Do I Need and Emissions Test If I Live in Virginia? How Do I Find One?
Like many states Virginia requires an annual safety inspections. However, in addition Virginia also requires that some vehicles have an emissions test every 2 years depending on the vehilce type and what county or city the vehicle is parked. So exactly what counties and cities are affected and what vehicles require the test?
What Counties and Cities Require a Biennial Emissions Test?
The emissions testing regulations in Virginia are modelled after those in California. Virginia, like California therefore, has different emissions testing requirements based on where the vehicle is housed. This is because more pollution will be emmitted if there is a higher concentration of vehicles in a given area. In short, more densely populated areas therefore have stricker emissions testing requirements. Most of the higher density populations are located in Northern Virginia near the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. But not all counties and cities have emissions testing requirments in Northern Virginia. Though both Clark and Loudoun Counties are in Northern Virginia, you only need an emissions test every 2 years if you live in Loudoun County. Below is a list of counties and cities that require a biennial emissions test.
Counties That Require a Biennial Emissions Test
- Arlington
- Fairfax
- Loudoun
- Prince William
- Stafford
Cities That Require a Biennial Emissions Test
- Alexandria
- Fairfax
- Falls Church
- Manassas
- Manassas Park
If you need an emissions test in Virgina, how do you actually get one? There are 2 options available. A company name RapidPass places emissions testing sensors on Virginia roadways. They change the location of the sensors, but if you see that you have driven through one, you can check if your vehicle emissions information was captured by the sensors at https://www.rapidpassvirginia.com/VaPublic/ If it has, then you can have that emissions test filed with the Virgnian DMV for a fee. The other option is to have an emissions test done by a licesnsed Emissions Testing locaiton in Virginia. Many people do this at the same time they have thier vehicle safety inspected. But not all safety inspection locations do emissions tests. A great way to find an emissions testing location near you or within a certain zip code is at https://virginiaemissionstest.com.
California is set to require all new vehicle sales to be electric past 2035. The sales of used vehicles would not be affected, nor would owners of non-electric vehicles be required to purchase electric vehicles. With the charging issues with electric vehicles currently in the news, and the slowdown of electic vehicle sales, it appears to be an open question as to whether the charging infrastructure will be in place to meet that goal. It is also unclear as to whether the average consumer will be willing to deal with the inconveniences caused by the absense of reliable charging stations and the differences between filling up a gasoline vehicle and charging an electric one. Bottom line, it doesn't take 10 minutes to fill up an electric vehicle to full. Electric vehicles are vastly more efficient that combustion engines, but it is exactly that inefficiency that gives gas and diesel powered cars the waste heat they need to keep the vehicle passenger compartment toasty.
So Do I Need an Emission's Test If I live in Northern Virginia
All this stuff aside, you might still be wondering if your vehicle needs an emissions test. The answer is... it depends. Like California, the specific requirements for your vehicle depends on where it is parked. If that area has a higher population density then an emissions check is required. That means that Northern Virginia counties and cities have Emissions requirements as they have higher density. Below is a list of counties that require emissions tests.
A convenient way to find a nearby emissions testing station is to use our https://virginiaemissionstest.com. You can enable geolocation and locate shops nearby, or enter a zip code and find shops within various mile ranges from that zip code. We hope you find it useful. Many shops that do safety inspections also do emissions tests. In Many cases the service department of local automotive dealers will do both the safety and emission inspections.
Do All Vehicles Need an Emissions Test in Virginia?
No. Only some Gasoline and Diesel powered vehicles need an emissions test. Not all vehicles are covered and there are also some exemptions. The vehicle is exempt from an emissions test if:
- If you are registering your vehicle for the first time in Virginia and the vehicle has a current valid emissions inspection certificate performed in the last 12 months.
- The vehicle is a motorcycle.
- The vehicle is an autocycle, a three-wheeled vehilce that has a steering wheel and seating that does not straddle or sit astride and is manufactured to federal motorcycle safety requirements.
- A gasoline powered vehicle that is 25 years or older prior to January 1 of the current year. While the vehicle can obtain an antique license plate this is not required to be exempt. That said, the vehicle is still required to pay the $2 dollar emissions fee on renewal with the Virginia DMV.
- A gasoline powered vehicle with a gross weight of more that 10,000 pounds.
- A diesel powered vehicle whose model year is 1996 or older, or with a gross vehicle weight of more than 8,501 lbs., or a registration that expires prior to July 2007 or earlier.
- Newly manufactured or sales demonstration vehicles titled for the first time are exempt for up to 4 years.
- Vehicles exclusively powered by clean fuel, (including compressed or natural gas), electricity, or solar energy.
- Qualified hybrid motor vehicles. The $2 dollar emissions fee is still required on registration.
- Manassas
Do I Need and Inspection Prior to Registration?
You should have your emissions inspection done prior to registering or renewing your vehicle if one is required. Sometimes the expiration date of your emissions certificate does not match the DMV renewal date. If so, these are the rules that determine if you need an emissions test even if you currently have a valid one.
- If you are registering or renewing your vehicle for a 1 year term or transfering a license plate, the certificate must expire more than 3 months after the DMV renewal date.
- If you are registering or renewing your vehicle for a 2 year term, the certificate must expire at least 15 months after the DMV renewal date.
- If you are registering or renewing your vehicle for a 3 year term, the certificate must expire at least 27 months after the DMV renewal date.
For those of you who have waited until the last moment to get all this done, the DMV has a one month extension which must be applied for in person at a DMV customer service center, or a DMV Select location.
We do our best to provide the most accurate information, but recommend you check for actual regulations at this Virginia DMV page