CHARLOTTE, N.C. — All vehicles registered in North Carolina must pass an annual safety inspection before its owner can renew the registration. In addition the safety inspection, 19 North Carolina counties, including Mecklenburg, also require emissions testing as part of yearly inspection.
A WCNC Charlotte viewer said they'd heard the state is doing away with those emissions tests but wasn't sure if it was true or how it could impact their annual inspections.
THE QUESTION
Is North Carolina doing away with emissions tests for vehicle inspections?
OUR SOURCES
WHAT WE FOUND
The EPA said the yearly emissions test program helps maintain federal air quality standards in the state. However, the 2023 state budget bill that passed back in October could eliminate emissions testing in 18 out of the 19 North Carolina counties that currently require them.
The only county that would continue to require emissions tests would be Mecklenburg County.
Despite the fact that the bill passed, the emissions provision is still not in effect. The Department of Environmental Quality must first submit its 2023 State Implementation Plan amendment to the EPA.
The EPA would then have to approve the amendment before it could take effect, meaning it could be years from now until North Carolina emissions tests are eliminated. And plenty of vehicles in the state are already exempt from emissions testing.
It's only required in 19 of the state's 100 counties. Even in those counties, there are vehicles that aren't inspected for emissions. They include new vehicles and any vehicle that is at least 20 years old. Diesel-powered vehicles are also exempt, as are vehicles that are registered as farm-use only.
If you want to know if your car must pass an emissions test in order to pass inspections, reach out to the NCDMV.
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