Yea, if you are into older cars and live in (most Counties of) California you have to get a biannual smog check for any car that is year 1976 and newer. Kiss of death to own one here. There are a few obscure counties (North Eastern California comes to mind) where you don't have to get a smog check on a bi-annual basis. HOWEVER, you still need the smog check on change of ownership.
Some try and circumvent the laws by registering their vehicles in another state. Had a neighbor that was moving back to Minnesota in a few years. A plate reader caught his brand new $40,000+ truck with much cheaper Minnesota plates a number of times beyond the 10 days allowed for transfer and they tracked him down. He put the new truck in the backyard (it was at least 6 months) and in the summer he trailered it to Minnesota. By the time he moved there his two year old truck had only a few thousand miles on it. But at $900+ a year to register it in California he was willing to do without it until he retired.