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Health & Saf. Code, § 43800 · Article 1. Low-Emission Motor Vehicles

Health & Saf. Code, § 43800

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Text — As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)

As used in this article, “low-emission motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle which has been certified by the state board to meet all applicable emission standards and which meets at least one of the following additional requirements:

(a) Is capable of operating on methanol, as determined by the state board, and will have an adverse impact on ambient ozone air quality not greater than a vehicle which meets the requirements of subdivision (c).

(b) Is capable of operating on any available fuel other than gasoline or diesel and, in the determination of the state board, will have an adverse impact on ambient ozone air quality not greater than a vehicle operating on methanol.

(c) Operates exclusively on gasoline and is certified to meet a hydrocarbon exhaust emission standard which is at least twice as stringent as otherwise applicable to gasoline vehicles of the same year and class.

(d) Is capable, in the case of a heavy-duty diesel vehicle, of meeting standards for either oxides of nitrogen or particulate matter that are twice as stringent as otherwise applicable.

Notes and commentary — not statutory text

History

Amended by Stats. 1989, Ch. 796, Sec. 3. Superseded on operative date of amendment by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1192.

Another version listed by the Legislative Counsel

Inoperative five years from operative date. Repealed on January 1 after inoperative date, by its own provisions. See later operative version added by Sec. 16.5 of Ch. 1192.

As used in this article, “low-emission motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle which has been certified by the state board to meet all applicable emission standards and which meets at least one of the following additional requirements:

(a) Is capable of operating on methanol, as determined by the state board, and will have an adverse impact on ambient ozone air quality not greater than a vehicle which meets the requirements of subdivision (c).

(b) Is capable of operating on any available fuel other than gasoline or diesel and, in the determination of the state board, will have an adverse impact on ambient ozone air quality not greater than a vehicle operating on methanol.

(c) Operates exclusively on gasoline and is certified to meet a hydrocarbon exhaust emission standard which is at least twice as stringent as otherwise applicable to gasoline vehicles of the same year and class.

(d) Is capable, in the case of a heavy-duty diesel vehicle, of meeting standards for either oxides of nitrogen or particulate matter that are twice as stringent as otherwise applicable.

(e) Has been modified from its configuration, as originally certified by the state board, by the use of an emissions retrofit device approved for use on the vehicle, and which reduces the combined emissions of ozone precursor chemicals from the vehicle by at least 30 percent.

(f) This section shall become inoperative five years from the date determined pursuant to Section 32 of the act adding this subdivision, and on the January 1 following that date is repealed.

History (another version listed by the Legislative Counsel)

Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1192, Sec. 16. Effective January 1, 1995. Operative on date prescribed by Sec. 32 of Ch. 1192. Inoperative five years from operative date. Repealed on January 1 after inoperative date, by its own provisions. See later operative version added by Sec. 16.5 of Ch. 1192.

Another version listed by the Legislative Counsel

Section operative on date prescribed by its own provisions.

As used in this article, “low-emission motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle which has been certified by the state board to meet all applicable emission standards and which meets at least one of the following additional requirements:

(a) Is capable of operating on methanol, as determined by the state board, and will have an adverse impact on ambient ozone air quality not greater than a vehicle which meets the requirements of subdivision (c).

(b) Is capable of operating on any available fuel other than gasoline or diesel and, in the determination of the state board, will have an adverse impact on ambient ozone air quality not greater than a vehicle operating on methanol.

(c) Operates exclusively on gasoline and is certified to meet a hydrocarbon exhaust emission standard which is at least twice as stringent as otherwise applicable to gasoline vehicles of the same year and class.

(d) Is capable, in the case of a heavy-duty diesel vehicle, of meeting standards for either oxides of nitrogen or particulate matter that are twice as stringent as otherwise applicable.

(e) This section shall become operative five years from the date determined pursuant to Section 32 of the act adding this section.

History (another version listed by the Legislative Counsel)

Repealed (in Sec. 16) and added by Stats. 1994, Ch. 1192, Sec. 16.5. Effective January 1, 1995. Section operative on date prescribed by its own provisions.

Source of truth

Edition
As published in the Legislative Counsel's database, tables dated October 18, 2026 (pubinfo_2025.zip)
Official file
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC&sectionNum=43800.
Text hash
sha256 ad264c7049c88e07673b357b6d0b1a3ebcb67e3848ba7452080a40711957f199
Composed by
compose_ca.py 2026-10-22: the Legislative Counsel's CAML content files read by a tokenizer (caml_readers.reader_a); an independent xml.etree reading (caml_readers.reader_b) agrees on every section
  • the Legislative Counsel lists 3 versions of this section; the version shown is the one in force by its history, the other is under "Another version listed by the Legislative Counsel" (current)
  • the Legislative Counsel lists 3 versions of this section; the version shown is the one in force by its history, the other is under "Another version listed by the Legislative Counsel" (current)

Cited by 2 provisions

Provisions in this library whose text cites Health & Saf. Code, § 43800. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.

Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.