Bottom Line First: I highly recommend these guys. They are kind, professional, and competent. And their prices are a good value. In my book you can't get better than that.
Details
I have had a LOT of vehicles smogged over the years. Some jobs were a hassle, some quite easy. Fast forward to 2018, we now have Yelp to steer us in the right direction.
I reviewed the various smog "places" and Folsom Smog came out on top and the price was great. (I printed out the coupon, more on that later.)
What motivated me to choose them: no appt. needed (I really liked that), this is all the shop does (you don't go to a heart surgeon to get brain surgery), and lastly, the price. (Years ago I was paying $65 to $75 for a smog test. So I was real pleased to see Folsom Smog's $50 OTD price.)
For the bean counter types, the Yelp coupon is $39.95, plus $10 certificate fee, totaling $49.95. My invoice said $41.70 labor, plus $8.25 cert. fee. Either way it totaled $50.
Getting There
- Trust your Nav or Waze to get you there. Head south on 10th Street, make a LEFT on Folsom, but when you turn the building entrance is on the southeast corner. IOW when making your left on to Folsom, do so to where you end up in the far right lane. So yeah, the Smog testing guy is on the corner off Tenth.
Side Note: THERE'S A PIC OF THE BUILDING UP ABOVE. YOU CAN SEE THE TWO ENTRANCES I'M TALKING ABOUT.
- I DID WHAT I SUSPECT EVERYONE DOES, I pulled into the first entrance. That be the wrong entrance. It is the second entrance where it says on a banner "Hey Dumb Ass, SMOG Testing Is Here, Not There." (I took a bit of dramatic license there, the banner does not say "dumb ass.")
So many people drive into the incorrect entrance I think they post a guy full time at front to get things sorted out. When I got out of the car he said "Here for a smog test?" When I said yes, he went next door, got the SMOG guy, who came over, got my car, and drove it next door.
Anyway, don't freak out if you drive into the first entrance. Besides, they are both the same businesses, I assume this because they have a lounge in the first building to wait while your car gets violated with probes, cables, wires, and other doo dads.)
The Service
- The SMOG guy was super nice (age about 25 or so). He said I could wait in the lounge and he would tell me when the test was done. It is so nice when employees are courteous, professional, and respectful.
- About 15 minutes later he said my car was done.
- A nice personal touch: He had parked my car on Folsom right in front in an area coned off to park customer cars. When driving off that made merging on to chaotic Folsom St. a breeze. No backing out of a driveway, dodging cars doing 45 mph.
- I didn't have any questions since I did not give a rat's pitoot how my car did in the test. All I wanted was DMV Sacramento to get my results, this so I could finish registering my car.
CSAA Instead of DMV Lines
I joined CSAA "Towing" (California State Automobile Association) so I could use its DMV services (provided at select locations). When it comes to cars or bikes you can transfer title, get a registration with plate sticker, etc.
I went to the CSAA office on Sutter between Kearny/Montgomery. So pleasing: there was NO LINE at its DMV window so I was in and out in five minutes. The experience so pleasurable I laid on my bed and smoked a cigarette, and I don't even smoke!
You can join CSAA online for around $55 and immediately use the DMV services. Unless your time has zero value, joining CSAA is far better than waiting in those horrifically long lines at DMV offices. (Everyone is freaking out about getting Real ID.)
Note: because SMOG test results are instantly sent to DMV computers in Sacramento, when I was at CSAA on Sutter they had the test results too. (Let that be a warning, I think it is a felony to present a doctored (aka photo shopped) SMOG certificate to DMV. And because everything is now computerized you're gonna get caught. You have been warned.
P.S. Some of you may be wondering who is responsible for getting a car smogged, that is, when it is vehicle sale between private parties. Under the law the SELLER must get the car smogged and give the purchaser a valid SMOG certificate.
Bonus Warning: a SMOG certificate is valid for 90 days from the date of the test. If you don't register or transfer title within that 90 days you (the buyer) has to get another SMOG test. I was 3 days beyond the 90 days. Hence my having to get the car smogged, again.
Tip: Why does the seller have to get the car smogged? Because the state wants sellers to stop selling cars that are not in compliance, and it's usually the seller who messed with the car's emission system.
What if you buy a car that does NOT have a valid SMOG certificate, and the car cannot pass a SMOG test (which results in your car not getting registered)? Well, YOU can cancel the sale! Or you can demand the seller restore the car's emission system. read more