Auto Repair Specialist
“They have been caring for my many vehicles over the years & are NO DOUBT the only one's I trust.”
Best Car Inspection & Emissions Testing near San Rafael, CA
We have 16 stations in San Rafael on file. Only the highest-rated make our list: 2 of them made it, along with 8 from towns including San Francisco (3, 17 mi), Albany (2, 14 mi) and Richmond (1, 10 mi).
4 open weekends · 9 rated 4.5+
Data verified October 16, 2026
Autometrics
“They provide detailed estimates with pictures and a nice review process, all of which makes me feel like I'm in good hands.”
Dana Meyer Auto Care
“I appreciated the fact that they removed fees when they saw tires did not need to be rotated.”
Pacific Heights Chevron Auto Repair
“Don was able to squeeze me in after my appointment (booked online) *disappeared*.”
Cains Tire
“Best place in town for good service and great tires solid good people”
Sunset Auto Care
“Sunset Auto Care is the only shop that figured out what was wrong with my car and even helped me purchase cheap tires and replaced them in a day.”
Listed for drivers in and around San Rafael, CA, these 10 shops carry out emissions and inspection work. What each one says about its station license, hours and retest policy comes from its own website; ratings and quotes come from public reviews.
Area overview: San Rafael, CA
The 10 stations on this page are rated from 4.2 to 5.0 across 2,970 reviews; all 10 have 50 or more reviews and 9 are rated 4.5 or higher. The topics that come up most in reviews of the stations on this page are "price", "communication" and "diagnosis". 4 are open on Saturdays. 3 list staff certifications (ASE) and 5 have a BBB rating of A or A+. Domain records put 6 websites of the stations on this page at ten or more years old; the oldest dates from 1999. 1 offers financing; 3 are family- or locally-owned and 4 list coupons or special offers. We have a website on file for 9 of the stations on this page; 6 publish a contact page; 4 list a public email and 1 takes bookings online. We count these figures across the stations on this page; distances are straight-line, and hours and prices change, so confirm the details with the station before you visit.
Can I use a station outside San Rafael?
Inside your own state, yes. 2 of the 10 shops here are in San Rafael and the rest come from other towns. Crossing a state line does not work, because the test has to be accepted by the state that registers the car.
Richmond Star Smog
“The first time I didn't pass but he told me exactly what to do I came back 10 days later and passed, and I only had to pay the $10 and that $8 to send it to dmv.”
K & C Auto Service
“He offered me the services I absolutely needed, and was honest about what additional things could be done but weren't required so I didn't overpay.”
Berkeley Motor Works
“Paul and Mike and their crew put in 4 hours labor, a new battery (I knew it was heading to that way, a while back) and considerable corrosion repair and cleanup; the job came out clean very fixed.”
Prof Smog
“Been coming to this place every time i need a smog check by DMV.”
Why these companies made our list
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