American Smog Check Center, Lawndale

To keep the air clean and safe, California's regulations require that most vehicles be smog-checked every two years. To tick this duty off their list, clients can head to American Smog Check Center, where a team of technicians identifies the amount and type of pollutants that a vehicle—be it a sedan, SUV, truck, or van—releases during its ride. They then compare the results with the state's standards and give the certification to those vehicles that have managed to fit within them.