North Carolina
For North Carolina, counties where testing is required is 19 counties; how often is emission systems tests for cars and light-duty trucks as part of the annual safety inspection in 19 counties; vehicles covered / exempt is cars and light-duty trucks; recent or pending change is Section 12.7 of Session Law (S.L.) 2023-134 (House Bill 259) of the 2023 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law October 3, 2023, will remove 18 counties from the I&M program. Section 12.13.(b) of Session Law (S.L.) 2026-41 (Senate Bill 257) of the 2026 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law July 7, 2026, will also remove Mecklenburg County from the program; program / authority is Inspection / Maintenance (I/M) Program, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.
- State
- North Carolina our reading
- Counties where testing is required
- 19 counties verified
- How often
- emission systems tests for cars and light-duty trucks as part of the annual safety inspection in 19 counties verified
- Vehicles covered / exempt
- cars and light-duty trucks verified
- Recent or pending change
- Section 12.7 of Session Law (S.L.) 2023-134 (House Bill 259) of the 2023 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law October 3, 2023, will remove 18 counties from the I&M program. Section 12.13.(b) of Session Law (S.L.) 2026-41 (Senate Bill 257) of the 2026 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law July 7, 2026, will also remove Mecklenburg County from the program. verified
- Program / authority
- Inspection / Maintenance (I/M) Program verified
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
North Carolina requires emission systems tests for cars and light-duty trucks as part of the annual safety inspection in 19 counties. Vehicles from 1996 and newer are usually equipped with On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) systems, which help inspectors check that the vehicle's pollution controls are working. <https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/motor-vehicles-air-quality/inspection-maintenance-program/emissions-inspection-results-information> Emissions Testing FAQ <https://www.deq.nc.gov/mitigation-services/publicfolder/library/news/brochures/doudrive1996ornewercar/download> Do you drive a 1996 or newer car or light truck? <https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/motor-vehicles-and-air-quality/smoking-vehicle-complaint-form> Smoking Vehicle Complaint Form Update: Inspection & Maintenance Program Set to End Statewide Recent changes to state law may soon terminate the vehicle Inspection & Maintenance (I&M) Program in the 19 counties that are currently subject to the program. Section 12.7 of Session Law (S.L.) 2023-134 (House Bill 259) of the 2023 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law October 3, 2023, will remove 18 counties from the I&M program. Section 12.13.(b) of Session Law (S.L.) 2026-41 (Senate Bill 257) of the 2026 session of the North Carolina General Assembly, passed into law July 7, 2026, will also remove Mecklenburg County from the program.
— deq.nc.gov, retrieved 2026-08-18
Source
- deq.nc.govhttps://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/air-quality/motor-vehicles-air-quality/inspection-maintenance-program