States Without Vehicle Inspection 2026

Safety Inspection Requirement

Annual

Annual / None

Bi-annual

Biennial

None

Periodic

Single/Once

State	Safety Inspection Requirement↑	Additional Safety Inspection Details
Alabama	None
Alaska	None
Arizona	None	Phoenix and Tucson metro areas require biennial emissions inspections.
Arkansas	None
Colorado	None	No state requirements, but emissions testing is required in 9 counties.
Florida	None
Georgia	None	Testing is only required in the 13 metropolitan Atlanta counties.
Idaho	None	Emissions testing requirements were repealed in July 2023.
Indiana	None	No state requirements - however, vehicles registered in Lake County or Porter County require biennial emissions testing.
Iowa	None
Kansas	None
Kentucky	None
Michigan	None
Minnesota	None
Mississippi	None
Montana	None
Nebraska	None
Nevada	None	Annual emissions inspection required only in Clark and Washoe counties.
New Hampshire	None	As of February 2026, vehicle inspection requirements are suspended.
New Mexico	None	Biennial emissions tests are required only in Bernalillo County
North Dakota	None
Ohio	None
Oklahoma	None
Oregon	None	Emissions testing is required only in the metropolitan areas of Portland and Medford.
South Carolina	None
South Dakota	None
Tennessee	None
Utah	None
Washington	None
Wisconsin	None
Wyoming	None
Maryland	Single/Once	Required when registering vehicles from another state or when a used vehicle is purchased.
Connecticut	Annual / None	Required only for certain commercial vehicles, trucks, grey market, salvage, and several types of trailers.
California	Periodic	Smog Inspections required when registering or renewing vehicle registration for a vehicle more than 8 years old.
Delaware	Biennial	New cars are exempt from inspection for the first seven years provided the car remains with the same owner.
District of Columbia	Biennial	For publicly owned vehicles only, the requirement for safety inspection for privately owned cars ended October 1, 2009.
Illinois	Biennial	Once a vehicle is four years old.
Missouri	Biennial	Effective August 28, 2019, motor vehicles for the first ten years following the model year of manufacture and having less than 150,000 miles on the odometer are exempt from the safety inspection requirement. In early 2026, false misinformation circulated about the requirements changing, and was refuted by the Missouri Department of Revenue.
New Jersey	Biennial	New vehicles only require an inspection every five years.
Rhode Island	Biennial	Newly registered vehicles are exempt from the inspection requirement for two years from the date of purchase. Vehicles registered as antiques are subject to safety inspection, but are exempt from emissions testing. Vehicles that have passed inspection are given a sticker, which is placed on lower-right corner of windshield.
Hawaii	Annual	With the following exceptions: Brand new vehicles receive an inspection valid for two years. Emergency vehicles, school vehicles, rental cars, and vehicles used in public transportation must be inspected every six months. Sticker placed on rear bumper to right on license plate.
Louisiana	Annual	As of September 2012, people in most jurisdictions have the option of getting a sticker good for two years, rather than one, by paying double the usual fee. In most of south Louisiana, inspection stickers are commonly referred to as "Brake Tags"; they are placed on the inside of the windshield, in the lower left corner of the windshield (on the driver's side). Colors change every year.
Maine	Annual	Vehicles that have passed inspection are given a sticker, the color of which changes annually. School buses are inspected every six months. Vehicles registered as Antique Autos are exempt. Sticker placed in top center of windshield behind rear view mirror or lower left-hand corner of windshield.
Massachusetts	Annual	Vehicles that have passed inspection are given a sticker, which is placed in the lower right corner of the windshield.
New York	Annual	Vehicles that have passed inspection are given a sticker, the color of which changes annually. Newly registered vehicles with a current inspection sticker from another state are exempt until the out-of-state sticker expires or for one year after registration in New York, whichever is sooner. Vehicles registered as farm vehicles are exempt. Stickers are placed on the lower left corner of windshield.
North Carolina	Annual	Until the vehicle is 30 years of age, at which point inspections are no longer required.
Pennsylvania	Annual	For most vehicles; every six months for school vehicles (including school buses and school vans), motor coaches, mass transit buses, etc. Stickers are placed on the lower driver's side corner of the windshield. Vehicles bearing antique vehicle license plates are exempt from inspection, but vehicles bearing classic or collectible license plates are subject to inspection. Trailers in excess of 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg) GVW are also inspected annually as are motorcycles.
Texas	Annual	Emissions inspection is required for gasoline powered vehicles older than 2 years. As of 2025, safety inspection requirements in Texas were repealed.
Vermont	Annual	Inspections are due at the end of even-numbered months only. Inspections performed in an odd-numbered month will receive a sticker for the next even-numbered month (e.g., a car inspected in November 2011 will receive a sticker good until December 31, 2012). Inspection stickers are placed on the lower left of windshield
Virginia	Annual	Newly registered vehicles with a valid inspection from another state are not exempt from inspection until the out-of-state inspection expires. As soon as a vehicle is registered in Virginia, that vehicle must have a Virginia safety inspection. Primarily yellow; background color of year digits changes annually. Placed in the lower left part of the windshield (lower center windshield before January 1, 2018). Beginning January 2019 the color of Virginia's inspection stickers changed from yellow to blue.
West Virginia	Bi-annual	As of January 2024, vehicles require biennial inspection. Vehicles that have passed are given a sticker, the color of which biennially. The sticker is placed in lower left corner of windshield.

States Without Vehicle Inspection 2026

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