Emissions parts made by California aftermarket manufacturers will now have a faster path to gaining approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) with the signing of Senate Bill 1069 by Governor Gavin Newsom. Approvals will be contingent on the parts meeting California's emissions requirements, while companies that get their product denied will receive a 50% refund.
Under the new law, manufacturers that have submitted a complete CARB Executive Order application, including the required emissions testing and technical documentation, can receive conditional approval to sell, advertise, and install qualifying products while CARB finishes its review.
For fleets and repair shops, that could mean more aftermarket options become available sooner. Manufacturers still have to do the testing and provide the documentation required for CARB approval, but they may not have to wait for the final review of the organization before putting a qualifying product on the market.
That could be particularly useful for aftermarket manufacturers offering alternatives to OE parts. While the law does not guarantee lower prices, getting compliant products to market faster provides fleets and shops with more options when specing replacement parts.
What the bill means
The law does not change California's emissions standards or CARB's authority to approve or deny an executive order. It takes effect January 1, 2027. CARB is required to have the conditional approval program in place by July 1, 2028.
The law also sets deadlines for CARB's review of applications, with the organization having 30 days to determine whether an application is complete and, once complete, 60 days to approve or deny it. Amended applications following a denial would have to be approved or denied within 30 days.
California is home to 1,200 of the 7,000 automotive aftermarket businesses SEMA represents nationwide, and the specialty automotive aftermarket represents a $40.44 billion industry.
