'Leno's Law' signed, expanding California smog exemptions for classic cars
BURBANK – From lowriders, drive-ins, car clubs, and American Graffiti, cars have long been an important part of California’s culture. The Golden State has always kept a piece of its history parked in the driveway, and today, Governor Gavin Newsom signed two new chapters into that history, signing new bills to support vintage and low-rider car enthusiasts in California, including a bill supported by Jay Leno to relax standards for vintage vehicles, and a new license plate celebrating lowrider heritage.
These bills protect a treasured part of California culture, giving car owners a way to preserve these pieces of history for generations to come. The Golden State is made for classic-car lovers, and our lowriders are timeless masterpieces that connect art, activism, and cultural identity throughout our state.
Governor Gavin Newsom
Senate Bill 1392, Jay Leno’s Law, jointly authored by Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) and Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), phases in a narrow smog-check exemption for qualifying collectors cars from the 1976 through 1985 model years that are insured as collector vehicles or driven less than 1,000 miles per year. Assembly Bill 2541 by Assemblymember Mark González (D-Los Angeles), creates a specialty license plate honoring California’s lowrider heritage.
“The Governor stuck with this legislation through the last couple of years to preserve California’s classic car heritage, and that’s rare,” said Jay Leno. “The car community has been waiting on this for a long time, and they notice when someone follows through. Thank you, Governor.”
“California can protect clean air while also recognizing the historic and cultural value of collector vehicles,” said Senator Cortese. “SB 1392 establishes a carefully limited exemption for cars that are preserved, driven sparingly, and maintained as part of California’s automotive heritage. I appreciate Governor Newsom signing this balanced measure into law.”
“Lowriding is more than a car; it is cultura, it is art, it’s family, and it is a powerful expression of Chicano and Latino pride,” said Assemblymember González. “For generations, our communities have used lowriders to tell our stories, celebrate our heritage, and create something beautiful out of the streets we call home. Yet too often, lowriders were treated as a problem to be policed instead of a culture to be celebrated. AB 2541 helps change that narrative. It says that Chicano history is California history, that our cultura belongs on California’s roads, and that we should invest in the artists, organizations, and youth programs carrying this legacy forward for the next generation. I want to thank Governor Newsom for his leadership in signing AB 2541 and for helping us honor Lowrider heritage in the State of California.”
Governor Newsom also signed Senate Bill 1069 (Grayson) to expedite the review process for manufacturers seeking state approval for the sale of aftermarket parts.
Protecting California’s car culture
Ask any classic car owner, and they will tell you their car isn’t just a car, it’s a time capsule. A Trans Am under a carport cover. A midnight blue Impala getting its Sunday morning wax before a local car show. These cars carry family history in the upholstery and years of elbow grease in every panel, and these laws honor that history.
Jay Leno’s Law is narrowly tailored for a small number of qualifying collector vehicles built between 1976 and 1985 that are preserved for limited use rather than everyday transportation. The exemption will be phased in over the coming years and will apply only to vehicles that meet specific collector insurance or low-mileage requirements. These vehicles represent a very small share of California’s overall fleet and contribute minimally to statewide emissions compared with high-use commuter and commercial vehicles. These are historic vehicles driven only occasionally for special events and are carefully maintained by their owners. SB 1392 preserves California’s automotive traditions without creating a persistent new source of everyday vehicle emissions.
Celebrating lowriders
Establishing the Lowrider Specialized License Plate through AB 2541 affirms California’s commitment to celebrating cultural traditions and heritage. This builds on previous legislation Governor Newsom signed into law with AB 436 (Alvarez, 2023), which legalized lowrider cruising and outdated state restrictions on lowered vehicles, recognizing lowriding as a cultural and artistic tradition rooted in California’s Latino communities.
For decades, fines, restrictions, and local cruising bans targeted the lowrider community. These policies criminalized cultural expression and attempted to suppress a movement rooted in identity, creativity, and community pride. Despite these barriers, lowriders continued to build, paint, and cruise, transforming cars into rolling works of art that reflect family, faith, and freedom. The Lowrider specialized license plate now gives California a lasting way to honor that legacy and a visible symbol of cultural pride, heritage, and resilience.
Keeping California ahead on clean vehicles
By limiting Jay Leno’s Law to a small class of qualifying collector vehicles that are driven only sparingly, California can keep its foot on the accelerator toward a clean transportation future while maintaining our status as the cultural epicenter for America’s classic car heritage.
This year, California reached a major milestone: 2.5 million electric car sales — far exceeding the state‘s original goal of 1.5 million. That’s 300% growth in cumulative new ZEV sales since the end of 2019 driven by the Golden State’s effective clean transportation policies, including our nation-leading zero-emission vehicle incentive programs.
Thanks to continued investments, like the annual Clean Transportation Program Investment Plan, California now has 216,445 publicly available and shared EV charging ports across the state. Earlier this year, California surpassed 20,000 DC fast chargers, easing range anxiety for both short trips near home and long-haul travel along California’s major transportation corridors. DC fast chargers offer substantially faster charging speeds, and continued advances in vehicle and charger technology have achieved even faster speeds.
California’s growing number of publicly available EV chargers can be found at locations that are fully publicly accessible, like grocery stores, park-and-ride lots, and even gas stations, whereas shared chargers can be found at workplaces, doctors’ offices, sports facilities, and other parking areas that may have some level of restricted access. This statewide network of public and shared chargers is in addition to the estimated 800,000 EV chargers installed at residential homes.
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