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St. Louis area vehicles targeted with more stringent emission testing
Starting in April, most vehicles 1971 and newer will be tested for exhaust emissions only once every two years at specialized testing facilities. Vehicles from even-model years will be tested in even years, odd model years in odd years. The new testing facilities will only perform emission testing and not the Missouri Vehicle Safety Inspection or vehicle repairs. Missouri Vehicle Safety Inspections– which are now required every year–will go to every other year in July. Safety inspections will continue to be performed by your local licensed repair facilities, such as most AAA Approved Auto Repair facilities. The new enhanced emission test is a high-tech procedure designed for computer-controlled vehicles. This test is designed to identify the total amount of exhaust emissions generated by a vehicle under realistic driving conditions. Your vehicle registration papers will arrive in the mail approximately one month prior to the expiration of your plates. You will be required to have both a Missouri Safety Inspection and an emission test performed. This program does not require the owner to have a safety inspection first. The Gateway Clean Air Program will affect vehicles registered in St. Louis City and St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson counties. Vehicles in these areas will be subjected to either an improved “idle test” or the enhanced emission test, depending on the model year of the vehicle. In the enhanced test territory, 1971–1980 vehicles will be tested using an improved idle test. This test is similar to the emission test now performed, except testing will be performed at the special testing facilities, and testing will be required every two years. Vehicles manufactured starting in 1981 will be tested using the enhanced test procedure, which requires the vehicle to be driven on a treadmill, which simulates actual road conditions. Four-wheel-drive vehicles will be tested in the same manner on four-wheel-drive treadmills. If the vehicle's wheel base is too short, it will be tested using the improved idle test. A gas cap check will be performed on all 1971 and later vehicles. The gas cap check verifies the integrity of the cap to ensure it properly seals the fuel tank. The fee for testing vehicles in the enhanced test area will be $24. Vehicles registered in Franklin County will have their vehicles tested using the improved idle test. All vehicles 1971 and newer will have the same test. This test will be performed every year at the special testing facility and will cost $10.50. If Franklin County residents have their vehicles tested in the enhanced test area for $24, it will allow them to have their vehicles tested every other year. The Gateway Clean Air Program also includes a Clean Screening program. The program uses remote infrared sensing devices that resemble radar detectors to test vehicle emissions without visiting an emission testing station. The test is performed while cars are being driven on the area's roadways. This new test will identify only the cleanest vehicles. These vehicles will not have to be tested at the testing stations. If your vehicle is tested through the procedure and found to be clean, you will be notified in the mail 60 days prior to your vehicle's registration due date. The Clean Screen fee will be the same as the station-based test fee, $24. The test also will be good for two years. You will need a safety inspection before you may register your vehicle. Certain model vehicles that have a history of clean emissions will not be subject to any testing. Such vehicle owners will receive notification in the mail, which they can take to a testing center and pay $24 for an emission sticker, or they can mail it in. In addition, some vehicles are exempt from the new testing procedure, including new cars less than two years old, vehicles that weigh more than 8,500 pounds, diesel-powered vehicles, motorcycles, alternative fueled vehicles and model year vehicles prior to 1971. For additional information, call the Gateway Clean Air Program at (573) 751-4817 or 1-888-748-1-AIR (toll free). Gateway Clean Air Testing Facilities
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