Politics & Government

Post Card to Replace Letter for Emissions Renewal

Change will save state $400,000 annually, DMV officials say.

Beginning Monday, vehicle owners will be sent a post card rather than a letter to remind them that their emissions test is due, the Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday.

The post card is less expensive and is estimated to save the state $400,000 yearly in the mailing costs, according to DMV spokesman Bill Seymour.

Notices are sent to approximately one million people each year whose emissions test is due, he said. Emissions testing is required every two years on all vehicles except those that are four-model years old or newer and those vehicles that are 25-years old or older.

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The cost for a test has remained $20 for the last 27 years since the program began in 1983. The testing process is easier for most vehicles manufactured after 1996 because they will require only a computer hook-up to test the engine’s on-board diagnostics for emissions controls.

Older vehicles and some others still require the traditional tailpipe test that measures the emissions gasses.

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The post card mailing and $20 test fee are part of a new contract signed recently between DMV and Applus Technologies, Inc.

Applus’s testing network is comprised of 225 garages and auto dealerships statewide. Customers can find the most updated test station list at ctemissions.com, which also allows a vehicle owner to determine their renewal date by entering a vehicle identification number.

Motorists who fail to comply with the state’s emissions testing law will be denied the opportunity to re-register their vehicle and also face late fees.

 


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