Jay Leno's Law has been signed into legislation and is now completely official in California

Jay Leno’s Law has been signed into legislation and has become official law in the state of California – so what’s changed?

The former late-night host is renowned for his love of cars, but now he’s taken things a step further.

Leno has been at the forefront of a campaign to change emission rules in the state to exempt collector vehicles built before 1981.

His hard work has paid off, and that change has been signed into law by the Governor of California.

Jay Leno is famous for his love of cars

Once upon a time, Jay Leno was best known for being the late-night host with zingers in his monologues and a guest line-up of A-List actors and actresses.

These days, he’s focusing a lot of his time and energy into cars.

With a car collection amassing more than 200, it should come as no surprise that his haul is the most Googled.

He’s been talking about cars for a while now, whether it’s a modern hypercar or an ultra-rare Cadillac from the 1950s.

Now he’s gone one step beyond driving a car for his YouTube channel, he’s making changes in the law.

That’s where Jay Leno’s Law comes into the picture.

What is Jay Leno’s Law and what does it change in California?

Previously, cars made before the 1976 model year were exempt from California’s smog-check regulations.

This left a lot of collector vehicles from the late 1970s and early 1980s are still subject to emissions testing.

Jay Leno’s Law – known officially as SB 1392 – is set to change that.

Recently signed into law by California Governor Gavin Newsom, SB 1392, will ease smog regulations on collector cars between 1976 and 1985.

This law is geared towards preserving California’s car culture, while also not filling the state’s air with smog again.

To qualify for exemption, a vehicle built between 1976 and 1985 has to be insured as a collector vehicle and be driven for less than 1,000 miles each year.

This is a step-down from previous iterations of the suggested legislation, which made no mention of annual mileage limits, Jalopnik reported.

“By limiting Jay Leno’s Law to a small class of qualifying collector vehicles that are driven only sparingly, California can keep its foot on the accelerator toward a clean transportation future while maintaining our status as the cultural epicenter for America’s classic car heritage,” a statement from Gavin Newsom’s office read.

It’s hoped this law will make it easier for collectors to bring their cars to shows without breaking any laws.

“We have worked for two years to get this law to the finish line,” State Senator Shannon Grove, named as a co-author of the bill, said to The Los Angeles Times.

“It was only made possible by the overwhelming support of car enthusiasts, mechanics, and families across the state who have passed these vehicles down from generation to generation.”

Jay Leno’s Law will go into effect on January 1, 2027.