Mike McGarity, CORVA President
A CORVA Legislative Update — September 2026
California’s SB 1392, commonly called “Jay Leno’s Law” or “Leno’s Law,” has received considerable attention from California’s classic-car community. For CORVA members, however, there is another important question: What does this legislation mean for owners of vintage, street-registered four-wheel-drive vehicles?
That includes classic Jeeps, Ford Broncos, Chevrolet Blazers and GMC Jimmys, International Scouts, Toyota Land Cruisers, vintage pickups and other older 4x4s that remain an important part of California’s off-road community. These vehicles aren't necessarily museum pieces or show cars. Many are still driven to club events, trail cleanups, camping trips, public lands and recreational four-wheel-drive trails.
CORVA has been looking closely at SB 1392 and has sought clarification about several provisions that could determine whether Leno’s Law actually works for vintage 4x4 owners. The legislation could eventually provide meaningful Smog Check relief for some of these vehicles, but members need to understand that this is not a blanket Smog Check exemption for every 1976–1985 vehicle. How a vehicle is insured, how much it is driven and the regulations ultimately adopted by the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will all matter.
California currently provides a broad Smog Check exemption for vehicles manufactured before the 1976 model year. Leno’s Law does not simply move that cutoff forward ten years and automatically exempt everything manufactured before 1986.
Instead, SB 1392 creates an exemption for qualifying collector motor vehicles and phases additional model years into eligibility over several years.
Beginning January 1, 2028, qualifying collector vehicles manufactured before the 1981 model year could become eligible for the exemption. The eligible model years would then expand annually until January 1, 2033, when qualifying collector vehicles manufactured before the 1986 model year would be included. In practical terms, the legislation ultimately reaches qualifying vehicles from the 1976 through 1985 model years.
The critical word is “qualifying.” Simply owning a 1978 Jeep, 1982 Bronco or 1985 Toyota pickup will not, by itself, make that vehicle Smog Check exempt.
For vintage 4x4 owners, one of CORVA’s biggest concerns has been insurance.
During the initial implementation period in 2028 and 2029, collector-vehicle insurance will be an important part of qualifying for the exemption. BAR is expected to develop a process through which an owner can demonstrate that the vehicle is insured as a collector vehicle. Collector coverage may be available from specialty collector insurers as well as traditional insurance companies that offer collector-vehicle policies.
For someone who owns a classic automobile primarily driven to car shows, this may be relatively straightforward. For an owner who actually takes a vintage Jeep, Bronco or Scout four-wheeling, it deserves much closer attention.
Some collector insurance policies place limitations on how an insured vehicle can be used. Depending upon the insurer and policy, restrictions may apply to mileage, everyday transportation, competition or off-road recreational use. SB 1392 itself does not specifically prohibit a qualifying 4x4 from being driven off highway, but the legislation cannot override restrictions contained in an owner's private insurance policy.
This means an owner considering the collector-insurance pathway should talk directly with the insurance company and determine whether the policy actually covers the intended use of the vehicle. If your classic Jeep is going to spend weekends on Forest Service roads, BLM routes or four-wheel-drive trails, don't assume that a policy designed for a collector automobile traveling between a garage and a car show provides the same coverage.
The insurance company ultimately determines what its policy covers.
For many CORVA members, 2030 may ultimately be the more significant date.
SB 1392 provides for development of another pathway involving vehicles driven fewer than 1,000 miles annually. This DMV-administered process is intended to provide qualifying owners with another route to the exemption without necessarily requiring collector-vehicle insurance.
That distinction could be extremely important to the off-road community.
Consider an older Jeep that travels only 600 or 700 miles during an entire year but is still driven recreationally on four-wheel-drive trails. Its owner may prefer to maintain traditional automobile insurance because that policy better accommodates how the vehicle is actually used.
Beginning in 2030, the low-mileage pathway could potentially allow that owner to maintain traditional insurance and still qualify for the Leno’s Law exemption, assuming the vehicle satisfies all of the other requirements established by DMV and BAR.
This alternative was important because not every collector-vehicle owner can or wants to obtain specialized collector insurance. For active vintage 4x4 owners, that flexibility could make the difference between an exemption that looks good on paper and one they can actually use.
Nothing identified in SB 1392 specifically says that a qualifying vehicle becomes ineligible simply because it is a four-wheel drive or is operated off highway. That is encouraging for CORVA members.
However, that does not mean every question concerning trail use has already been resolved.
During the collector-insurance pathway, the first consideration will be whether the insurance policy permits that type of recreational use. Later, the DMV regulations governing the 1,000-mile pathway will become equally important.
CORVA therefore does not want members to interpret the legislation as guaranteeing that every type of trail use will be treated the same. The regulatory process still needs to address important implementation details.
Activities such as club runs, club gatherings, trail cleanups, stewardship projects and other organized four-wheel-drive activities are particularly important to CORVA members. We want to make sure California recognizes that preserving a historic four-wheel-drive vehicle can include responsibly using and enjoying that vehicle.
Another important clarification concerns license plates.
SB 1392 does not contain the Historical Vehicle license-plate requirement that appeared in an earlier legislative proposal. Members should therefore not assume that participating in Leno’s Law requires converting a normally registered vintage 4x4 to California Historical Vehicle plates.
The expectation is that qualifying vehicles will be able to retain normal registration, subject to whatever final implementation requirements are established.
This is an important distinction because information about earlier versions of collector-vehicle legislation continues to circulate online. CORVA members should make sure they are looking at the requirements associated with SB 1392, rather than requirements contained in an older proposal.
The 1,000-mile pathway presents another question of particular importance to four-wheelers: What mileage counts?
DMV will still need to establish how annual mileage is documented and verified. CORVA specifically asked about mileage accumulated off highway, such as miles traveled on Forest Service roads, BLM routes, designated OHV routes and private four-wheel-drive trails.
At this point, there has been no indication that DMV intends to distinguish between highway and off-highway mileage, but those implementation details have not been finalized.
For that reason, CORVA believes owners should conservatively assume that all mileage could count toward the annual limit unless the eventual regulations state otherwise.
The regulatory process will also need to address what happens if a participating vehicle exceeds the mileage limitation. Whether the vehicle simply returns to the conventional Smog Check program, how mileage will be verified and whether other consequences apply remain implementation questions that CORVA intends to follow closely.
This could become one of the most important issues for the off-road community.
Anyone familiar with vintage four-wheel drives knows that many have been modified during their 40- or 50-year lives. An older Jeep might have a replacement engine, suspension lift, axle swaps, different gearing, larger tires, transmission or transfer-case changes, an aftermarket fuel system and numerous other modifications.
Many of those modifications have absolutely nothing to do with emissions. Others clearly do.
Exactly how BAR and DMV will treat engine swaps and emissions-related modifications under the new exemption has not yet been fully determined. The legislation should therefore not be interpreted as automatically legalizing an emissions modification that would otherwise violate California law.
BAR and DMV will have authority over important implementation details, and their regulations will go through a public process. This is where continued participation from CORVA, SEMA, PRI, ORBA and the larger automotive enthusiast community will be particularly important.
For CORVA, passage of the legislation does not mean the work is finished. The regulations could ultimately determine how useful the law is to an actively used vintage 4x4.
There is another important point that has sometimes been lost in discussions about Leno’s Law: participation is optional.
SB 1392 does not automatically turn every 1976–1985 vehicle into a collector vehicle. If you own a vintage 4x4 that currently complies with California's Smog Check requirements and you prefer to maintain conventional registration and insurance, you can continue doing so.
Likewise, vehicles manufactured before 1976 are not being brought into this new program. Their existing Smog Check exemption remains unaffected.
Leno’s Law therefore creates another option for qualifying owners rather than taking away the existing registration and Smog Check pathway.
The definition of a collector vehicle is especially important to the off-road community.
Under the information provided to CORVA regarding SB 1392, the applicable definition would encompass a motor vehicle that:
“is used primarily in shows, parades, charitable functions, and historical exhibitions for display, maintenance, and preservation, and is not used as the owner’s primary mode of transportation.”
For vintage 4x4 owners, the language concerning the owner's primary mode of transportation deserves attention.
A Jeep can be a recreational vehicle without being someone's daily commuter. Likewise, an International Scout or classic Bronco can be preserved as an historically significant vehicle while still being driven and enjoyed.
SEMA advocated for an alternative pathway for enthusiasts who do not qualify for collector insurance so they could continue using their classic vehicles for community activities. For the four-wheel-drive community, that makes activities such as club events, trail cleanup days and other stewardship activities particularly relevant as DMV develops the final regulations.
CORVA believes there is a broader issue involved here.
When we talk about protecting America's automotive heritage, the discussion shouldn't end with muscle cars, hot rods and sports cars.
The Jeep CJ, Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Jimmy, International Scout, Toyota Land Cruiser and classic American 4x4 pickup are also historically significant vehicles.
They helped create the recreational four-wheeling community that exists today. Many have survived for nearly half a century precisely because enthusiasts continue to maintain, restore and use them.
A collector vehicle doesn't stop being historically significant because there is some dirt under the fenders.
Nothing changes immediately for your vehicle. The earliest new exemption provisions are scheduled to begin in 2028, and important BAR and DMV implementation work still needs to occur.
For qualifying owners, 2028 and 2029 represent the initial collector-insurance pathway. Beginning in 2030, the low-mileage DMV pathway is intended to provide an additional option for qualifying vehicles driven fewer than 1,000 miles annually, including vehicles that may carry traditional automobile insurance. The model-year phase-in continues until 2033, when qualifying vehicles manufactured before 1986 would be included.
Throughout that process, participation remains optional.
For owners who primarily show and preserve their vehicles and already maintain collector insurance, the earlier pathway may make sense. For CORVA members who actively use their vintage 4x4s for recreational four-wheeling, the 2030 low-mileage pathway may ultimately prove to be the more useful option.
The practical impact of Leno’s Law on our community will depend not only on the legislation itself but also on the regulations that follow.
CORVA intends to monitor how BAR and DMV address insurance verification, mileage reporting, recreational use, vehicle modifications and enforcement. We will work with our partners in the automotive and off-road communities where appropriate and keep our membership informed as those details develop.
Our objective is straightforward: a vintage 4x4 owner should not have to choose between preserving a historically significant vehicle and responsibly enjoying it for the purpose for which it was built.
Leno’s Law could ultimately provide meaningful Smog Check relief to qualifying California vintage 4x4 owners. It does not automatically exempt every 1976–1985 vehicle, it does not require Historical Vehicle license plates, it does not force owners to participate, and nothing identified in the bill specifically prohibits recreational off-road use. At the same time, collector-insurance restrictions and the forthcoming BAR and DMV regulations remain important considerations.
Whether your classic is a muscle car sitting at a show or a vintage Jeep sitting at the top of a trail, it is part of California's automotive history—and it is worth preserving.
California Off-Road Vehicle Association (CORVA) Protecting Public Lands FOR the People, Not FROM the People
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