Vehicle Licensing Guide

Emissions Inspection Program
VLIC-268

PURPOSE:

To provide information to process a registration that requires an emissions inspection (EI).

BACKGROUND:

If a vehicle is garaged in the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, or Stafford, or the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas or Manassas Park, the vehicle must meet the emissions inspection requirements. Inspections are valid for two years and may be obtained by having the vehicle inspected by a certified emissions inspection station.

No vehicle subject to an emissions inspection will be registered or reregistered by DMV until it has passed an emissions inspection or has been issued an emissions inspection waiver directly from DEQ for special circumstances.

Gasoline-powered vehicles with an empty or gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less must have an emissions inspection.

Van Pool and Ridesharing Vehicles are no longer exempt from emissions inspections. Van Pool and Ridesharing Vehicles are required to have an emissions inspection.

The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) uses a Remote Sensing enforcement program in the Northern Virginia districts. Remote Sensing units are used to monitor vehicles traveling in the Northern Virginia emissions inspection jurisdictions.

Owners of vehicles which are determined to be high emitters (emissions exceed allowed limits) by DEQ's remote sensing equipment are notified by DEQ of the requirement to have the vehicle repaired and inspected.

• Noncompliance with DEQ requirements results in registration renewal being denied until DEQ removes the requirement at time of inspection, or until a passed emissions inspection form or DEQ waiver is submitted. Inspections or waivers may be submitted at any CSC.
• A vehicle may be determined to be a high emitter even if it is not garaged in an emissions jurisdiction. The customer must repair the vehicle to comply with DEQ requirements but does not have to pay the $2.00 emissions fee.

Only the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will issue waivers. DMV will accept an electronic status code "W" on a printed certificate with a valid Transaction Identification Number (TIN) indicating a waiver was issued. Emissions data remains linked to a vehicle even when sold or traded.

All emissions data, including the expiration date of an emissions certificate, dealer deferral or waiver certificate, is linked to the vehicle, not the owner. Emissions data remains linked to a vehicle even when sold or traded.

EI requirements are not waived for members of Congress, diplomats and military personnel. EI requirements depend upon where the vehicle is principally garaged, not the customer's address. Any questions regarding these vehicles should be referred to the DEQ regional office.

Emissions inspection results are transmitted electronically to the customer vehicle record at DMV on-line from the emissions inspection stations through DEQ to DMV.

Customers may still be required to submit a Vehicle Emissions Inspection Report when registering a vehicle in some cases (i.e. CSS is down or there are system problems at the emissions station, DEQ or DMV that results in emissions information not being posted to the customer record). If you have to enter new emissions data, enter the TIN and emissions test date found on the emissions certificate.

For an original Virginia registration with an out-of-state emissions certificate, enter the 2-digit state code in the emissions TIN/OSS (Out-Of-State) field.

An emissions inspection is required every two years for vehicles which are principally garaged in an emissions control area and have an empty or gross weight of 10,000 lbs. or less. A list of vehicles which are exempt from emissions requirements follows.

VEHICLES EXEMPT FROM EMISSIONS INSPECTION

The following vehicles are exempt from emissions inspection requirements:

1. Any gasoline powered passenger or property carrying vehicle for which both of the following is true:
   1. The model year of the vehicle is more than 25 years prior to January 1 of the current calendar year, and
      
      EXAMPLE: Vehicles with a model year of 1984 are exempt from emissions on or after January 1, 2009; vehicles with a model year of 1985 are exempt from emissions on or after January 1, 2010.
      
      NOTE: Even though these vehicles qualify as Antique Motor Vehicles according to the definition in Code, antique license plates are not required for the vehicle to be exempt from emissions inspection requirements. The $2 emissions fee is required when renewing the vehicle registration. AND
   2. A manufacturer's designated gross vehicle weight rating is more than 10,000 pounds.
2. Antique vehicles as defined in §46.2-100 and licensed pursuant to §46.2-730
3. Motorcycles
4. Vehicles not powered by an internal combustion engine
5. Vehicles powered EXCLUSIVELY by a clean special fuel, including:
   1. Compressed Natural Gas
   2. Diesel powered vehicles, , unless the following is true:
      • A model year newer than 1996, and
      • a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) less than 8,501 lbs., (if GVWR is not available, empty and gross weights will be used) and
      • The registration expired in July 2007 or later
   3. Electricity
   4. Liquefied Natural Gas
   5. Solar energy
   NOTE: Vehicles ASSISTED by clean fuel (i.e. gasoline engines that are assisted with electricity) are NOT exempt from emissions requirements.
6. Vehicles being titled for the first time in Virginia with a Manufacturer's Certification of Origin (MCO)


<<<<<REVISION
7. Qualified hybrid vehicles (Toyota Prius, Honda Insight model year 2007 or earlier, and the 2010 Toyota Prius) with a rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of at least 50 miles per gallon during city driving, unless remote sensing devices indicate the vehicle may not meet certain emissions.   END REVISION>>>>>
   
   NOTE: All Toyota Prius and Honda Insight models must pay the $2 per year emissions fee when renewing the vehicle registration.
   
   NOTE 1: Effective February 9, 2006, before a registration RENEWAL transaction may be processed for vehicles with hybrid fuel type 'B', with an existing registration that expires on or after May 31, 2006, the system will require a valid emissions inspection. The Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are exempt from this requirement.
   
   NOTE 2: Effective May 1, 2006, before any ORIGINAL or TRANSFER registration transactions may be processed for vehicles with hybrid fuel type 'B', the system will require a valid emissions inspection. The Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius are exempt from this requirement.

The emissions inspection performed by the manufacturer for new vehicles is valid for 2 years. However, the vehicle owner must pay the $2 per year emissions fee at time of registration.

If the vehicle is sold within the 2-year validity period, the new owner must pay the emissions fee. The new owner is also required to have an emissions inspection performed if there is less than 12 months left on the current inspection at time of purchase.

OUT-OF-STATE EMISSIONS

A vehicle being registered for the first time in Virginia that has a current valid emissions certificate from one of the following states may be titled and registered without a Virginia emissions inspection:

The following conditions must be met to title and register a vehicle with an out-of-state emissions certificate:

1. The emissions inspection results must show a pass; waivers are not acceptable.
2. The inspection must have been performed in the last 12 months.
3. An original valid emissions inspection report must be provided to DMV at the time of vehicle registration. The CSC may make a copy of the original out-of-state emissions inspection report and return the original to the customer.
4. The vehicle may be registered for a period not to exceed 12 months.
5. The owner must pay the $2 emission fee.

DEALER DEFERRED VEHICLES

A vehicle may be deferred from EI requirements if it is being held for resale in a dealer's inventory (Dealer Deferral), but the $2 per year emissions inspection fee must be paid. It may be registered for one year without an emissions inspection if:

1. The vehicle is of the current model year or one of the immediately preceding four model years; AND
2. The dealer provides to DEQ a written statement that the emissions equipment was operating in accordance with the manufacturer's or distributor's warranty at the time of sale; AND
3. DEQ provides the dealer with an approved Dealer Deferral Certificate or a Deferral Code "D" is entered on the title record under the emissions status code by DEQ.

CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS:

1. Submit a completed "Application for Registration" (VSA-14) or an "Application for Renewal" (VSA-2).
   
   NOTE: Pre-printed renewal applications inform the customer if an emissions inspection is required.
2. Submit a passed emissions inspection or a DEQ waiver if emissions status is not updated in the system.
   
   NOTE: If the DMV vehicle record is updated by DEQ electronically with inspection or waiver status, the inspection and waiver are not required to be submitted.
3. Pay the $2 per year emissions fee, unless exempt (refer to the VEHICLES EXEMPT FROM EMISSIONS INSPECTION: section of this procedure).
4. Pay appropriate registration fee(s).

DMV SERVICE PROVIDER'S PROCESS:

1. Process the original registration renewal or transfer transaction.
2. Verify that the fuel type is correct on the Vehicle Inquiry Screen; make any needed corrections.
3. Check the expiration date of the emissions inspection when submitted, to ensure that there is sufficient time remaining to allow an original, renewed, or reissued registration.
   1. To register or renew for 1 year, or transfer license plates, there must be more than 3 months validity remaining before the emissions expiration date.
   2. To register or renew for 2 years, there must be at least 15 months validity remaining before the emissions expiration date.
4. Enter submitted emission inspection or DEQ waiver form information into CSC Net, if required by the system.
   1. Enter the Transaction Identification Number (TIN) from the form (right above the barcode), to ensure that it is valid. A message will appear on the screen if it is not valid.
5. If proof of inspection or waiver is needed for processing and the customer does not have the evidence with them, if the vehicle record indicates that the 1) vehicle failed emissions, 2) was determined to be a "high emitter", or 3) was already issued a 30-day extension, return the application to the customer and ask the customer to return with the passed emissions inspection or DEQ waiver. Otherwise, go to step 6.
   
   NOTE: No extended registration can be issued under these circumstances.
6. If the customer does not have the required emissions inspection or waiver form, and the system does not indicate the vehicle has 1) recently failed emissions, 2) was determined to be a high emitter, or 3) was not issued a 30-day extension, issue a 1 month decal (30-day registration) to allow the customer time to obtain the emissions inspection or waiver.
   
   NOTE: A prorated registration fee for one month is charged. The CSS System allows only one 30-day extension within a 2 year emission cycle. When the customer returns with proof of passed inspection or waiver, a 12 or 24 month registration is issued.
   
   NOTE: Once the vehicle has failed an emissions inspection, is determined to be a "high emitter", or has received one 30-day extension within a 2 year emissions cycle, no decals may be issued until it has passed the inspection, or it is granted a DEQ waiver and the system has been updated.
7. Collect the $2 per year emissions fee unless exempt (refer to the VEHICLES EXEMPT FROM EMISSIONS INSPECTION: section of this procedure).
8. Collect required registration fee(s).
9. Continue as outlined in VLIC-200 (License Plates - Standard Series), VLIC-202 (Registration Renewal), or VLIC-222 (License Plates - Transfer).

REFERENCE:

• Code of Virginia: § 46.2-1176 through § 46.2-1178, 46.2-1182.1, 46.2-1183
• CSC Data Entry: CSCnet

CONTACT:

For additional information contact:

• Your CSC Manager/Assistant Manager
• DMV DIRECT Help Desk at (804) 367-6646
• The Department of Environmental Quality at (703) 583-3900

PROCEDURE PROPONENT:

VSA/Titles and Registration Division