Good news for Goleta residents: the Goleta DMV is right on Hollister Ave — and for most smog-related renewals, you won't even need to visit it.
Here's the short version: we do your smog check and file the certificate with the DMV electronically the same day. Then you go to dmv.ca.gov and renew your registration online. Sticker comes in the mail.
No line. No number. No waiting room. The whole thing — smog check plus online renewal — can be done in under 30 minutes total.
The only reasons to visit the DMV in person are for transactions that can't be completed online: title transfers, new licenses, Real ID, or UCSB students converting an out-of-state license. For a standard registration renewal? We handle the hard part right here on Hollister.
7127 Hollister Ave, Suite 24/26
Goleta, CA 93117
Right here on Hollister — about a mile west of our shop. This is your closest and most convenient option. Full-service DMV field office with licenses, registration, title transfers, and a self-serve kiosk for quick transactions.
Hours: Mon–Tue, Thu–Fri 8am–5pm. Wed 9am–5pm. Closed weekends.
Tip: The Goleta DMV tends to be less crowded than the downtown Santa Barbara office. Make an appointment online anyway — it's always faster.
535 Castillo Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Downtown Santa Barbara, about 15 minutes east on the 101. Same services as Goleta. If you work downtown, this might be convenient for a lunch-break visit — otherwise, the Goleta office is closer.
Hours: Mon–Tue, Thu–Fri 8am–5pm. Wed 9am–5pm. Closed weekends.
The Goleta DMV has a self-serve kiosk (open 6am–11pm, 7 days a week) for quick registration transactions. If all you need is to pay your registration fees or print a replacement sticker, the kiosk handles it without waiting in line.
Most gasoline vehicles 1976+ and diesel vehicles 1998+ (under 14,000 lbs) need a smog check every two years. Your DMV renewal notice will state if it's required.
Sellers must provide buyers a valid smog certificate dated within 90 days. Especially common in Goleta with students buying and selling used cars around UCSB.
Vehicles registered in California for the first time need a California smog check — even if the car passed testing in another state. This applies to everyone moving to Goleta from out of state.
First-time registration in California for any reason requires a smog inspection. Brand-new dealer purchases are exempt from biennial testing for the first eight model years.
Brand-new vehicles from a CA dealer are exempt from biennial testing for the first eight model years. Change-of-ownership may still require testing.
Fully electric vehicles are exempt — zero tailpipe emissions. Plug-in hybrids and standard hybrids still need testing. Goleta has a growing EV population, so this comes up often.
Gasoline vehicles model year 1975 or older are exempt from smog testing.
Exempt regardless of model year.
Diesel vehicles 1997 or older are exempt. 1998+ under 14,000 lbs must test.
Trailers, off-highway vehicles, and PNO-registered vehicles don't require testing.
Come to our Hollister Ave shop. We run the test and file your certificate electronically with the DMV same day.
Go to the DMV website or app. Select registration renewal and enter your plate number or renewal notice info.
The system confirms your smog certificate is on file. Pay online, print your temporary receipt as proof of renewal.
Your new registration sticker arrives within 2–3 weeks. The entire process — smog check to online payment — takes under 30 minutes total.