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Virginia emissions test: the official wording
Everything in quotation marks here is from 4 sources and was matched to them on November 11, 2026. The quotes are the sources’ words; ours only label them.
About these quotes.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality website refused our reader. The quotes here are from the Virginia DMV page and the Code of Virginia.
On this page: where · how often · fee · new and older vehicles · diesel, electric, hybrid · check a vehicle · sources
What does the text call it?
Any enhanced emissions inspection program provided for in this article shall apply to motor vehicles that have actual gross weights of 10,000 pounds or less that were actually manufactured or designated by the manufacturer as a model manufactured in a calendar year less than 25 calendar years prior to January 1 of the present calendar year and are registered or operated primarily, as defined by the Board in accordance with the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) in the Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford and the Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park.
The page we point to: Virginia DMV, Emissions Inspections. The agency’s own page, which our reader could not open: Virginia Department of Environmental Quality website.
Which localities does the text name?
The quoted text names 10 localities:
- Arlington County
- Fairfax County
- Loudoun County
- Prince William County
- Stafford County
- City of Alexandria
- City of Fairfax
- City of Falls Church
- City of Manassas
- City of Manassas Park
Your vehicle must meet Virginia's emissions inspection requirements if it is garaged in one of the localities listed below:
Listed under:
Your vehicle must meet Virginia's emissions inspection requirements if it is garaged in one of the localities listed below:
Counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William or Stafford
Listed under:
Your vehicle must meet Virginia's emissions inspection requirements if it is garaged in one of the localities listed below:
Cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas or Manassas Park
How often is the test?
Inspections are valid for two years
No vehicle subject to the provisions of this article shall be registered or reregistered until it has passed an emissions inspection or has been issued an emissions inspection waiver.
What does the test cost?
Beginning at such date upon which the program becomes an enhanced emissions program, each emissions inspection station performing emissions inspections under subsection C of § 46.2-1178 may charge an amount not to exceed $30 for each emissions inspection.
What does the text say about new and older vehicles?
Listed under:
Motor vehicles exempt from emissions inspections include:
New or demonstrator vehicles being titled for the first time are exempt from emissions inspections for 4 years.
Shown with it, so that neither is read alone:
Listed under:
Motor vehicles exempt from emissions inspections include:
Used vehicles of the current and three previous model years are exempt from emissions inspections for up to 4 years.
Motor vehicles being titled for the first time shall be considered to have valid emissions inspection certificates for a period of four years from the month of first titling.
Listed under:
Motor vehicles exempt from emissions inspections include:
Gasoline powered passenger or property carrying vehicles with a model year that is more than 25 years old before January 1 of the current calendar year.
Shown with it, so that neither is read alone:
Listed under:
Motor vehicles exempt from emissions inspections include:
Vehicles 25 years old or older qualify as antique motor vehicles but are not required to display antique license plates to qualify for the emissions exemption.
Listed under:
Motor vehicles exempt from emissions inspections include:
Although exempt from the emissions inspection, the $2 emissions fee is required when renewing these registrations.
What about diesel, electric and hybrid vehicles?
Every current line we hold for Virginia that uses the word diesel, electric or hybrid. Some are about one place or one kind of test; each speaks for itself.
Diesel powered vehicles are NOT exempt from the emissions testing program requirements when they have: 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 A registration that expires in July 2007 or later.
Listed under:
Motor vehicles exempt from emissions inspections include:
Vehicles EXCLUSIVELY powered by clean fuel, including compressed or liquified natural gas, electricity, or solar energy
The emissions inspection program provided for in this article shall not apply to any qualified hybrid motor vehicle if such vehicle obtains a rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency of at least (i) 50 miles per gallon during city fuel economy tests or (ii) 48 miles per gallon during city fuel economy tests for hybrid vehicles with a model year of 2008 or 2009, unless remote sensing devices indicate the hybrid vehicle may not meet current emissions standards.
What about heavier vehicles?
Listed under:
Motor vehicles exempt from emissions inspections include:
Gasoline powered passenger or property carrying vehicles with a manufacturer's designated gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds.
What else does the text say?
To find out fees and other information about the emission inspection program, please contact the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality at 703-583-3900 or toll-free in Virginia at 1-800-275-3844.
If your vehicle is being registered for the first time in Virginia and has a current valid emissions certificate (performed in the last 12 months), it may be titled and registered without a Virginia emissions inspection.
Check a vehicle against these quotes
Enter a model year, a fuel and a weight rating, and choose the locality. 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 Virginia and did not open for us:
- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality website (refused our reader on November 11, 2026)
Where do these quotes come from?
- Virginia DMV, Emissions Inspections (dmv.virginia.gov; state agency page; read November 11, 2026)
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-1178, Administration and scope of emissions inspection program (law.lis.virginia.gov; statute or administrative code; read November 11, 2026)
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-1182, Emissions inspection fees; exemption (law.lis.virginia.gov; statute or administrative code; read November 11, 2026)
- Code of Virginia § 46.2-1183, Emissions inspection required prior to registration of certain vehicles; records (law.lis.virginia.gov; statute or administrative code; read November 11, 2026)
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