Diesel Regulations

Off Road
The off road regulations cover all self-propelled diesel equipment 25 HP and greater.
Reporting Vehicle
All Off-road vehicles are required to be reported as of 2009. Fleets that have not reported should do so as soon as possible. Fleets that have not reported and are found to be in violation by enforcement personnel before they report themselves will be subject to enforcement action, including fines. Civil penalities are not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or ten thousand ($10,000) respectively for each day in which the violation occurs, which can be applied to each vehicle that is not reported.
Labeling
Idling Policy
Idling Limit:
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Idling when queuing -
Idling to verify that the vehicle is in safe operating condition -
Idling for testing, servicing, repairing or diagnostic purposes -
Idling necessary to accomplish work for which the vehicle was designed (such as operating a crane) -
Idling required to bring the machine system to operating temperature -
Idling necssary to ensure safe operation of the vehicle -
Written Idling Policy: As of March 1, 2009, medium and large fleets must also have a written idling policy that is made available to operators of the vehicle(s) and informs them that idling is limited to five (5) consecutive minutes or less.
Seller's Disclosure
A disclosure statement must be provided by the seller to the buyer at the time of the sale and kept for at least three years.
Annual Reporting Deadlines
The annual reporting deadline varies.

On Road Diesel Vehicles
The on road diesel regulations cover all commercial diesel vehicles. It is a requirement for all vehicles with a GVWR of 26,001 and above to be reported in the CARB Truck and Bus Reporting System.
Frequently asked questions
Periodic Smoke Inspection Program
All California-based fleets of two or more heavy-duty vehicles (gross vehicle rating over 14,000 pounds; except for 1998 and older, the rating is over 6,000 pounds) are required to perform annual smoke and tamper inspections of their fleet.
Fleet owners are not required to inspect vehicles that are powered by diesel engines until after the 4th model year of the engine. (Example: 2010 engines are exempt from being tested for the PSIP until January 1 of 2014. A 2010 model year engine must be tested sometime during 2014 or it will be in violation of PSIP).
To ensure compliance, the Air Resources Board will randomly audit fleets’ maintenance and inspection records, and test a representative sample of vehicles.
All testing must conform to the Society of Automotive Engineers’ (SAE) J1667 snap-acceleration test procedure. All vehicles that do not pass the test must be repaired and retested. All testing must be performed using a SAE J1667 smoke meter. All testing records must be maintained for a period of two years.
For more information go to: http://www.arb.ca.gov/enf/hdvip/hdvip.htm
Heavy Duty Vehicle Inspection Preogram
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CHP weigh stations -
Randomly selected roadside locations -
Fleet facilities -
Border crossings
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Smoke puff limiters -
Maximum fuel rate too high -
Fuel pump calibration -
Fuel injection timing -
Air filter plugging
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RPM Recording -
Snap Acceleration Test -
Visual Inspection -
Allowable levels of Smoke Opacity
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Penalties for Excess Smoke include:
Idling Policy
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You are stuck in traffic -
When idling is necessary for inspecting or servicing your vehicle -
You are operating a power take off device -
You cannot move because of adverse weather conditions or mechanical failure -
You are queuing (must be beyond 100 feet away from any residential area) -
Your truck’s engine meets the optional NOx idling emission standard and your truck is located beyond 100 feet from any residential area -
Written Idling Policy: As of March 1, 2009, medium and large fleets must also have a written idling policy that is made available to operators of the vehicles and informs them that idling is limited to 5 consecutive minutes or less.
Engine Control Label
A vehicle owner found in violation of the above requirement is potentially subject to two distinct penalties: a) a tampered (missing) ECL carries a $300 penalty, and b) the regulation presumes that an engine without an ECL (or other documentation from the engine manufacturer) did not meet US EPA standards at the time of manufacture which carries a $500 penalty. If the $300 penalty and proof of corrective action is not provided within 45 days, a late penalty of $500 will be assessed.
Corrective action shall consist of:
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The engine manufacturer issuing a correct replacement ECL to their authorized dealer or distributor based on the engine serial number provided by the dealer or distributor. -
The authorized engine dealer or distributor affixing the replacement label at the location on the engine required by the engine manufacturer using the method specified by the engine manufacturer. Authorized dealers shall not allow vehicle owners to affix replacement labels – failure to comply with this may result in legal action. -
The owner of the cited vehicle submitting a photocopy or photo of the ECL and the installation invoice from the dealer to the ARB, including the vehicle identification number (VIN) and engine serial number.
Seller's Disclosure Statement
“An on-road heavy duty diesel or alternative-diesel vehicle operated in California may be subject to the California Air Resources Board Regulation to Reduce Particulate Matter and Criteria Pollutant Emissions from In-Use Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles. It, therefore, could be subject to exhaust retrofit or accelerated turnover requirements to reduce emissions of air pollutants.”
For more information go to: http://www.arb.ca.gov/dieseltruck

Agriculture
Section 2449(b) of the In-Use Off-Road Diesel Vehicle Regulation (off-road regulation) provides that all vehicles used exclusively for agricultural operations, including first processing after harvest, are exempt from all requirements in sections 2449, 2449.1, 2449.2 and 2449.3 of the off-road regulation. This document is designed to provide guidance for determining what activities will be designated as agricultural operations.

Portable Equipment
All portable diesel equipment 50 HP or greater has to be permitted by CARB or the local air district to be legal to run. Operating without a permit can lead to fines.

TRUs
This regulation applies to in-use diesel fueled TRU's and TRU generator sets that operate in California, whether or not they are registered in California. This includes all carriers that transport perishable goods using diesel-powered refrigeration systems on trucks, trailers, shipping containers, and railcars that operate in this state.
Once a compliance deadline passes for a TRU's or TRU gen set model year, it is illegal to sell, offer for sale, lease, offer for lease, rent, or offer to rent a TRU for use in California that does not meet the current standards in the Air Toxic Control Measure (ATCM).
The deadline for in-use performance deadlines is as follows: Engines must be compliant by December 31st of the seventh (7th) year after the engine model year.
Example: A 2003 model year engine must comply by December 31st, 2010.

Drayage Trucks
The regulation applies to all drayage trucks that operate at California’s ports and intermodal rail yards (regardless of the state or country they originated from). Drayage trucks are on-road diesel-fueled heavy-duty class 8 vehicles (GVWR greater than 33,000 lbs).