Annual emissions inspections are required for vehicles registered in the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Stafford and cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park and must be passed prior to vehicle registration and registration renewal.
Diesel Vehicles:
Diesel powered vehicles are exempt, except they are not exempt from the emissions testing program requirements when they have:
1. A model year newer than 1996, and
2. A Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) less than 8,501 lbs., (if GVWR is not available, empty and gross weights will be used) and
3. A registration that expires in July 2007 or later.
Exemptions:
1. New vehicles being titled for the first time for the first four years of registration
2. Used vehicles of the current and three previous model years
3. A vehicle with a model year that is more than 25 years old before January 1 of the current calendar year.
4. Vehicles with a GVWR of more than 10,000 lbs
5. Electric or other vehicles exclusively powered by clean fuel
For more information visit:
https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/
Virginia Code
§ 46.2-1047. Muffler cutout, etc., illegal
It shall be unlawful to sell or offer for sale any (i) muffler without interior baffle plates or other effective muffling device or (ii) gutted muffler, muffler cutout, or straight exhaust. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate on the highways in the Commonwealth a motor vehicle, moped, or motorized skateboard or foot-scooter equipped with a gutted muffler, muffler cutout, or straight exhaust.
§ 46.2-1049. Exhaust system in good working order
No person shall drive and no owner of a vehicle shall permit or allow the operation of any such vehicle on a highway unless it is equipped with an exhaust system in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual levels of noise; provided however, that for motor vehicles, such exhaust system shall be of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment. An exhaust system shall not be deemed to prevent excessive or unusual noise if it permits the escape of noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment exhaust system of private passenger motor vehicles or trucks of standard make.
The term "exhaust system," as used in this section, means all the parts of a vehicle through which the exhaust passes after leaving the engine block, including mufflers and other sound dissipative devices.
Chambered pipes are not an effective muffling device to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and any vehicle equipped with chambered pipes shall be deemed in violation of this section.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to (i) any antique motor vehicle licensed pursuant to § 46.2-730, provided that the engine is comparable to that designed as standard factory equipment for use on that particular vehicle, and the exhaust system is in good working order, or (ii) converted electric vehicles.
Antique
Available for vehicles that are at least 25 years old, not used for daily transportation. Antique motor vehicles may display single rear-mounted license plates if the original manufacturer's design of the antique motor vehicle allows for the use of only single license plates or if the license plate was originally issued in one of the following years and is displayed in accordance with the provisions of subsection B: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1945, or 1946.
Military Surplus Vehicle
Available for a multi-purpose or tactical vehicle that was manufactured by, or under the direction of the United States Armed Forces, for off-road use and subsequently authorized for sale to civilians. Specifically, this includes High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) also known as Humvees. This DOES NOT include the street legal Hummer, H2, or H3. Virginia DMV requires evidence that the applicant owns or has regular use of a passenger car, motorcycle or autocycle. Military surplus license plates will not be issued without this evidence.
YOM
Vehicles manufactured in or before 1972 are eligible to display vintage YOM plates with DMV approval. Vehicles displaying YOM plates can be registered as Antique and not used for general transportation, or may be used in an unrestricted manner if registered through the same procedure as standard vehicle registration.