Santa Barbara Auto Technician May Be Only Woman With Smog Inspector License
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – It took Janeth Cruz Lopez three tries to pass a difficult certification exam. Now, she may be the only woman in Santa Barbara County to hold a Smog Check Inspector license.
Cruz Lopez is an automotive technician at AK Auto Repair, working in an industry where women remain a small percentage of the workforce.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women made up just 1.8% of automotive service technicians and mechanics in 2025.
For Cruz Lopez, however, her interest in working on cars started when she was young.
“My dad actually noticed that I was into it at first,” Cruz Lopez said. “I was tinkering with the bike and trying to fix the chain on it.”
That early interest eventually led her into the automotive industry.
Recently, Cruz Lopez set her sights on becoming a certified Smog Check Inspector. She failed the exam twice before passing on her third attempt.
“Took me three tries,” Cruz Lopez said. “The third time I got into studying and put my all into it and passed it.”
Her accomplishment has also earned praise from her coworkers and the owner of AK Auto Repair, Arsen Kagramanov.
Kagramanov said the shop could not find another woman in Santa Barbara who holds the same license.
“She’s the first. I’m very proud of her,” Kagramanov said.
Cruz Lopez says the support from her coworkers helped her keep going after the failed attempts.
“They believed in me and it was very helpful,” she said.
Her coworker and friend, Christian Mejia, said he saw Cruz Lopez's potential and encouraged her to take a chance on herself.
“I felt like she was destined for much more than what they were giving her at that time,” Mejia said.
Mejia said the team continued encouraging Cruz Lopez throughout her journey.
“I just told her we’re doing it ten times. I would take ten times. Just don’t give up,” Mejia said.
Now, Cruz Lopez hopes her presence in the automotive industry can help other women feel more comfortable when bringing their vehicles into a shop.
“If I can make a woman feel comfortable seeing me at a shop, that I’m out where I’m supposed to be,” Cruz Lopez said.
She also hopes to use her experience to help women who may not know much about cars feel more informed and confident.
Cruz Lopez says she understands that feeling firsthand. When she started, she said she did not even know how to put air in her tires.
Now, she is helping teach others while continuing to build her career.
Her coworkers say they believe she has even more potential ahead of her, with hopes that she will eventually become a master technician and inspire more women to enter the automotive industry.
