Find out how to make sure your vehicle inventory meets the Clean Car Law's emission requirements.
Learn about the Clean Car Law
See the Clean Car Law emission requirements to find out which vehicles must be certified to California emission standards.
How to get certified vehicles for your inventory
Order vehicles from suppliers
Ordering certified vehicles is different for each supplier. Your supplier (most likely the automaker) can tell you how to order new vehicles that meet Clean Car emission standards.
Buy vehicles from auctions and third parties
Make sure that used vehicles are certified if they'll be registered, leased, rented, licensed, or sold in Washington.
How to check if a vehicle is certified
1. Find the emission certification
When you get a delivery, there are 2 ways to check if a vehicle is certified to California emission standards:
Option 1: Look at the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) or Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO)
Look at the top or bottom left corner of the document. If the MCO/MSO doesn't have any information about emission certification, try the option below or contact the manufacturer.
Option 2: Look at the Vehicle Emissions Control Information (VECI) label
The VECI label is on the vehicle's engine compartment. There are different formats for VECI labels, but they always show which emissions standard the vehicle meets.
2. Make sure the vehicle is certified to California emission standards
The vehicle is certified to California emission standards if the MCO, MSO, or VECI says the vehicle:
- Meets California emission standards, or
- Meets emissions standards for all 50 states
The vehicle isn't certified to California emission standards if the MCO, MSO, or VECI only says the vehicle is:
- Federally certified
- Certified for 49 states
- Certified for federal or Tier II standards