collector motor vehicles manufactured from 1976 to 1980 and then adding one model year annually, until reaching 1985 models. Qualifying vehicles must either carry collector insurance or be limited to 1,000 miles per year.

Last year, Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) authored SB 712, the original Leno’s Law, to create an ongoing smog check exemption for collector vehicles 35 model years or older, building the statewide support that helped carry this effort to the finish line.

The original 2025 proposed bill passed the Senate but was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in 2025 and died. Democrats expressed environmental concerns, despite that Sen. Grove assured them, “We’re not helping people pollute, we are just helping car collectors be able to continue.” While the bill failed, Sen. Grove continued her efforts this year with cooperative and bipartisan support.

It was re-introduced by Sen. Dave Cortese, a Democrat, and passed. The new version was narrower and phased rather than a broad 35-year rolling exemption. It passed both houses with large bipartisan margins.

In 2025, Jay Leno made a pit stop at the State Capitol to speak on Senate Bill 712, known as Leno’s Law, and attend the Senate Transportation Committee hearing on the bill. He was joined by classic car owners who put on quite a car show.

SB 712 would have exempted, on an ongoing or “rolling” basis, collector cars whose model year is 35 years or older from the state’s smog check law, according to Senator Grove.

“California helped invent car culture—from lowriders in East L.A. to muscle cars in the Central Valley. These cars tell the story,” Jay Leno said in 2025. “SB 712 is about keeping that story alive. These vehicles are driven occasionally, not daily, and it just makes sense to treat them differently. I’m proud to be working with Senator Grove, and I thank the committee for recognizing the importance of preserving our automotive legacy.”

Governor Gavin Newsom signed the new version of Jay Leno’s Law Wednesday, SB 1392 by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San José), at Leno’s garage in Burbank.

Environmental concerns in last year’s bill apparently died with the bill.

The new version creates a more narrow, phased exemption from California’s biennial smog-check requirement for qualifying collector vehicles from the 1976–1985 model years. Pre-1976 cars were already exempt. The new exemption is not automatic for every car from those years.

How the phase-in works:

• January 1, 2028: qualifying collector cars built before the 1981 model year.
• Then one additional model year is added each January until 2033, when it covers qualifying cars built before the 1986 model year. 

To qualify, the vehicle generally must be:

• Insured as a collector vehicle, or
• Driven fewer than 1,000 miles per year (via a DMV process).

The law is aimed at show, parade, and low-use cars, not daily drivers, a very small portion of California’s total auto population. 

“Today marks a historic victory for California’s vibrant automotive culture,” said Senator Shannon Grove. “With Governor Newsom’s signature on SB 1392, Leno’s Law, we are sending a clear message: classic car culture is encouraged and welcome in our state.

“Today we are taking a very big step by adding 10 additional model years of classic cars that will now be smog-exempt. We have worked for two years to get this law to the finish line. It was only made possible by the overwhelming support of car enthusiasts, mechanics, and families across the state who have passed these vehicles down from generation to generation.

“I want to thank Governor Newsom for supporting the effort to keep classic cars in California, Jay Leno for lending his name and reputation to present and future enthusiasts who want these vehicles to stay here, Senator Dave Cortese for his bipartisan leadership, and Mike Spagnola of SEMA for his consistent support.

“This is not just a hobby,” Sen. Grove added. “It is a lifestyle that brings people together, preserves history, and encourages culture in our state.”

“The best part about this is that we didn’t just get a bill passed — Republicans and Democrats worked together,” Jay Leno said. “Senator Dave Cortese and Senator Shannon Grove both worked tirelessly to get this passed, and Governor Newsom supported that effort by signing it into law.”

“California can protect clean air while also recognizing the historic and cultural value of collector vehicles,” said Senator Cortese. “SB 1392 establishes a carefully limited exemption for cars that are preserved, driven sparingly, and maintained as part of California’s automotive heritage. I appreciate Governor Newsom signing this balanced measure into law.”

Assembly Bill 2541 by Assemblyman Mark González (D-Los Angeles) was also signed into law, and creates a specialty license plate honoring California’s lowrider heritage.