How many states exempt diesel vehicles for emissions?

Angus Scrimm

New member
Joined
Oct 16, 2010
Location
McMillan
TDI
Reflex Silver
My vehicle is registered in Maryland. I was wondering how many states exempt diesel vehicles for emissions?



The following are VEIP Exempt Vehicles:
  • 1976 or older.​
  • Vehicles weighing more than 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.​
  • Vehicles powered solely by diesel or electric.
  • Qualified hybrid vehicle
  • Motorcycles
  • Vehicles registered as a farm truck, farm truck tractor or farm area vehicle.​
  • Historic or Antique vehicles
  • New vehicles for the first 24 months after titling and registration.
  • Fire apparatus owned or leased by the State of Maryland, a county, municipality, volunteer fire department or rescue squad.
  • Ambulances currently exempted will remain exempt.
  • Vehicles registered to senior citizens over 70 and over who drive 5,000 miles per year or less (if co-owned, both owners must be over 70).
  • Vehicles registered as a Class N street rod vehicle.
  • A military vehicle owned by the federal government and used for tactical, combat, or relief operations, or for training for these operations
  • Vehicles registered as a Class H school vehicle or Class P passenger bus​
 
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Ski in NC

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 7, 2008
Location
Wilmington, NC USA
TDI
2001 Jetta ALH 5sp stock
NC is "sorta" exempt. They don't plug in OBD scanner. They don't sniff the tailpipe. They don't do a hard rev and look for smoke. But I think they might flunk it if check engine light is on. They look under the hood, but I'm not sure what they are looking for.
 

G60ING

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 5, 2001
Location
MD
TDI
No TDIs Currently, I have an R36 Corrado. I've had an ALH Corrado swap, AHU Corrado swap and 2003 TDI Jetta
NC is exempt for diesels. They don't care if the CEL is on. They also don't look for emissions equipment.
 

leicaman

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2004
Location
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
TDI
2015 Golf TDI SE, 2005 TDI GLS, RIP
Here in Wisconsin I don't have to deal with emissions.
You only have to deal with emissions if the car is a 2009 or newer if you live in one of the counties that require testing. I live in one of those counties. But since my Passat TDI is a 2005, my car is exempt.

However, when I got a car registration bill in the mail a few years back the form said I had to take the car in for testing. As I am a stinker, I thought best to take it in (taking a printout along from the DMV website). I drive up there and before anything is done, the test guy asks, me "Sir, is that a diesel." I replied, "Yes. Here is a printout from the DMV that says that my year of diesel vehicle does not need testing, but I got this in the mail saying that I do." Then he calls up Madison and gets the lowdown on what the deal is and of course he made sure the supervisor annotated it in my registration.

Have not had to do anything other than write the check each year since.
 

BarnyardsTDI

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2010
Location
Sacramento California
TDI
2010 Golf w/DSG, Malone Stage 2 (all emissions intact), HID's, Sunroof, Dynaudio, NAV
All you gotta pass here in Texas is a safety inspection :) However, only 17 out of the 254 counties in the state require emissions testing on gassers. Motorcycles are also exempt.
 

JSWTDI09

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
TDI
2009 JSW TDI (gone but not forgotten)
Here in Nevada it's weird. There is no diesel testing UNLESS you live in one of two counties. The only problem is that 90+% percent of the people in Nevada live in those two counties. Clark County (Las Vegas) and Washoe county (Reno and Carson City). Most of Nevada is empty desert owned by the Federal government (some leased to mining companies) with very few people.
 

Derrel H Green

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 2, 2002
Location
Murrieta, California
TDI
An '05 MBZ E-320 CDI (W-211) replaced the '10 TDI JSW
Same Approach in OR

Here in Nevada it's weird. There is no diesel testing UNLESS you live in one of two counties.
The only problem is that 90+% percent of the people in Nevada live in those two counties.
Clark County (Las Vegas) and Washoe county (Reno and Carson City).
Most of Nevada is empty desert owned by the Federal government
(some leased to mining companies) with very few people.
:)

In Oregon the last time I heard, IF you are registered up North in the Portland
area or down South around Medford, gassers need to be smogged.
Everywhere else, let her rip!

Don't know if Diesels are included in those areas or not? Sorry.
 

Ben Dur

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2010
Location
Pensacola FL
TDI
2000 VW golf tdi
as far as i know there is no emissions testing here in florida at all..
it wouldn't surprise me if miami/dade required it, or some other larger city. but ive never heard of such.

in fact when i got my registration renewed they didnt ask me for id or proof of insurance, only my money and the notice of renewal
 

T_D_I_POWER

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Location
Savannah. GA. USA - Toronto. ON. CANADA
TDI
'04 VW PASSAT GLS TDI '06 Audi A4 q Avant 6-Spd Sport Pkg
No E-Test at all here in Savannah. But we have the Ad Velorem tax.

In TO, E-Test on new and old vehicles every 2-yrs. On Diesel and Hybrid vehicles only visual checks on e-gear eqp. i.e. TWC, EGR, A/Pump, etc.
 

i64w2gohome

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2010
Location
Richmond, VA
TDI
2011 Golf TDI 6MT
In Virginia, diesel vehicles MY1997 or newer with a manufacturer's designated gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 lbs or less are required to have a Emissions Inspection PASS or WAIVER to complete registration if registered in the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William or Fairfax or the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas or Manassas Park ["Northern Virginia"]. New vehicles titled for the first time are exempt for the first two years.
 

Captain Morgan

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2010
Location
08050, NJ
TDI
2000 Jetta GLS TDI
yeah? it says the same thing I just said above.

if they do in fact do emissions testing on 1997+ passenger vehicles, then they are damn quick about it because I took my Jetta through in October and it took them longer to print the decal out of the computer than it did for them to do any "testing" on my car. The only thing I saw them do was hook up to the OBD port to check for codes (which I just cleared 20 miles prior to going there).

I pulled up, got out, they drove it up to the computer, scanned it, drove it up to the decal printing computer, slapped my decal on and I was outta there.

Ive never had a diesel vehicle fail for emissions in the state of NJ.
 

krystlelite81

TDIGUY Associate Vendor
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Location
Campbell, CA
TDI
2000 Beetle TDI
California used to exempt all diesels from smog tests but now as of 1/1/10 vehicles 98 and up require a smog test. However, it differs from that of a gas vehicle. It is more a visual test and a punch test where they check for the amount of smoke coming out of the tailpipe but there is no sniffer. Its ridiculous really!
 

Kree

Veteran Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Location
SoCal LosAl
TDI
99.5 Golf
No testing outside Maricopa county here in Arizona. Not sure on the requirements in city limits as I do not live in them. We are a "clean air resource"so I'm told.
 

Threewheelin007

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2010
Location
Upstate NY
TDI
2005 Jetta TDI Mk4
Safety only in NY

Diesels are safety inspection only $10 ,Gassers are safety and emissions obd2 vehicles 1996 and later for $21
 

Dodoma

Veteran Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2004
TDI
2002 Jetta White
California now requires diesel to be smog inspected. I was hoping that it would cover model year 2011 diesels onwards. But mine, a 2002 is required. So today, I took it for inspection and it failed for MIL/Check Engine Light. I had been getting P0671 code that was due to bad glow plug on cylinder 4 (last cylinder near the battery although it should be the first cylinder on the timing belt side). After clearing the MIL lite, there was no MIL lite for the next two days. The MIL lite came on and this time it was code P0673, meaning glow plug on cylinder 3. On checking with a test lamp, both plugs, cylinder 2 and 3, were ok. I could not get good resistance reading. However, I replace both with used ones that had low mileage. After clearing the MIL lite, took the car for smog test and it did not pass. I was told by the smog check technician that I should drive 50 miles and than come back for retesting. Driving this distance should allow the ECU to complete all self checking loops. This inspection was done while my speedometer is not working. I have ordered the speedo sensor (#357-919-149B) that should be arriving in few days and hopefully will fix the problem after installing. I believer that I may be lucky to pass this time. But passing future tests will be a challenge with these diesels. The inspecition fee was $41.75. If the car pass the retest, I will have to pay pay another $8.25 for document fee for transmitting the report to DMV. If it fails, then I will have to go to a VW dealer.
 
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