California Ban on Pre-2010 Truck Engines Kicks In

California drivers can no longer operate trucks with pre-2010-model engines. 

The California Air Resource Board’s (CARB) Truck and Bus Regulation ban on those trucks officially took effect Jan. 1. Trucks with engines from 2009 or before are no longer legal on California roads. 

The rule applies to both heavy trucks, with a weight in excess of 26,000 pounds, and lighter trucks, which weigh anywhere from 14,001 pounds to 26,000. 

There are two exceptions to the rule: a low-use exemption and one for vehicles that filter out nitrogen oxides (NOx). 

The low-use exemption applies to vehicles driven less than 1,000 miles annually in California. Drivers must report their odometer readings to the state by Jan. 31 and then report it again at the end of the year for compliance. 

The NOx Exempt Area Flexibility Option requires a diesel particulate filter to be installed on the truck, with the driver only being allowed to operate in certain areas of the state. Most of these areas are in the northern part of the state.