As of December 1, 2018, vehicle emissions testing will no longer be required in 26 North Carolina counties. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has certified the removal of the counties from the state’s inspection and maintenance program after receiving final approval from the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles will implement the changes through licensed emissions inspection sites in the following counties: Brunswick, Burke, Caldwell, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Craven, Edgecombe, Granville, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Lenoir, Moore, Nash, Orange, Pitt, Robeson, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Wayne, Wilkes and Wilson.
Vehicle safety inspections are still required for registration renewal in all 100 counties.
“This change is only possible because of the strides we’ve made in improving air quality throughout the state of North Carolina,” said Assistant Secretary for the Environment Sheila Holman.
The process to remove the emissions inspection requirement in these counties started more than four years ago. The Division of Air Quality determined that ending inspections in these rural counties would not negatively impact air quality or interfere with the attainment status or maintenance of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards. Emissions inspections are still required in 22 other North Carolina counties.
For more information:
Division of Air Quality Inspection and Maintenance page: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/motor-vehicles-air-quality/inspection-maintenance-program
Division of Motor Vehicles: https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/title-registration/emissions-safety/Pages/default.aspx