Jay Leno's Backing Another Bill To Exempt Classic Cars From Smog Checks

You may have heard about the California Senate Bill 712, otherwise called "Leno's Law," which was killed off late last year. Initially the bill intended to exempt any motor vehicle 35 model years or older from the state's biennial smog tests, but it later focused on exempting classic cars belonging to model years 1981 and older. Although SB 712 passed the California Senate and Assembly Transportation Committee, the bill was held by the Assembly Appropriations Committee and "Leno's Law" was ultimately axed on August 29, 2025.

However, Senator Shannon Grove and co-sponsor Senator Dave Cortese are pushing ahead with a slightly modified version of "Leno's Law" in a new California Senate Bill numbered 1392. Legislators were introduced to SB 1392 on February 20, 2026, with an initial hearing date set to April 14. This time, classic car fans — including Jay Leno, who actively supports and stands behind the idea — have a better chance of seeing the bill passed into law, thanks to some slightly different wording. If passed, the law will commence on January 1, 2027 extending until 2032, effectively pushing the model years eligible for smog exemptions to as far as 1986.

Much of the text in SB 1392 is shared with that of SB 712. However, while SB 712 required the smog-exempt vehicle to be registered as a collector car (and be insured as such) with no explicit mention of daily usage, SB 1392 goes one step further, requiring the said car not to be used as the owner's primary mode of transportation. The use case, as defined per the bill, is shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions for display, maintenance, and preservation.

Jay Leno is widely known for his expensive car collection, featuring all kinds of pre and post-war motor vehicles. In this piece he wrote for Hagerty, he mentions how it's getting increasingly difficult to find a place that does smog tests for cars beyond a certain vintage. Not only that, but the cost and wait times can be relatively high, with Leno citing instances of eight-month wait times to get cars tested. Furthermore, according to the op-ed, a regular smog test is typically around $35 or so, but specialty checkups of this sort can cost north of $200. Not everyone has the capacity to pay those kinds of sums or be in a position to afford a new car, and to label them as criminals doesn't seem fair, reckons the former "Tonight Show" host.

SEMA senior director for state government affairs Christian Robinson told Road & Track it's reasonable to expect some change in the bill's wording after the hearing. It's also possible that once California implements the law, other states could follow suit. According to Robinson, California has long been considered the standard-bearer for many of the country's emissions policies, whether it's smog checks or EV mandates. 

On March 4, 2026, the new bill was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee, with Senators Shannon Grove and Dave Cortese asking folks to submit letters of support by April 8. Given the changes introduced, it's more likely that SB 1392 could find success where SB 712 failed. At least, that's what the many senators and assembly members who are in support of the bill hope.