Two records, two jobs
In California's Clean Truck Check program, the test itself is done by a CARB-credentialed tester, and the tester is the one who submits the results to CARB through its Clean Truck Check–Vehicle Inspection System (CTC-VIS). The truck's owner doesn't upload anything.
Your invoice is a separate record. It shows the customer what you did, what it cost, and how it was paid, and it's what you'll reach for when a fleet asks about a charge six weeks later. SmogDesk covers that business side: invoices, accounts, reminders, and reports. The test and the CARB submission still happen in CARB's own system.
What belongs on a Clean Truck Check invoice
Whatever your shop needs to answer questions later. A good starting list:
- The customer or fleet name and contact details
- The vehicle: VIN, plate, year, make, model, and odometer
- The service: an OBD test, or an opacity test with visual inspection
- The date and the price
- How it was paid: cash, check, card, or charged to the customer's account
- Any cert or reference number you track, and a signature line
Getting the VIN and plate down correctly once saves the most trouble. Fleets with dozens of similar trucks will ask which one an invoice was for.
Price each test type on its own
An OBD test and an opacity-plus-visual-inspection test are different jobs with different equipment and time involved (see OBD vs. opacity testing), so you may want a separate price for each instead of one flat rate.
In SmogDesk, Clean Truck OBDII and Clean Truck Opacity are built in next to Smog Test. Set the price and cert fee for each under Settings → Services, and add your own services for anything else you charge for, such as a mobile or travel fee.
Invoice at the truck
Mobile testers lose time retyping. In SmogDesk you can write the invoice on your phone before you leave the truck. Scan Registration fills in the plate, VIN, and vehicle details from the registration, and the finished invoice comes out as a PDF you can print or share. The same invoice shows up on your shop computer through the same account.
Fleets: charge it to the account
For fleet customers, pick CHARGE as the payment type and the invoice posts to that account's balance instead of being paid on the spot. You post payments and print statements later. For the full routine, see how to run fleet charge accounts.
Set the next due date
Most vehicles under Clean Truck Check are tested twice a year, and CARB lists each vehicle's compliance deadlines in the owner's CTC-VIS account. CARB also accepts passing results up to 90 days before a deadline. Setting the next test due date and a reminder interval on the invoice means you can remind customers before their window closes and keep that repeat business.
Rules and deadlines change. For current requirements, check CARB's Clean Truck Check emissions compliance testing requirements. This guide reflects CARB's published information as of October 2026.