California’s revised Jay Leno Law has cleared the Legislature and is headed to Governor Gavin Newsom. If he signs Senate Bill 1392, certain collector vehicles from the emissions-control era could eventually escape California’s recurring smog-check requirement.
The important word is “certain.”
SB 1392 does not immediately exempt every car more than 35 years old. It does not restore California’s old unrestricted rolling exemption, and it does not give owners permission to remove catalytic converters, air pumps, EGR systems or other federally required emissions equipment.
Instead, the bill creates a phased exemption for qualifying, limited-use collector vehicles. It would begin with vehicles manufactured before the 1981 model year on January 1, 2028, then gradually expand until it reaches vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year in 2033.
California may finally relax smog checks for a narrow group of collector cars. Naturally, the process requires insurance documentation, mileage restrictions, future regulations and several years of waiting—because this remains California.
Jay Leno Law quick facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Bill number | California SB 1392 |
| Official name | Jay Leno’s Law |
| Current status | Approved by Legislature; awaiting governor’s consideration |
| Is it law yet? | No |
| Proposed first effective date | January 1, 2028 |
| First eligible group | Qualifying vehicles manufactured before 1981 |
| Final scheduled expansion | Vehicles manufactured before 1986 beginning in 2033 |
| Minimum vehicle age | At least 35 model years old |
| Primary transportation allowed? | No |
| Collector insurance or mileage rules | Yes |
| Removes federal emissions rules? | No |
| Permits emissions-equipment removal? | No |
The complete language is available through the official California Legislature SB 1392 page. The bill’s latest movement was also reported by Car and Driver and Hot Rod.
Is California’s Jay Leno Law already in effect?
No. SB 1392 has passed the California Legislature, but it has not become law merely because lawmakers approved it.
Governor Newsom must still sign the bill before its proposed exemptions can take effect. He could also veto it or allow it to become law without a signature under California’s legislative process.
Until that process is complete, existing California smog-check requirements remain unchanged.
Owners should not cancel an inspection, remove emissions equipment or begin dismantling a catalytic converter based on a headline announcing that the bill “passed.” Legislative approval is a major step, but it is not the same as an enacted and operational exemption.
Even if SB 1392 becomes law, the first new exemption would not begin until January 1, 2028.
Government has once again demonstrated that “approved” and “available” are separate concepts with several years parked between them.
Which model years would SB 1392 exempt?
The bill uses a scheduled series of manufacturing-year cutoffs rather than a permanent, unlimited rolling exemption.
If enacted in its current form, the schedule would be:
| Effective date | Vehicles potentially exempt |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2028 | Manufactured before the 1981 model year |
| January 1, 2029 | Manufactured before the 1982 model year |
| January 1, 2030 | Manufactured before the 1983 model year |
| January 1, 2031 | Manufactured before the 1984 model year |
| January 1, 2032 | Manufactured before the 1985 model year |
| January 1, 2033 | Manufactured before the 1986 model year |
“Manufactured before the 1981 model year” generally means 1980 and older—not 1981 and older.
That distinction matters because some summaries describe the bill as starting with “1981 vehicles.” The statutory text uses “before” each listed model year. Owners should verify their vehicle’s eligibility through the final Bureau of Automotive Repair regulations rather than relying on conversational shorthand.
After 2033, the current bill does not continue advancing indefinitely. Its final stated cutoff is vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year.
This is a limited staircase, not a forever-moving escalator.
Which cars would actually qualify?
Age alone would not be enough.
Under SB 1392, a qualifying collector motor vehicle would need to satisfy the applicable age cutoff and the state’s collector-use requirements. The proposed definition includes vehicles that are:
- At least 35 model years old
- Insured as collector vehicles or eligible through a qualifying low-mileage process
- Used primarily for shows, parades, charitable functions, historical exhibitions, preservation or maintenance
- Not used as the owner’s primary transportation
- Compliant with regulations developed by the Bureau of Automotive Repair
The insurance and mileage pathways are not as simple as choosing whichever option looks more convenient on registration day.
The bill directs the Bureau of Automotive Repair and Department of Motor Vehicles to establish implementation procedures. Collector insurance would form an initial qualification route beginning in 2028. A process involving vehicles driven fewer than 1,000 miles per calendar year would become relevant to designated later phases beginning in 2030.
Final forms, verification procedures and administrative requirements would still need to be written.
In other words, owning a 1980 Camaro that occasionally attends a cars-and-coffee event would not automatically qualify it. If that Camaro is also your daily commuter, grocery hauler and emergency substitute for public transportation, the state may notice that the word “collector” is doing unusually heavy lifting.
Which enthusiast cars could benefit?
The bill targets a frequently overlooked period of automotive history: the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Those years produced plenty of slow factory cars, but they also created important platforms that enthusiasts continue to restore, modify and preserve.
Potentially relevant vehicles include qualifying examples of:
- Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird
- Ford Mustang and Mercury Capri
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Datsun and Nissan Z cars
- Toyota Celica and Supra
- Mazda RX-7
- Porsche 911 and 928
- BMW 3 Series
- Volkswagen Rabbit GTI
- Chevrolet and GMC pickups
- Ford F-Series trucks
- Jeep CJ models
- Japanese compact pickups
- Early turbocharged and fuel-injected performance cars
Eligibility would depend on the vehicle’s exact model year, usage, insurance or mileage status and the regulations eventually adopted by California.
A modified 1982 vehicle would not qualify in 2028 just because it is more than 35 years old. Under the proposed schedule, vehicles manufactured before the 1983 model year would not enter the exemption group until January 1, 2030.
Why California enthusiasts support the bill
California currently exempts gasoline-powered vehicles manufactured before the 1976 model year from recurring smog certification. Newer vintage vehicles generally remain subject to testing unless another exemption applies.
This creates a sharp dividing line in the collector market.
A 1975 project car may be significantly easier to register and modify than an otherwise similar 1976 vehicle. That single model-year difference can influence:
- Purchase prices
- Restoration decisions
- Engine-swap plans
- Aftermarket-parts demand
- Vehicle resale value
- Whether a damaged emissions component is economically practical to replace
- Whether a project remains in California
Late-1970s emissions equipment can also be difficult to locate. Vacuum switches, thermal valves, air-injection components, carburetor controls and application-specific catalytic hardware may have disappeared from normal parts inventories decades ago.
The difficulty does not necessarily come from repairing the engine. It comes from locating a plastic vacuum component last stocked when disco was still considered an emerging threat.
Supporters argue that genuinely limited-use collector vehicles contribute relatively little annual pollution because they cover so few miles. SB 1392 attempts to recognize that limited use without granting a universal exemption to every aging commuter still performing full-time transportation duty.
Does SB 1392 make engine swaps legal?
No. A California smog-check exemption and a legal engine swap are not the same thing.
California engine-swap rules generally consider factors such as:
- The model year of the replacement engine
- The vehicle class from which the engine originated
- Retention of required emissions components
- Catalytic-converter configuration
- Engine-management equipment
- Diagnostic-system functionality
- California Air Resources Board requirements
- Bureau of Automotive Repair inspection requirements
Pro Street’s guide to smogging a Honda engine swap in California explains why a successful swap involves far more than making the engine fit between the shock towers.
Our overview of whether common car modifications are legal also covers the importance of checking state and local rules before purchasing parts.
If SB 1392 becomes law, a qualifying collector vehicle might no longer need the specified California smog certificate. That does not automatically legalize every possible engine, ECU, fuel-system or exhaust modification.
It removes an inspection obligation for qualifying vehicles. It does not replace the remainder of state and federal law with a handwritten note reading “collector car—please ignore.”
Can owners remove the catalytic converter after receiving an exemption?
No blanket permission is created by SB 1392.
Federal law prohibits removing, disabling or rendering inoperative emissions-control equipment installed to meet federal requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency applies these anti-tampering provisions separately from California’s periodic inspection program.
The EPA’s guidance on vehicle tampering and aftermarket defeat devices explains that emissions-system tampering may violate the Clean Air Act even when a vehicle is not undergoing a state inspection.
This is one of the most important distinctions in the entire bill:
Smog-check exempt does not mean emissions-law exempt.
The same principle applies to equipment such as:
- Catalytic converters
- Exhaust-gas-recirculation systems
- Evaporative-emissions controls
- Air-injection systems
- Oxygen sensors
- Engine-control software
- Diesel particulate filters
- Selective catalytic reduction equipment
Removing an inspection does not retroactively convert federally required equipment into optional garage decoration.
Would modified cars automatically qualify?
No. SB 1392 does not create a general modification amnesty.
The bill establishes eligibility based on vehicle age, collector status, limited use and future administrative rules. It does not state that every engine swap, carburetor conversion, standalone ECU or exhaust modification becomes legal.
Owners should also distinguish between:
- Registration eligibility
- Smog-certification requirements
- State anti-tampering rules
- Federal anti-tampering rules
- Equipment-specific CARB Executive Orders
- Insurance restrictions
- Local noise and equipment laws
A car may qualify for registration without a biennial smog certificate and still contain equipment that violates another requirement.
Likewise, collector insurance policies often impose usage restrictions of their own. A state exemption does not override the terms of a private insurance contract.
Would OBD-II readiness monitors still matter?
The first vehicles covered by the proposed schedule predate the federal OBD-II standard used on most 1996-and-newer vehicles. Traditional emissions inspection on these older cars may rely more heavily on tailpipe testing, visual checks and equipment verification.
However, OBD-II remains important to the larger smog-check discussion because modern inspections can evaluate emissions-system readiness rather than merely checking whether the malfunction indicator lamp is illuminated.
Readiness monitors help determine whether the vehicle has completed self-tests for systems including:
- Catalytic-converter operation
- Oxygen-sensor performance
- Evaporative-emissions control
- EGR operation
- Secondary-air injection
- Misfire detection
Disconnecting a battery or clearing diagnostic codes can reset these monitors. The Check Engine Light may remain off temporarily even though the vehicle has not completed the tests needed for inspection.
For a practical example of how the PCM monitors exhaust after the converter, see our P0136 downstream oxygen-sensor diagnostic guide.
SB 1392 would not broadly eliminate OBD-II testing for newer vehicles. Its final scheduled model-year cutoff ends well before OBD-II became mandatory.
Why not exempt every vehicle after 35 years?
A permanent rolling exemption would be simpler for owners, but it would also continuously add newer vehicles to the exempt population.
Under an unrestricted 35-year rule:
- A 1991 vehicle could become eligible in 2026.
- A 1996 OBD-II vehicle could become eligible in 2031.
- A 2005 vehicle could become eligible in 2040.
- Every later model year would eventually follow.
SB 1392 takes a narrower approach. The proposed exemption advances for several years, then stops at pre-1986 vehicles.
The bill also attempts to limit eligibility to collector vehicles rather than high-mileage daily transportation. That compromise appears designed to reduce the projected emissions impact and improve its chances of surviving California’s legislative process.
Enthusiasts asked for a rolling exemption. Sacramento responded with a short staircase, an insurance form and a mileage counter.
It is still meaningful progress compared with another bill dying quietly in committee.
What happens if Governor Newsom signs SB 1392?
Signing the bill would begin the implementation process, not immediately exempt additional vehicles.
The Bureau of Automotive Repair and DMV would need to develop regulations covering:
- Proof of collector insurance
- Mileage verification
- Registration procedures
- Eligibility documentation
- Information sharing between agencies
- Necessary forms
- Enforcement of primary-transportation restrictions
- Procedures for confirming collector status
The first new exemption is scheduled for January 1, 2028, giving the agencies time to establish those systems.
Owners should wait for official BAR and DMV instructions before assuming their vehicle qualifies. The enacted statutory language and resulting regulations—not social-media summaries—will determine how applications are processed.
What if the governor vetoes it?
If Governor Newsom vetoes SB 1392, the proposed exemption would not take effect unless lawmakers override the veto with the required vote.
California’s existing smog-check framework would remain in place, including the current pre-1976 exemption.
Supporters could introduce another proposal in a future legislative session, but that would restart much of the process. Previous attempts to expand the collector-car exemption have advanced through portions of the Legislature before failing to become law.
The revised SB 1392 has traveled farther, but California project-car owners have learned not to celebrate until the paperwork develops a signature.
Frequently asked questions
What is California SB 1392?
SB 1392, known as Jay Leno’s Law, is a California bill proposing limited smog-check exemptions for qualifying collector vehicles manufactured before specified model-year cutoffs.
Has the Jay Leno Law passed?
It has passed the California Legislature and reached the governor, but it is not law until the remaining constitutional process is completed.
When would the new exemption begin?
The first proposed exemption would begin January 1, 2028.
Would all vehicles more than 35 years old be exempt?
No. A vehicle would also need to meet the applicable manufacturing-year cutoff and California’s collector-use, insurance or mileage requirements.
Would 1981 vehicles be exempt in 2028?
The bill’s first group consists of qualifying vehicles manufactured before the 1981 model year, which generally means 1980 and older.
How many miles could an eligible collector car be driven?
The bill includes a pathway involving fewer than 1,000 miles per calendar year for specified later phases. BAR must develop the process used to document and enforce that limit.
Could an exempt car be used as a daily driver?
No. The proposed collector-vehicle definition says the car cannot be the owner’s primary mode of transportation.
Does the bill legalize catalytic-converter removal?
No. Exemption from California’s smog-certification process does not eliminate federal or state anti-tampering requirements.
Does SB 1392 legalize engine swaps?
No. Engine swaps and emissions modifications remain subject to other state and federal requirements.
Would the exemption eventually include 1986 and newer cars?
Not under the current schedule. The final phase beginning in 2033 covers qualifying vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year.
Final verdict
SB 1392 is a meaningful development for California’s collector-car community, but its effect is narrower than the most enthusiastic headlines suggest.
If signed, it would begin exempting qualifying pre-1981 collector vehicles in 2028. The cutoff would expand gradually until qualifying pre-1986 vehicles become eligible in 2033.
The bill does not create an unrestricted 35-year rolling exemption. It does not take effect immediately, and it does not repeal emissions-equipment laws.
What it could do is make ownership more practical for a limited population of historically significant, lightly driven cars from an era that California’s current fixed cutoff ignores.
For enthusiasts preserving late-1970s and early-1980s machinery, that is substantial progress.
Just keep the catalytic converter installed and the celebration parked until the governor signs.
