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Pennsylvania emissions test (Drive Clean PA): the official wording
Everything in quotation marks here is from 8 sources and was matched to them on November 11, 2026. The quotes are the sources’ words; ours only label them.
About these quotes.
The county lists are on four regional pages of the Drive Clean PA site, one quote per region.
On this page: where · how often · fee · new and older vehicles · diesel, electric, hybrid · check a vehicle · sources
What does the text call it?
Welcome to Drive Clean PA! - Pennsylvania's Vehicle Emission Testing Program
The page we point to: Drive Clean PA, Pennsylvania's Vehicle Emission Testing Program (home).
Which counties does the text name?
The quoted text names 25 counties:
- Allegheny County
- Beaver County
- Washington County
- Westmoreland County
- Bucks County
- Chester County
- Delaware County
- Montgomery County
- Philadelphia County
- Berks County
- Cumberland County
- Dauphin County
- Lancaster County
- Lebanon County
- Lehigh County
- Northampton County
- York County
- Blair County
- Cambria County
- Centre County
- Erie County
- Lackawanna County
- Luzerne County
- Lycoming County
- Mercer County
Counties: Allegheny Beaver Washington Westmoreland
Counties: Bucks Chester Delaware Montgomery Philadelphia
Counties: Berks Cumberland Dauphin Lancaster Lebanon Lehigh Northampton York
Counties: Blair Cambria Centre Erie Lackawanna Luzerne Lycoming Mercer
How often is the test?
If required for your vehicle, the emissions inspection is due once a year at the same time or before your annual safety inspection.
Subject vehicles shall be emission inspected annually in coordination with a safety inspection according to procedures established by the Bureau, subject to paragraphs (1)—(3).
What does the test cost?
The safety and emissions test will continue to be done at the same time and at fees set by competition.
What does the text say about new and older vehicles?
Subject vehicles in an I/M county or region include gasoline powered 1975 and newer model year vehicles, excluding the current model year, with a GVWR of 9,000 pounds or less which are:
Shown with it, so that neither is read alone:
Listed under:
Subject vehicles in an I/M county or region include gasoline powered 1975 and newer model year vehicles, excluding the current model year, with a GVWR of 9,000 pounds or less which are:
(1) Registered in or required to be registered in a certified I/M county or region.
What about diesel, electric and hybrid vehicles?
Every current line we hold for Pennsylvania that uses the word diesel, electric or hybrid. Some are about one place or one kind of test; each speaks for itself.
If your vehicle is required to undergo an emissions inspection, the message "Emissions Inspection Required / Diesel Vehicles Exempt" will be printed on your vehicle registration card.
What about heavier vehicles?
Subject vehicles in an I/M county or region include gasoline powered 1975 and newer model year vehicles, excluding the current model year, with a GVWR of 9,000 pounds or less which are:
Shown with it, so that neither is read alone:
Listed under:
Subject vehicles in an I/M county or region include gasoline powered 1975 and newer model year vehicles, excluding the current model year, with a GVWR of 9,000 pounds or less which are:
(1) Registered in or required to be registered in a certified I/M county or region.
What else does the text say?
Motorists with gasoline-powered cars, vans and light-duty trucks (9,000 lbs or less gross vehicle weight), with a model year 1975 and newer registered in select counties (see map below) throughout the commonwealth are required to participate in Pennsylvania’s Vehicle Emissions Inspection & Maintenance (I/M) Program.
Vehicles registered in the 42 counties listed on the right are NOT required to pass an emissions inspection.
However, most passenger vehicles and light trucks weighing 11,000 pounds and less are required to pass a visual anti-tampering check as part of a safety inspection.
Listed under:
EXEMPT VEHICLES
A new vehicle, being titled and registered for the first time that has less than 5,000 total miles on the odometer.
Current model year vehicles which are subject vehicles never before registered in this Commonwealth or any other jurisdiction and which have less than 5,000 miles on their odometers.
Listed under:
EXEMPT VEHICLES
Vehicles driven less than 5,000 miles during the full year (365 days) from a previous qualifying inspection, and that has been owned by the same owner for one year or more.
Listed under:
EXCLUDED VEHICLES
Vehicles registered as classics, antiques, collectibles, street rods or specially constructed.
Vehicles subject to emission inspection which have been outside of this Commonwealth continuously for 30 days or more and which, at the time of reentering this Commonwealth, do not bear a currently valid certificate of emission inspection are not required to be inspected until 10 days after reentering this Commonwealth.
After necessary repairs are completed, the first re-inspection will be free, as long as it is done within 30 days at the same place that conducted the initial inspection.
Check a vehicle against these quotes
Enter a model year, a fuel and a weight rating, and choose the county. The checker repeats the quotes above and, where a figure can be compared, says where your entry falls against it. It does not decide anything about your vehicle.
Which pages could we not read?
We ask for each page with a plain request that names this site, and we don’t work around a refusal. These pages matter for Pennsylvania and did not open for us:
- Drive Clean PA over https (the same site answers over plain http, which is what we quote) (gave our reader no answer on November 11, 2026)
Where do these quotes come from?
- Drive Clean PA, Pennsylvania's Vehicle Emission Testing Program (home) (drivecleanpa.state.pa.us; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- Drive Clean PA, Information for Pittsburgh Area Drivers (drivecleanpa.state.pa.us; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- Drive Clean PA, Information for Philadelphia Area Drivers (drivecleanpa.state.pa.us; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- Drive Clean PA, Information for South Central Drivers (drivecleanpa.state.pa.us; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- Drive Clean PA, Information for Northern Region Drivers (drivecleanpa.state.pa.us; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- Drive Clean PA, Information for "Other Counties" (drivecleanpa.state.pa.us; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- Pennsylvania's Vehicle Emissions Inspection & Maintenance Program (brochure) (drivecleanpa.state.pa.us; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- PennDOT PUB-763 (4-25), 67 Pa. Code Chapter 177, Emission Inspection Program (pa.gov; statute or administrative code; read November 11, 2026)
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