How far back does your State or Province require Vehicle Emission Testing?

[ultrarunner]

And I think therein lies the problem... Del Norte has little in common with Los Angeles.

I do think if the State is going to require 40 year old carburated vehicles to be tested... it needs to make sure the certified technicians are competent.

Most seem to only be up to speed when it comes to year model 1996 and newer where they have a plug to plug into.

At my last smog check... the tech was maybe 25 and he had never seen a car with twin carbs... he was asking me questions...

 

[aczlan]

NY requires emissions sniffer tests for "downstate" (ie: NYC and the surrounding area). In the rest of the state we just get a computer plugged into the OBD-II port to check that there are no codes.

Aaron Z

 

[dstig1]

Minnesota required them annually when I moved up here, but the air quality improved enough for some reason that they eliminated it around the time I moved behind the Cheddar Curtain (mid late 90's). Wisc never required them here, but that may not be the case in the populated areas (Milwaukee/Madison) on the other side of the state. Dunno.

 

[4570Man]

Here in Tennessee we don't have vehicles inspections let alone emissions test. I don't know about commercial vehicles, but I don't think they inspect those either.

 

[RobertN]

California used to have spot inspections. I remember them a few times in Citrus Heights, just east of Sacramento. That was in the early 1970's.

I don't think California has had safety inspections in my lifetime aside from fixit tickets, re-registering a salvage title vehicle, etc where there is a need to verify that repairs were sufficient.

 

[ultrarunner]

^^^They did but it was a revenue loss... as most items would be a fix it ticket.

Of course a vehicle spewing out smoke has always been citeable.

 

[California]

California used to have spot inspections. I remember them a few times in Citrus Heights, just east of Sacramento. That was in the early 1970's.

Another 10 years before that a friend asked me to drive the $50 Model A he just bought because he wasn't old enough for a license. The thing had no brake linings at all, metal on metal. It made such a racket stopping (carefully) for a stop sign, a few miles from there, that CHP lurking at the intersection stopped me from proceeding and asked me to demonstrate getting it stopped. More racket. He wrote a fixit ticket. The kid had to have it towed.

Similar over here, N of San Francisco. My pickup was in the shop so I borrowed the 54 Chev that Dad used on back roads for dump runs and left abandoned behind the barn the rest of the time. It had a taillight out or something. CHP stopped me and wrote so many equipment violations, this time against me, that I had to go to traffic school to clear the insurance points. Thanks Dad.

 

[Oaktree]

Here in N.H. it's any OBDII-equipped vehicle ('96 or newer), done annually. Initially only vehicles licensed to residents of Nashua and (I believe) 10 surrounding communities were required to, but after some litigation it was required statewide.
I'm actually surprised the feds haven't mandated emissions testing nationwide.

Now as far as safety inspections go...

We don't have them here any more either.. they dropped it a few years ago.

Because they realized it is a waste of time and taxpayer money and has no positive effects.

Sorry, but I'm in favor of them...it's nice to know that other vehicles approaching me is at least somewhat roadworthy having working brakes, tight suspension, no exhaust leaks, etc. I've seen some really scary-looking heaps in states with no inspection.

 

[California]

Now as far as safety inspections go...

Sorry, but I'm in favor of them...it's nice to know that other vehicles approaching me is at least somewhat roadworthy having working brakes, tight suspension, no exhaust leaks, etc. I've seen some really scary-looking heaps in states with no inspection.

I think the absence of safety inspections follows from evidence-based accident statistics: mechanical failure is extremely rare as a cause.

Smog causes more damage and medical cost to the population in general so it does make sense to test for that.