The short version
- CARB repealed the Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) requirements for high-priority and drayage fleets. The Office of Administrative Law approved the repeal and filed it on September 10, 2026.
- Private companies are not subject to the state and local government fleet rules.
- State and local government fleets are still covered, including vehicles they lease, rent or contract for.
- Advanced Clean Trucks, the companion rule for manufacturers, is tied up in federal litigation. Don’t plan on it being either fully in force or gone.
What happened, in order
- CARB adopts Advanced Clean Fleets, with zero-emission purchase requirements for high-priority fleets, drayage trucks and public fleets.
- CARB withdraws its request for federal authorization of the fleet rules.
- Congress passes resolutions targeting the federal waivers for Advanced Clean Trucks. California and other states sue.
- The CARB board hears amendments that repeal the high-priority and drayage requirements.
- CARB guidance confirms private fleets are not subject to the state and local government requirements.
- The final rulemaking package goes to the Office of Administrative Law.
- OAL approves the repeal and files it with the Secretary of State.
Who is still covered
The state and local government part of ACF remains. It applies to public fleets such as cities, counties, special districts, state agencies and similar bodies.
As summarized by the California Special Districts Association, those fleets must make 50% of their annual vehicle purchases zero-emission, rising to 100% starting January 1, 2030, with an alternative milestone option. Fleets with 10 or fewer vehicles and agencies in low-population counties can delay purchases until 2030. Check the regulation text or ask CARB before relying on a specific date for your agency.
Leased and contracted vehicles count
The public fleet rule covers vehicles an agency owns, leases, rents or contracts for, and CARB expects agencies to report leased and contracted vehicles. If your agency leases vehicles or contracts out routes, those vehicles are part of the compliance picture. Leasing electric vehicles or using dedicated electric transportation are both ways to add zero-emission vehicles without buying them outright.
What it means for private fleets
There is no state purchase mandate. The case for going electric now has to stand on its own: lower energy and maintenance costs, incentives, and what your customers and investors expect from you.
Local rules still matter. The Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach charge a Clean Truck Fund rate of $10 per TEU on cargo moved by trucks that aren’t zero-emission, and both ports aim for zero-emission drayage by 2035. Customers with their own climate targets increasingly ask carriers about emissions, too.
The money is better than it was. The Clean Fuel Reward now pays up to $85,000 toward a Class 6–7 truck, and HVIP is expected to reopen. Our California incentives guide has the current amounts.
What about Advanced Clean Trucks?
Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) is the companion rule that requires manufacturers to sell a growing share of zero-emission trucks in California. Its federal waiver was targeted by Congressional Review Act resolutions in 2025, and California sued. Truck makers are in a separate court fight with CARB over the Clean Truck Partnership, and CARB withdrew proposed ACT amendments on April 29, 2026.
As of November 15, 2026, the outcome is unsettled. Treat any claim that ACT is fully enforceable, or completely dead, with caution, and expect dealer supply of zero-emission trucks to keep shifting while it’s resolved.
What we’d do now
If you run a private fleet
Electrify the routes where the numbers already work, and use incentives while they last. Fixed routes with overnight depot parking are usually first. A route-by-route electrification plan will show which ones.
If you run a public fleet
List your leased and contracted vehicles, not just the ones you own, and write zero-emission requirements into contracts as they come up for renewal. Start utility conversations for depot charging early, because grid connections often take longer than the vehicles.
Common questions
Does Advanced Clean Fleets still apply to private companies?
Not the purchase requirements. CARB repealed the high-priority and drayage fleet requirements, and the Office of Administrative Law approved the repeal on September 10, 2026. CARB’s guidance says private fleets are not subject to the state and local government rules.
Who still has to comply with Advanced Clean Fleets?
State and local government fleets, such as cities, counties, special districts and state agencies. The rule covers vehicles they own, lease, rent or contract for.
Do leased vehicles count toward a public agency’s ACF requirements?
Yes. The state and local government rule covers leased, rented and contracted vehicles as well as owned ones, and CARB expects agencies to report them.
Is Advanced Clean Trucks still in effect?
It’s unsettled. Congress passed resolutions in 2025 targeting the federal waiver, California sued, and a separate court fight over the Clean Truck Partnership was still unresolved when we last checked. Treat any confident claim either way with caution.
Sources
Official program pages we checked for this guide. Figures and program status can change quickly, so confirm with the source before you sign anything.
- CARB rulemaking: Advanced Clean Fleets amendments (AB 1594)
- CARB guidance on the 2025 ACF amendments
- CARB Advanced Clean Fleets program page
- California Special Districts Association summary of the public fleet amendments
- Alston & Bird: California clean vehicle rules update, June 2026
- Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program
- Port of Los Angeles zero-emission truck incentive, July 13, 2026
This guide is general information for California fleet operators, not legal, tax or financial advice.