Registering Two Strokes In California: What You Need To Know

California has the worst air quality in the nation, which is perhaps unsurprising given that it is the most populous state and has nearly 12 million more residents than the next most populous state, Texas. In addition, Los Angeles, with a population roughly the size of the entire state of Florida, is notorious for its smog. In response to this, California has implemented some of the most challenging emissions standards in the country.

In the mid-1990s, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) began regulating Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles (OHRVs), including dirt bikes, with the mission to reduce their impact on air quality. CARB introduced a green sticker program, which would allow off-road vehicles that meet emission standards to operate on public lands. However, as most motorcycle manufacturers were not ready to meet these standards, a red sticker program was also introduced to give manufacturers more time to develop their technology.

While red-sticker bikes were only supposed to be allowed on public lands during certain seasons, CARB found that they were being used mostly for recreation and not for competition, as intended. As a result, in 2022, CARB is sunsetting the red-sticker program, effectively banning non-compliant 2022 model-year bikes from state trails. This means that if a customer walks into a California dealership and purchases a 2022 dirt bike that does not meet green-sticker emissions standards, that bike cannot be registered and cannot be ridden on public lands in the state.

However, it is important to note that this ban does not apply to all two-stroke engines. Direct injection two-stroke engines, manufactured since 1999, are considered clean emission engines and can be used on every water body in California, except for some waterways with generic prohibitions, such as banning all motorboats or personal watercraft.

Two-stroke engines are not banned in California

California has some of the worst air quality in the nation, largely due to its large population and high levels of vehicle emissions. In the mid-1990s, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) began regulating Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles (OHRVs), including dirt bikes, to reduce their impact on air quality. As part of this effort, CARB introduced the "green sticker" program, which allows off-road vehicles that meet emission standards to operate on public lands year-round. However, most motorcycle manufacturers were initially unable to meet these stringent standards, and very few dirt bikes qualified for the green sticker.

In response, CARB introduced the "red sticker" program as a temporary measure to allow non-compliant vehicles to continue operating on public lands during specific seasons. While this provided manufacturers with more time to develop cleaner engine technology, it was intended that green-sticker models would eventually become the majority. Unfortunately, the opposite occurred, and the number of red-sticker registrations continued to outpace green-sticker registrations.

As a result, CARB has decided to phase out the red-sticker program, effectively banning the sale of new red-sticker bikes in California from 2022 onwards. This means that riders purchasing new dirt bikes in California will need to ensure they meet the green-sticker emission standards to be able to ride on public lands. However, it's important to note that this ban only applies to new bikes, and existing red-sticker bikes will be grandfathered in and remain legal to ride. Additionally, there are no restrictions on the sale of pre-2022 model-year engines, and dealers can continue to sell both trade-in engines and pre-2022 models.

While two-stroke engines are not banned outright, these regulations aim to encourage the adoption of cleaner engine technologies and reduce the environmental impact of off-road vehicles in California.

Carbureted and electronic-injection two-stroke engines are considered high-emission engines

In California, there is no statewide prohibition on the use of high-emission two-stroke vessel engines, and there is no plan to prohibit them. However, carbureted and electronic-injection two-stroke engines are prohibited on some lakes, such as Lake Tahoe, due to concerns about water quality.

Cleaner technology direct-injection two-stroke marine engines, manufactured since 1999, are considered clean emission engines and can be used on all waterways in California, except for some waterways that have generic prohibitions, such as banning all motorboats or all personal watercraft. These newer engines have a label sticker (with 1 to 3 stars) on their engine cover, indicating that they meet California Air Resources Board emission regulations.

California's Air Resources Board (ARB) has developed standards for new outboard and personal watercraft engines based on actual emission levels, regardless of engine type. These standards aim to reduce emissions from new engines without banning two-stroke engines. The ARB believes that by 2010, the regulations will achieve a 30-ton-per-day reduction of hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen over the current US EPA standards, and 44 tons per day by 2020.

While two-stroke engines are not banned in California, the state's regulations and local restrictions in some areas have effectively made older, high-emission two-stroke engines obsolete.

There are no salt-water or river restrictions on high-emission two-stroke engines

California's waterways are governed by a complex set of regulations, which can be confusing for boat owners. While there are restrictions on the use of two-stroke engines in some lakes, there are no statewide prohibitions on high-emission two-stroke vessel engines in saltwater or rivers. This means that, excluding personal watercraft (such as jet skis) bans in certain areas, such as within 1200 feet of the San Francisco shoreline, high-emission two-stroke engines can be used in saltwater and rivers without violating California's regulations.

It is important to note that carbureted and electronic-injection two-stroke engines, generally manufactured before 1999, are considered high-emission engines. These engines can emit up to 25-30% of their fuel unburned into the water or atmosphere, which is why they are prohibited on certain lakes. On the other hand, direct injection two-stroke engines, manufactured since 1999, are considered clean emission engines and can be used on every water body in California, except for some exceptions unrelated to emission limits.

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has implemented regulations for the manufacture and sale of new marine gasoline two-stroke engines, requiring them to meet increasingly strict emission standards. However, these regulations do not affect the use of vessels on saltwater or rivers based solely on high emissions.

Local public agencies in California are authorised to regulate boating in specific categories, such as speed zones, special-use areas, and sanitation and pollution control. As a result, it is essential to check with the local waterbody manager about any updated restrictions before operating a high-emission two-stroke engine in saltwater or rivers.

In summary, while there may be local restrictions in certain areas, there are no statewide salt-water or river restrictions on high-emission two-stroke engines in California. Boat owners should be mindful of the environmental impact of their vessels and stay informed about the latest regulations to ensure compliance.

Direct injection two-stroke engines are considered clean-emission engines

The commonly used carbureted two-stroke engines in developing countries have high exhaust emissions and poor fuel efficiency. Two-stroke vehicles are typically phased out in favor of four-stroke engines to meet more rigid emissions requirements. However, the problems of ubiquitous legacy two-stroke vehicles remain unsolved by these measures, and they are likely to be a major source of transport for many years to come. A number of technologies are available for solving the problems associated with two-stroke engines, such as catalytic after-treatment and direct fuel injection (DI).

Research in recent years has demonstrated that direct fuel injection is a well-developed and readily deployable solution to existing two-stroke engines. Gaseous fuels such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) are considered a promising energy source and in many countries provide fuel cost savings. LPG coupled with DI two-stroke technologies is expected to be a clean and cost-effective retrofit solution for two-stroke engines.

Direct injection of LPG effectively reduces exhaust hydrocarbon and can substantially improve the fuel economy of two-stroke engines.

Two-stroke engines are not banned from California's public riding areas

Firstly, it is important to distinguish between carbureted and direct injection two-stroke engines. Carbureted two-stroke engines are considered high-emission engines and are prohibited on some lakes and within certain distances of shorelines. On the other hand, direct injection two-stroke engines, manufactured since 1999, are considered clean emission engines and can be used on every water body in California, except for some waterways with generic prohibitions, such as banning all motorboats or personal watercraft.

In addition, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has implemented a green sticker program that requires off-road vehicles, including dirt bikes, to meet certain emission standards to operate on public lands. While this program does not specifically target two-stroke engines, it is important to ensure that your vehicle meets the required standards to obtain a green sticker and operate on public lands in California.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that the red sticker program, which allowed high-emission vehicles to operate on public lands during certain seasons, is being phased out by CARB. As a result, new red sticker bikes will no longer be sold in California starting in 2022. However, red sticker bikes produced before 2021 will be grandfathered in and can continue to be used on public lands.

In summary, while two-stroke engines are not banned from California's public riding areas, it is important to be aware of the regulations regarding emission standards and the green and red sticker programs. These regulations vary depending on the type of two-stroke engine and the specific location within California.

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