Here in Manitowoc Wisconsin, there isn't really any emission requirements for new or old cars. Not sure why. But when I lived in Longmont Colorado, the emissions laws for newer cars were pretty hardcore. Not sure what the scoop with older vehicles was. I think 25 years could get you collector plates if I remember right. In your area, do you need emissions or cats for your hot rods?
25 years old here in Ct to not need tests. My 18 yr old son just flunked yesterday on a 20 yr old truck. One more week of high school, but no job, no money, and CT requires you to spend $660 on repairs before they give you a waiver. Me? I started driving old stuff in 1995, just to be exempt...forever. I am just starting to look for an oldie for him. I don't like being held hostage by rules and regs.
What a scam. My wife and I both have Cummins powered daily drivers. No emission test for them. Much of Texas uses 25 years as the cut-off point for emission testing.
Same here in East TN. Zip. Some counties in other parts of the state have inspections for newer cars, but nothing for us here in the mountains.
In Maryland, if you get Historic or Street Rod registration, there is no emission or inspection, ever. In some ways it's good, but I've also seen some cobbled together death traps on the roads that have no business there. But for the most part, it's the old cars that are much better maintained and probably safer than some mom's soccer van that she just gets in and turn the key on every day.
Mo is older that '72 is exempt I believe. But I could be wrong. There is another law that they use when looking to see if you got cats. If it didn't come from the factory with it it isn't required. We used to sneek by some later chebby trucks because up until about 1980 you could by a GM Farm Truck without Cats. There is no emissions inspection here just safety, but they do inspect your exhaust at safety inspection.
No emissions testing required on anything in Arkansas. Also, if it's 25 years old you can buy a permanent antique auto license plate. Five more years and I can register my 1990 454 SS pickup as an antique.
No requirements in North Dakota for new or old. Probably because the wind blows so much any smog would be in Minnesota before anybody could see or measure it.
Not to nit, but it's '75 and older. '76 you still have to smog and the law doesn't say any of them are exempt from still and continuously having all the factory equipment on them, it just says you don't have to get it inspected and tested every other year any more. BUT, if you get "caught dirty" by one of the CHP roadside sniffers you can still be called in to test and all that stuff better be on there so if you take the AIR pump etc. off you better keep it all in a box so you can put it back on WHEN you need to. Also, every damn year Flores from Bakersfield pushes a bill to reverse the test years back to '66. It's only a matter of time, like the helmet law.
nothing in California for anything that would be called a hot rod with a straight face...I just pay my registration fee each year, no inspections of any kind, ever...
In Idaho and Ada County only we used to have to do an emissions each year for 1965 and newer cars. They just changed that to 1980 and newer and every other year and included a long needed bordering Canyon County. The freeway is known as a parking lot every morning and evening from workers heading to Boise for work.
Kalifornia is THE strictest state in the union. And it can vary from county to county the enforcement and severity. Anything with a piston or a spark plug Kalifornia wants to control. Thankfully we we are exempt from having to test 75 on down. That does not mean that 75 on down can have all smog equipment removed. If a CHP has a hardon for you he can send you to a referee station to have your car gone over, if it does not have the factory smog equipment, DING! They got you. As far as the mobile sniffers and mobile inspection stations, those are all voluntary and non-compulsory. Of course they wont tell you that. Its funny they have to announce in the paper where a DUI checkpoint will be, but no announcements made for their sniffer and mobile inspection shit.
In Pima county we have an emmissions test. 67 and newer. In Cochise county, not so much. As I understand. Why couldnt my house been 5 miles further east?
Yup. 20 years old can get "historic" plates if it's stock, and "street rod" plates if it's modified. But there are mileage restrictions, as they aren't supposed to be daily drivers, and are only supposed to see 5k miles per yer, max. Apparently, however, they don't enforce that too much. As for the normal inspection, yes, there is a safety inspection in MD, but only when a car changes hands, not annually or bi-annually like many other states. So you can see a car that is a daily driver that hasn't been inspected in a decade or more that is falling apart, but a car that has a center high brake light out ONLY is too dangerous to be on the road. Inspections here don't keep poorly maintained daily drivers off the road:
Here in WA it depends on your zip code. They also keep changing the cut of year. It used to be 68 and newer, last I heard it is 78 now. But for how long??
In Texas it is different by county. 25 years and older can get antique plates with driving limitations. My 28 was greenslipped, which is the inspection that must be preformed when you have an out of state title, and I had no trouble with an open exhaust. But in Harris county where I used to live my old daily driver 89 pick up was put to the full sniffer test while on a set of rollers at speed.
There are 6 counties where within certain zip codes, smog inspection/certification is not required (San Bernardino and Riverside Counties are 2 of them). I wonder how that slipped by ... it's so unCalifornia!
Not to Nit .... They can actually get you for smog equipment removal on ANY year car if they really want to get sticky. The anti tampering laws have no year limit. I had a State Smog Referee tell me that if they really wanted to they could bust you for say a 1962 car that had the PVC valve removed! Fortunately they figured out a long time ago that the pre catalytic converter cars didn't really make much difference whether the primitive smog equipment was there or not, hence the 1975 ruling. (1976 was the first year that cats were required on just about all vehicles in CA, 75 was limited)
not all counties in Cali have the biannual smog tests. Calaveras county doesn't have smog tests. what is the cut -off for smog when transfering ownership? there was a time that I had to have my early 60's cars smogged for transfer, but I'm sure that has been changed.
NY state away from NYC area is 96 and newer get plugged into a DMV linked computer for fault codes stored in the car computer.A visual check for original emissions stuff but no actual tailpipe test.95 and down to 25 years old get a visual check,nothing else.The visual inspection of emissions shit varies depending on the inspector's attitude,some care,some don't.Older than 25 years is except from emissions check.I don't know about NYC area but it may be stricter.