Illinois' Vehicle Emissions Testing Program Undergoes Major Change on February 1

SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) announced changes to the Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law, that take effect February 1, 2007, and  will impact thousands of motorists in the northeastern Illinois and Metro-East St. Louis regions whose vehicles are currently required to undergo regular emissions inspections. 

 

Test notices will no longer be sent to owners of 1995 and older model vehicles that have a current vehicle emissions compliance certificate with an expiration date after January 2007.  Exempt status has automatically been applied to these vehicles.  Owners of 1995 and older model year vehicles that have not yet passed their most recent emissions tests or received a waiver, will be required to test their vehicles.  Those vehicles that have not yet passed their most recent test cycle will receive an idle exhaust test and a gas cap test.  The emissions testing program will continue to test 1996 and newer model year vehicles using the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) test.  The change to the Vehicle Emissions Law was passed by the General Assemble in 2005 as P.A. 94-526, signed into law in August 2005.

 

1996 and newer model year vehicles registered in Cook, Lake and DuPage counties and much of Will County are subject to the program; along with the eastern third of McHenry County, the eastern half of Kane County.  In the Metro-East area, much of the western half of Madison and St. Clair counties and the northern tip of Monroe County are included. Boundary lines are determined by zip code, not by county or municipality boundaries.

 

The change in the emissions testing program is a result of technological advances in vehicles being driven.  Beginning with the 1996 model year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency required manufacturers to install standardized OBD systems on all light duty vehicles.  These systems continuously monitor emissions-related components for malfunctions and/or deterioration.  These systems notify the driver of a problem by activating the vehicle's "Check Engine" light before the vehicle's emissions have increased significantly.  They also store this information allowing the Vehicle Emissions Test Program to retrieve the data in place of performing the current tailpipe and gas cap tests.

 

The number of OBD-equipped vehicles is increasing every year.  Currently, over 75 percent of vehicles are OBD-equipped, with this number increasing to approximately 95 percent by 2012.  The Illinois EPA began phasing in OBD testing for 1996 and newer vehicles in 2002 and fully implemented OBD testing on July 1, 2004. 

 

The Vehicle Emissions Test Program plays an important role in reducing air pollution in Illinois.  

Automobiles and trucks are one of the single greatest sources of air pollution in the Chicago and Metro-East areas.  Gasoline powered vehicles emit exhaust pollutants such as hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO_²).  Vehicle emissions are responsible for a substantial portion of NOx and other emissions that form ground-level ozone in major metropolitan areas.  Driving a malfunctioning vehicle is probably a typical citizen's most "polluting" daily activity.

 

Motorists with questions regarding the exemption status of their vehicle can contact the Illinois EPA at 847/758-3400 or 217/785-7449.

 

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