What Does it Mean to be a CARB State

What Does it Mean to be a CARB State

What Does it Mean to be a CARB State?

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Back in the 1940s the number of high-emissions cars on the road began to greatly increase.  In congested places like Los Angeles the environmental effects from those highly pollutant cars became apparent. In 1967, all of that smog led to the creation of the California Air Resources Board or CARB. Now, California has some of the strictest requirements regarding pollution. As a driver in Pennsylvania, you might wonder what a CARB car means. Seeing as how this state is a CARB state, we are going to do a deep dive into what CARB means and what it feels like to live in a CARB state.

What does CARB refers to?

If you see the CARB acronym on your vehicle, it’s not referring to the carbs that you will find in pasta or bread. Instead, CARB stands for California Air Resources Board, and it is a state agency that was created to help combat air pollution. California has been the nation’s leader in fighting the effects of air pollution and a trailblazer that led states like Pennsylvania to pick up the ball when combating smog from vehicles. The federal Clean Air Act noticed California’s hard work, so it aimed to reduce air pollution on a more national level. The nation also allowed California to set its unique and stricter emission regulation standards. Since its creation, CARB has done some fantastic things, such as setting the nation’s first tailpipe emission standards, creating nationwide standards related to vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, providing regulations related to manufacturers making more zero-emission vehicles, eliminating lead in gas, and creating new standards for clean-burning fuel. In addition to this, CARB was responsible for monitoring and reducing greenhouse emissions that affected climate change in the 2000s.

What does it mean to be CARB compliant?

I’ll bet by now you’re wondering what being CARB-compliant means. In 2020, the Department of Motor Vehicles, collaborating with CARB, began verifying compliance on certain vehicles to ensure all standards were met. This was explicitly related to a Truck and Bus Regulation to get emissions up-to-date with the current standards. It’s geared towards diesel trucks and trucks and not necessarily passenger cars. To become CARB compliant, drivers need to replace their 2010 or older trucks and buses with an acceptable alternative while also reporting as part of the Truck Regulation Upload, Compliance and Reporting System. If you need to be CARB compliant and fail, the DMV can place a hold on your registration. If you need assistance to make this happen, you can apply for CARB-compliant funding programs to help you pay for the vehicle. In addition, CARB compliant can also refer to other things that are not vehicles, such as generators, lawnmowers, and leaf blowers, as CARB has specific regulations for each item to help combat pollution.

CARB compliant states

As we stated, Pennsylvania is a CARB-compliant state. In addition, while CARB refers to the California Air Resources Board, other states have joined forces to adopt similar emissions standards in their states. As a result, California can set stricter standards, and other states, such as Pennsylvania, are following suit with their own clean air programs. Currently, 14 other CARB states plus Washington D.C have adopted these emission standards, while others like Minnesota, New Mexico, and Nevada are looking into legislation to become CARB states.
Here are the current CARB states:
  • California
  • Connecticut
  • Delaware
  • Maine
  • Maryland
  • Massachusetts
  • New Jersey
  • New Mexico
  • New York
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • Vermont
  • Washington

CARB and the EPA

Both CARB and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are agencies that work toward reducing air pollution and emissions, but some differences exist. CARB is a state agency in California, and the EPA is a federal agency that oversees things nationwide. As we stated previously, CARB is allowed to have stricter requirements than the EPA, though. California and other CARB-compliant states must abide by these regulations, whereas other states would defer to the emission standards by the EPA.

Get a hybrid or electric vehicle at Susquehanna Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram

What is the best way to stay CARB-compliant here in Pennsylvania? By getting a hybrid or electric vehicle, of course! Here at Susquehanna Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, we have a wide selection of new and pre-owned hybrid vehicles, such as the Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler 4xe, both of which provide you with hybrid engine options that are terrific for the environment! Don’t just take our word for it; find out for yourself by heading down to our dealership and taking a test drive of these one-of-a-kind vehicles. If you enjoy your test drive, we have a complete finance department where our team will work with you toward a deal you will enjoy! We can even take your trade-in if you have one! You can even check out our complete Wrangler and Grand Cherokee 4xe inventory here on our website!