Starting Feb. 15 truckers in California must have emissions label or be fined

The Trucker Staff

2/15/2008

Beginning today, Feb. 15, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) lifts its “non-penalty” phase for correct emission control labels for trucks with heavy-duty diesel engines traveling into California.

That means if cited the registered owner of a vehicle without the proper label will get an automatic $300 ticket. And even if the sticker is installed within 45 days, they still will have to pay the $300, according to Karen Caesar, information officer for CARB.

If the sticker isn’t installed within the 45 days a late fee will be added on. “While we haven’t determined exactly what the late fee will be for this regulation, it could run $500 (that is the typical late fee for some of our related programs),” noted Caesar.

She added that CARB had conducted 5,050 inspections through third-quarter 2007, finding 1,465 violations, and that was during the “non-penalty” phase, so if the correct labels were affixed within the subsequent 45-day grace period the financial penalty was waived.

But that was only until today.

Engine manufacturers reportedly have the labels.

For more about the inspection program click here.