E-Check tests vehicle emissions in Ohio
- Michelle Wood: SWCD
- October 31, 2011
- 2510
A: E-Check is the name of Ohio EPA’s vehicle emissions testing program. The program started in Ohio in 1996 as a means to identify vehicles that emit an excessive amount of air pollutants. Air pollutants typically emitted from vehicle tailpipes (which contribute to the formation of ground level ozone) include hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide.
Q: Why is E-Check required in only certain counties of the state?
A: The Clean Air Act and U.S. EPA require states to monitor and classify air quality around the state in comparison to the Clean Air Act’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Areas that do not meet applicable standards are classified as nonattainment areas. Any nonattainment area identified as moderate, serious, severe, or extreme is required to implement vehicle emissions testing. Ohio law requires emission testing only where it is federally required. Ohio’s vehicle testing program is currently required only for vehicles registered in seven Ohio counties. These seven counties are all located in the Cleveland area (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit counties). Previously, Dayton and Cincinnati area counties were also part of Ohio’s E-Check program, but the program is no longer required in those counties.
Q: What vehicles must be tested?
A: Any vehicle, including gasoline, diesel, flexible fuel or hybrid, must be tested if: (1) it is 10,000 pounds or less in gross weight, (2) it is less than 25 years old and (3) it is or should be registered in an E-Check county. Diesel-fueled vehicles model year 1996 and older must also be “opacity” tested to determine the amount of particulate matter emitted. The timing of the testing cycle is based upon the vehicle’s model year: “odd” model year vehicles must be tested in odd calendar years (such as 2011); likewise, “even” model year vehicles must be tested in even calendar years. New vehicles are exempt from the testing requirement for four model years. If you purchase a used car and the car’s seller provides a valid E-Check compliance certificate, you don’t need to test again until the applicable even or odd model year. You can also check with the state at 800-CAR-TEST (using the vehicle identification number) to see if the vehicle has a valid E-Check compliance certificate. If the used vehicle does not have a valid E-Check compliance certificate, you must have the vehicle tested prior to registering the vehicle. Inspection certificates are valid for 365 days following the emission test date, thus Ohio EPA recommends testing well in advance of your vehicle’s registration expiration date.
Q: What if I am a new resident to an E-Check county?
A: You will not be able to register your vehicle in the E-Check county until the vehicle emission test is taken and passed. What information you will need to take with you for the testing will depend on whether you are a new Ohio resident or an existing Ohio resident. For E-Check information specific to your circumstance, go to http://epa.ohio.gov/dapc/echeck/testing_info/what_to_bring.aspx.
Q: How long will Ohio be required to implement a vehicle testing program?
A: No one really knows. Ohio EPA believes its E-Check program is the most cost-effective method to help reduce air pollutants and maintain the air quality required by the federal Clean Air Act. Reduction in pollutant emissions from cars allows more room for new or expanded businesses by lowering the total air pollutant loads. The current budget bill calls for a decentralized program to be implemented in June of 2012. This would mean that E-Check testing facilities might no longer be stand-alone facilities that simply provide emission testing and nothing else, but could include common retail car service centers where necessary repairs could also be made. Specifics on the state’s implementation of the decentralized E-Check program will likely be unknown until sometime in the spring of 2012.
This Law You Can Use column was provided by the Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA). It was prepared by Kristin L. Watt, an attorney in the Columbus office of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP. The column offers general information about the law. Seek an attorney’s advice before applying this information to a legal problem.