
California’s long-standing car culture just moved one step closer to meaningful progress for classic and collector vehicle owners. “Leno’s Law” — a classic car smog check exemption bill — has officially passed the Senate.
The bill, championed by California State Senator Shannon Grove and backed by collector car icon Jay Leno, proposes a 35-year rolling exemption from smog testing for vehicles registered as collector cars. If fully enacted, this would give relief to thousands of enthusiasts who maintain older vehicles with care, integrity, and limited road use.

🧩 What Does It Really Mean?
Here’s the real-world breakdown:
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The bill still needs to pass the Assembly, be signed by the Governor, and survive the full legislative process.
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Current proposed implementation date is 2027 — so nothing changes today.
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It won’t apply to imported vehicles unless they’ve already been brought into compliance (e.g., through BAR or CARB Executive Order processes).
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This law is not a free pass for modified or non-compliant cars, but it’s a huge step toward recognizing enthusiast-owned classics as low-impact, historically significant vehicles.
⚖️ The Reality of Compromise
A lot of people are talking about historic plates, collector insurance, or even mileage limits, but the truth is:
If you don’t compromise, you get nothing.
This bill isn’t perfect. But it moves us closer to a system that distinguishes between heavily-used commuters and well-kept, weekend-driven classic cars. And that’s the direction we need to go.
🔧 What It Means for GT-Rs and JDM Cars
For the vehicles we deal with—especially imported GT-Rs and other 25-year-eligible JDM models—this law won’t eliminate the need for compliance work (e.g., BAR certification or California-legal emissions setup). But once they’re legal and registered, a future without biannual smog checks is a massive win.
That’s the long game. And it starts with incremental wins like this.
📅 So What Now?
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Don’t celebrate too early — there’s still a ways to go.
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Keep supporting the people pushing this forward. Call your reps, join SEMA Action Network, and stay involved.
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And yes… maybe circle 2027 on the calendar with a pencil.
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Image credit: California Senator Shannon Grove
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