(Adopted October 20, 2000)(Amended June 4, 2004) 

(Amended September 9, 2005)(Amended May 5, 2006) 

(Amended June 6, 2008) 

RULE 1196. CLEAN ON-ROAD HEAVY-DUTY PUBLIC FLEET VEHICLES 

(a) Purpose 

For public fleets of heavy-duty vehicles operating in the South Coast Air Quality 

Management (District), this rule requires public fleet operators to acquire 

alternative-fuel heavy-duty vehicles when procuring or leasing these vehicles to 

reduce air toxic and criteria pollutant emissions. 

(b) Applicability 

 This rule applies to all government agencies located in the District, including 

federal, state, regional, county and city government departments and agencies, 

and any special districts such as water, air, sanitation, transit and school districts, 

with 15 or more heavy-duty vehicles. This rule shall not apply to vehicles or 

services pursuant to paragraph (f) or vehicles subject to Rules 1192, 1193, 

[adopted June 16, 2000], 1194 [adopted August 18, 2000], 1195 [proposal for 

school buses] or 1186.1 [adopted August 18, 2000]. 

(c) Definitions 

For purposes of this rule, the following definitions shall apply: 

(1) ALTERNATIVE-FUEL HEAVY-DUTY ENGINE OR VEHICLE means 

a heavy-duty vehicle or engine that uses compressed or liquefied natural 

gas, propane, methanol, electricity, fuel cells, or other advanced 

technologies that do not rely on diesel fuel, and has been certified by the 

California Air Resources Board (CARB). 

(2) APPROVED CONTROL DEVICE(S) is a CARB-certified exhaust 

control device(s) that reduces particulate matter and possibly other 

precursor emissions. To be considered fitted with an approved control 

device(s), all diesel exhaust from the vehicle must be vented through such 

a device(s) that has been fitted at the time of vehicle purchase. The 

vehicle equipped with such a control device must use diesel fuel with a 

sulfur content no greater than 15 ppm. 

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Rule 1196 (cont.) (Amended June 6, 2008) 

(3) DUAL-FUEL HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLE means a heavy-duty vehicle 

equipped with a diesel engine that uses an alternative fuel (such as 

compressed or liquefied natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, methanol, or 

other advanced technologies) in combination with diesel fuel to enable 

compression ignition. A dual-fuel engine typically uses the alternative 

fuel to supply 85 percent of the total engine fuel requirement on a BTU 

basis. A dual-fuel engine must be certified by CARB to meet an 

applicable optional nitrogen oxide exhaust emission standard and be fitted 

with a particulate matter aftertreatment control device that achieves a 

particulate matter emissions level no greater than the particulate matter 

emissions level of the latest certified M-100 methanol engine certified by 

CARB prior to the date of adoption of this rule. 

(4) EMERGENCY OR RESCUE VEHICLE means any vehicle defined in 

Section 165 of the California Vehicle Code and is equipped with red lights 

and sirens as defined in Sections 30, 25269, and 27002 of the California 

Vehicle Code. 

(5) FLEET VEHICLE means any heavy-duty on-road vehicle, owned or 

leased by a public fleet operator that totals 15 or more heavy-duty vehicles 

excluding vehicles exempt under paragraphs (f)(1) and (f)(2). 

(6) HEAVY-DUTY VEHICLE means any vehicle having a gross vehicle 

weight of at least 14,000 pounds. 

(7) PUBLIC FLEET OPERATOR is a person who owns, leases, or operates 

heavy-duty fleet vehicles in the District. A person is a federal, state, 

county or city government department or agency, or special district. 

(8) SPECIAL DISTRICT means any public agency that provides public 

services such as, but not limited to, sanitation, school, transit, air, and 

water districts. 

(9) VEHICLE means any self-propelled, motorized device that is permitted to 

operate on public roads through Department of Motor Vehicle registration 

or the federal government. 

(d) Fleet Requirements 

Beginning July 1, 2002, for public fleet operators with 15 or more heavy-duty 

vehicles, all new additions to an existing fleet, or formation of a new fleet, of 

heavy-duty vehicles shall be by purchase or lease of: 

(1) alternative-fuel heavy-duty engine or vehicles; 

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Rule 1196 (cont.) (Amended June 6, 2008) 

(2) dual-fuel heavy-duty vehicles; 

(3) dedicated gasoline heavy-duty vehicles; or 

(4) If the fleet operator has an approved Technical Infeasibility Certification 

for this purchase or lease, as described in subdivision (e), a dieselpowered heavy-duty engine or vehicle with an approved control device 

and maintain that approved control device per manufacturer’s 

specifications. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to 

subparagraph (e)(1)(D) after June 30, 2010. 

(e) Technical Infeasibility Certification Criteria and Procedures 

(1) No less than 60 days prior to the date of purchase or lease of a 

replacement or additional heavy-duty engine or vehicle, any fleet operator 

seeking to comply with paragraph (d)(4) shall demonstrate the technical 

infeasibility of complying with paragraph (d)(1), d(2), or (d)(3) 

requirements by submitting a signed and dated Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request to the Executive Officer and attest to the accuracy of 

all statements therein, that shall include: 

(A) The name and address of the public fleet operator; and 

(B) Current heavy-duty vehicle fleet composition, including make, 

model; and 

(C) Demonstration that no engine and chassis/body configuration that 

meets the requirements of paragraphs (d)(1), (d)(2), or (d)(3) is 

commercially available from any manufacturer (only technical 

reasons for choosing a given chassis/body configuration are 

acceptable) or could be used in a specific application. 

(D) Demonstration that an alternative-fuel refueling station for 

alternative-fueled or dual-fuel heavy-duty vehicles that are 

commercially available from any manufacturer is not available 

within five miles of the vehicle storage or maintenance yards, or at 

locations where vehicles will be home-based for extended periods 

of time and the refueling supply is provided through mobile means. 

(E) Demonstration that vehicles complying with paragraphs (d)(1), 

(d)(2), or (d)(3) exceed the incremental cost-effectiveness criteria 

established in accordance with the most recent requirements of the 

Carl Moyer Program or the Mobile Source Emission Reduction 

Review Committee Program, whichever is greater. 

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Rule 1196 (cont.) (Amended June 6, 2008) 

(2) Within 45 calendar days of receipt of a completed Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request submitted pursuant to paragraph (e)(1), the 

Executive Officer will either approve or disapprove the Request, in 

writing. The Executive Officer shall disapprove the request if it does not 

meet the requirements of paragraph (e)(1). If a Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request is disapproved by the Executive Officer: 

(A) The reasons for disapproval shall be given to the applicant in 

writing. 

(B) Upon receipt of a notice of a disapproved Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request, the fleet operator shall comply with 

paragraph (d)(1), (d)(2), or (d)(3). 

(C) The fleet operator may resubmit a Technical Infeasibility 

Certification Request at any time after receiving a disapproval 

notification or may apply for a variance with the SCAQMD 

Hearing Board. (See SCAQMD Regulation V and California 

Health and Safety Code Sections 42350 through 42372 for 

information regarding variances.), but must still comply with 

paragraph (d)(1), (d)(2), or (d)(3) until such time as the Executive 

Officer approves a Technical Infeasibility Certification Request 

under paragraph (e)(1) or a variance is given by the SCAQMD 

Hearing Board. 

(3) A Technical Infeasibility Certification Request is subject to a plan filing 

and evaluation fees as described in Rule 306. 

(f) Exemptions 

The provisions of this rule shall not apply to the following: 

(1) Emergency or rescue vehicles operated by local, state, and federal law 

enforcement agencies, police and sheriffs department, fire department, 

hospital, medical or paramedic facility, and used for responding to 

situations where potential threats to life or property exist, including but 

not limited to fire, ambulance calls, or life-saving calls. 

(2) Privately owned or operated heavy-duty vehicle fleets that provide 

contract services to a public agency. Nevertheless, privately owned or 

operated heavy-duty vehicle fleets may be required to meet other 

SCAQMD rules such as Rules 1192, 1193, 1194, or 1186.1. 

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Rule 1196 (cont.) (Amended June 6, 2008) 

(3) No more than ten evaluation/test vehicles per fleet, provided by or 

operated by vehicle manufacturer for testing or evaluation, exclusively. 

(4) Any vehicle added to or replacing a vehicle in an existing fleet after the 

applicable implementation date of this rule, as specified in subdivision (d), 

as long as the purchase contract for acquisition of such vehicle is signed 

before the date of adoption of this rule. This exemption does not apply to 

the execution of options to acquire vehicles where the option is executed 

after the date of adoption of this rule and where vehicle delivery does not 

occur until after the applicable implementation date as specified in 

subdivision (d). 

(5) Military vehicles used for tactical operations. 

(6) Heavy-duty vehicles used routinely to transport materials in and out of the 

District. 

(7) Heavy-duty vehicles operated and housed by state agencies or special 

districts in the Riverside County portion of the Mojave Desert Air Basin 

and located within the District if the vehicles are equipped with approved 

control devices. 

(8) When the remainder of the fleet consists of heavy-duty vehicles that meet 

the requirements of paragraphs (d)(1) or (d)(2), 

(a) For public fleets with greater than 15 but less than 100 heavy-duty 

vehicles, no more than three (3) heavy-duty vehicles that do not 

meet the requirements of Subdivision (d) of this rule may be part 

of the fleet at any given time. Such vehicles shall be equipped 

with approved control devices. 

(b) For public fleets with 100 or more heavy-duty vehicles, no more 

than three (3) heavy-duty vehicles that do not meet the 

requirements of Subdivision (d) of this rule may be part of the fleet 

and are garaged, housed, parked, stored at any single vehicle 

storage or maintenance yard at any given time. Such vehicles shall 

be equipped with approved control devices. A public fleet 

operator may deploy these vehicles and place them at any one 

vehicle storage or maintenance yard if the public fleet operator 

submits a plan to the SCAQMD demonstrating that a proportionate 

number of such heavy-duty vehicles is reduced at other facilities 

operated by the public fleet operator. 

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Rule 1196 (cont.) (Amended June 6, 2008) 

(9) Heavy-duty vehicles leased for no more than 120 days in any 12-month 

period by the U.S. Postal Service during the peak winter holiday period. 

(10) Heavy-duty vehicles owned or operated by federal agencies, state 

agencies, county agencies, or special districts whose jurisdiction include 

areas outside of the District and the heavy-duty vehicles are garaged, 

housed, parked, stored or operated within the District for no more than 

180 days in any 12-month period. 

(g) Compliance Auditing and Enforcement 

(1) The fleet operator shall provide at the request of the District any files 

and/or records created to comply with subdivision (d) including fleetspecific information, such as a list of official DMV registrations, principal 

vehicle location, and manufacturer, model-year, model, and fuel type and 

usage, of each fleet vehicle. This provision shall not apply for records that 

have been in existence for more than one year. 

(2) Any fleet operator seeking an exemption under subdivision (f) shall 

supply proof that their vehicle or fleet is exempted from this rule when 

requested by the District. 

(h) Severability 

If any provision of this rule is held by judicial order to be invalid, or invalid or 

inapplicable to any person or circumstance, such order shall not affect the validity 

of the remainder of this rule, or the validity or applicability of such provision to 

other persons or circumstances. In the event any of the exceptions to this rule is 

held by judicial order to be invalid, the persons or circumstances covered by the 

exception shall instead be required to comply with the remainder of this rule. 

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