Made an appointment with Berkeley Smog Center online because I'd purchased a Groupon. They were nice about pushing my appointment back on a Friday afternoon when I couldn't get out of work on time, and when I arrived there were still a couple cars in front of me waiting to get their smog done. No problem! Berkeley Bowl is literally 3 blocks away and I enjoyed milling around while I waited and picked up a few things for the house. They also have a cafe if you want to go that route instead of grocery shopping... I just happen to get distracted by organic produce... But this review is for Berkeley Smog Center, so back to my point: the gentleman who helps me out was friendly, my car was as clean as when I'd left it, and he even made small talk out of the curtain rods that, no doubt, poked him while he moved my car in and out of the service station. Thank you for being a good sport in the wake of my never-ending projects, my friend! Also - hello! Ghiradelli Caramel Square? Let's be BFFs. read more

Came in on a Tuesday afternoon without an appointment. This place has two check stations and only one car was being checked at the time, so an attendant waved me over into the other station. So far so good. I mentioned the Yelp special and he gave me a price of $40 total (31.75 smog check, 8.25 certificate, no tax or other fees). The paperwork took one minute. I asked him to be careful with closing the hood after the test because of a problem with my hood latch. He said OK. The test was done in 10 minutes. My car passed. They were extra gentle in closing the hood and double-checked to make sure it was secure. It took 2 minutes to process the payment. That's 15 minutes tops from the time I pulled in to the time I pulled out. The easiest and fastest smog check I've ever had. Two check stations to minimize waiting, great price, courteous attendants ... what's not to like? Thanks to the other reviewers for steering me to this place! read more

The last time I checked my calendar, it was 2014 and quickly approaching 2015. But yet, if you go online and look for smog check centers and visit their websites, most of them don't offer the ability to make an appointment online. Why?!?! If I wanted to pick up the phone and talk to someone, I'd call a friend. Oh wait, I'd text a friend. Tell me again why I need to talk to someone on the phone? ;) These guys at Berkeley Smog understand what year it is right now. They make it super easy to make an appointment, cancel an appointment, and pick a date/time. I made an appointment yesterday, showed up on time today, done in 10 minutes, and out the door. Nice waiting room with enough chairs. No stupid daytime talk shows on TV that eat away at your brain cells. Just lots of magazines and free wifi. Wifi is yet again a reminder that these guys know it's no longer 2004. read more

This place is awesome! I arrived early and they got started on my vehicle in just a few minutes after I arrived. The whole thing took about 15 minutes. The guys were really nice and seemed to have a lot of fun working together, which made for a great atmosphere. There was one parking spot in the lot when I arrived and there was plenty of street parking. At the end, I was complimented for keeping my vehicle in good condition and not being a polluter! Plus, I found a chocolate on the driver's seat when I was done. 3/13/16 I just made my second visit and it was as good as the first time. I called to ask what was the best time and did not have to wait at all. Sometimes you get a good experience once and return to find a different animal. They are obviously maintaining their standards! read more

i never thought i could find a place that was more of a headache than DMV, but this place is worse , i went to do my regs and every time i went there someone would tell me" to come back when the girl is here because she can to do that" then when i came back the girl tells me " you have to come back when the the guy is here because he knows how to do that " all the time and gas i spent going back and forth i could have just stood in line at DMV and had my car regs. so unless you plan to set up camp in front of the shop and hope to catch the person that "knows how" to do the DMV stuff your better off putting up with the real DMV . at least you will have your paperwork done by the end of the day all in all this place sucks read more

This place is great. Very helpful and super nice! I called to see if I needed an appointment, they said yes it is recommended as they can get pretty busy. I needed it done that day and ask if there was any appointments left for the day. They told me they were all booked up. Once they heard the disappointment in my "Oh Ok" they then told me to just come down and they would take care of me. I got there and they took care of me like I had an appointment, I was out of there in 20 mins. As I was pulling off after they finished a guy came quickly out to catch me all because he said he forgot to leave something in my car. Then he handed me a chocolate and a napkin....Will definitely be going back read more

I've been going to Berkeley Smog for over a decade, and they've always been incredibly accommodating, efficient, and lightning fast. I live in San Francisco now and still drive all the way to Berkeley when I need a smog certificate. That alone should tell you how much I trust and appreciate this place. They've been around forever, they know what they're doing, and the whole process is quick and easy. It's also extremely convenient that they're a STAR-certified station and electronically transmit the certificate directly to the DMV. Great service, great people, and consistently one of the easiest parts of dealing with vehicle registration. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. read more

I just got home from my appointment with Berkeley Smog Test Only Center, and it was the easiest smog check I've ever had. I worked with Jesse, and he was very welcoming. I have an older car (1996), but the price was very fair and the test took ~10 minutes. They had a well-stocked customer lounge, with a lot of copies of the New Yorker and other magazines. When Jesse finished up with my car, he even gave me some tips on maintaining the transmission in my vehicle, which is known to be pretty fragile. As I drove off, I noticed the chocolate and Happy Smogging napkin left on my dash. Overall, it was a great experience and puts other smog check places I've been to shame. read more

There are lots of lousy spots to do your smog test in the area. This is the opposite of that. Without going into this one horrible experience my wife and I had with this dude on San Pablo in Oakland, what I can say is that if you ever see a 1-star rating for a smog check don't even waste your time. But today I just want to give props--this dude is friendly, efficient, super fast. I've been here three times and it's always been a great experience. I even screwed up today writing down my own license number which might have caused me headaches in my renewal process but he caught it and corrected it without me even knowing. Highly recommended. read more

this was my 3rd time going to Berkeley smog (first time at their new location ) i had a Saturday appointment the service has always been outstanding here what really impressed me this visit was there was only one guy working and he was able to organize and handle every car that came in without any issues a very well trained tech unfortunately this time around my car did not pass but the tech explained why it failed, the most likely causes, and what i would need to do in order for it to pass also the retest is free i would highly recommend Berkeley smog to anyone looking for a smog test great customer service and advice ! read more

I'm so happy I found this place! I needed a smog test for my older car (1995) which is always more expensive. Two years ago I paid $68 and this time the cheapest I could find was $98 with the highest quote being $115!! After calling around and searching online I was lucky enough to find Berkeley Smog. They were offering a coupon for older cars on their website so I booked an appointment through the link and the total price was $72.95! I arrived about a half an hour early and was taken right away. I don't even think it took 15 minutes and I was on my way. It's nice to know that not everyone tries to gouge you. read more

This was the least stressful Smog experience I've ever had. Making the appointment online was a breeze (though the process was so fast, I couldn't see that it would be an issue if you showed up without an appointment). When I pulled up, the smog check bay was empty. The guys were super friendly and professional. I barely got the chance to sit down and check some e-mails on my phone before they told me I was done. I would definitely come back again and highly recommend them...not just because of the promise of chocolate! Yep, they leave a square of Ghirardelli on the seat, with a cute smiley face napkin. read more

I made an appointment online for Saturday morning at 10. I arrived at 9:30 with one customer ahead of me and was asked by Chris to pull on in. It took no time at all. While I was waiting the couple in front of me was paying their bill and said they had a groupon coupon to use. I quickly looked that up. When it was my turn to pay I mentioned that to Chris who said he would give me the Groupon price of $19.00. I thanked him and when I got back into my car there was a mint on the dashboard. I appreciate good service and a good bargain. I will definitely refer therm to my friends. Thanks Chris! read more

Just had Berkeley Smog Test Only do my smog for like the hundredth time, and while I have reviewed them in the past there are two things worth noting. One, their online reservation system actually works. I really appreciate that...there are plenty out there that don't. And secondly, I had to ask a question and as they are near my office I dropped in to do so in person. After getting my answer I asked, just for the heck of it, if there was any chance they could take me an hour before my scheduled appointment. They did so happily and had me on my way in the usual ten minutes. I love these guys! read more

This place is amazing. I just moved here and purchased a used car. I had no idea what my next steps were. After some research I called Berkeley Smog just for a ball park price. Jessie was and is amazing. He explained everything to me in order, as I was in a panic. But to my surprise, Jessie said he could do my smog check AND register my car there. Nicest, most honest guy with great customer service. And I was in and out in less than 15 minutes! I highly recommend these guys! They are very popular and busy so if they don't answer the phone right away call back. Excellent business. read more

I am not necessarily ecstatic when it comes time to test my car for the DMV registration renewal; however, Jessie and his crew make this painful process a breeze. Simply the best out there hands down! They even handled my DMV registration!!! Talk about one stop shopping! They are excellent smog techs who will give you the information to hand to your mechanic should your vehicle not pass which will save you time and money. When it comes to that time of year, don't panic or fear Berkeley Smog Test Only Center is here. Do yourself a favor and leave the smoggin' in their hands. Nuff said. read more

These guys are the best! Im new ro the state and they called me with y whole car registration, smog, Vin verification and registration, it saved me such a headache at the dmv! Jesse (the technician and mv guy) was very friendly and working so fast and still pleasant, Vanessa (the girl working g the counter) was very nice and funny, it felt like I k ew them and felt confident they could help me, dmv is hard to deal with, so they are very much worth the fees to have it all done here, I got my license plates and registration on the spot, I'll never go anywhere else! Thank you berkeley smog! read more

My 1987 VW Vanagon has a legal engine conversion - a 2004 Passat engine now powers the van. I have all the required documents and stickers from the Bureau Of Automotive Resources to pass a SMOG test. Jesse - the owner of Berkeley SMOG - knows all about these VW engine conversions. I was in and out of there in 20 minutes. Believe me, there are plenty of SMOG stations that are clueless about "special" SMOG requirements, but not Jesse. He's great! Really friendly and professional. I have three vehicles and will take them all to Berkeley SMOG when their tests are due. Thanks, Jesse! read more

I had an Amazon Local coupon, but even if I hadn't, their prices are great, and their online appointment system is not only handy but actually works (unlike so many folks'). Guy was super nice, test was fast, and my ancient Volvo passed, which of course doesn't say anything about the quality of their work per se, but it sure made me happy! If I hadn't had a coupon and had booked online, I'd have gotten a discount at Juan's Place across the street, which is a darn fine Mexican restaurant, so that's reason enough to return next time one of our vehicles needs smogulation. read more