Vehicle Inspection & Emissions Shop Rules

BAR lists an approved amendment to section 3340.17.1 concerning decertification of equipment manufacturers, adopted and effective September 3, 2026.

Under Act 153 of 2026, Vermont DMV filed an emergency amendment to 14-050-022 Inspection of Motor Vehicles effective September 1, 2026. DMV reported that the emergency rule moves many inspection items not directly related to safe vehicle operation from automatic rejection to advisory status in an effort to reduce repair costs.

Vermont DMV issued a July 10, 2026 update to the Periodic Inspection Manual. The revision changed or clarified criteria and procedures across tires, brakes, steering, suspension, electrical systems, windows, windshields, wipers, exterior body evaluation and other inspection areas.

Texas DPS amendments to 37 TAC §§23.1 and 23.3 took effect July 2, 2026. New and renewal vehicle inspection station and vehicle inspector certificate applications must include specified proof of eligibility for the state certification or license, with qualifying documents verified through the federal SAVE system.

BAR biometric-device regulations effective July 1, 2026 update the Smog Check Manual and Vehicle Safety Systems Inspection Manual to permit the Fujitsu palm-vein scanner sensor model FAT13FPS01 or newer, replacing language tied to a single older device.

BAR updated its biometric-device regulations and says updated Smog Check and Vehicle Safety Systems Inspection manuals must be followed beginning July 1, 2026.

Under AQCC Regulation 25 Section I.P, beginning May 1, 2026 automotive coatings above the Table 4 VOC limits (e.g., primer and clearcoat 250 g/L, color coat 420 g/L) may not be manufactured, sold or distributed in Colorado, and covered automotive coating facilities in the regulated ozone areas must use Table 4-compliant coatings or 90%-efficient controls.

A 2025 state law (HB 2) scheduled the end of New Hampshire's required annual safety and OBD inspection for January 31, 2026. A federal court briefly ordered the program to continue, but after the Executive Council declined to extend the NHOST vendor contract, the state suspended the program. From February 13, 2026 inspection stations can no longer issue state stickers and vehicles need no annual inspection. The First Circuit later stayed the injunction, and EPA proposed approving the repeal on August 11, 2026.

West Virginia State Police began selling one-year Commercial Vehicle/Commercial Trailer inspection stickers (yellow, expiring 2027) to meet federal annual-inspection rules, alongside two-year stickers for other vehicles (expiring 2028). The new-issue stickers may not be affixed before January 1, 2026. Stations pay $3 per commercial sticker, the customer charge is capped at $14.66, and stations must apply to do commercial inspections.

Effective January 1, 2026, Connecticut's emissions program lists $1,137 as the minimum qualifying emissions-related repair expense for a repair-cost waiver. Qualifying repairs must be performed by a Certified Emissions Repair Technician at a Certified Emissions Repair Facility, and the threshold is adjusted with the Consumer Price Index.

PennDOT increased the E-Safety program management fee from $0.03 to $0.08 per transaction effective January 1, 2026.

Georgia I/M amendments effective December 24, 2025 removed references to the 2-speed idle (TSI) test, which the state says is no longer conducted, and updated Georgia Analyzer System hardware/software requirements to Phase VI.

As of December 1, 2025, North Carolina no longer requires window-tint checks as part of the state safety inspection and eliminated the additional $10 window-tint inspection fee. Vehicle tint limits themselves still remain in law.