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EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2005, Gasoline and Diesel Vehicles with a GVWR up to 10,500 lbs. must pass an emissions test prior to registration renewal if registering in Hamilton, Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson or Wilson Counties.
  • If you have a vehicle registered in Shelby County, go to the City of Memphis, Motor Vehicle Inspection Bureau.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: The State of Tennessee developed more restrictive regulations to control air pollution from mobile sources in counties which were not meeting the new 8-hour ozone Federal Standards for air quality. As a result, certain vehicles registered in Hamilton, Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties are required to pass a vehicle emission test. Gasoline and diesel vehicles with a model year of 1975 and newer weighing less than 10,500 pounds GVWR must pass an emission test before the vehicle’s registration can be renewed. (Motorcycles are exempt).

Inspection programs such as the one implemented in Tennessee have proven to be very beneficial in reducing harmful ozone air pollution. Emissions from an individual car are generally low, relative to the smokestack image many associate with air pollution. But in numerous cities across the country, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter, as emissions from millions of vehicles on the road add up. Driving a private car is probably a typical citizen’s most "polluting" daily activity. Ozone levels in many cities have been reduced with the introduction of lower volatility gasoline, and as newer cars with improved emission control systems replaced older models. There has been significant progress in reducing vehicle emissions, but the number of cars on the road and the miles they travel make mobile sources an ongoing problem. Unless we dramatically reduce the amount of pollution vehicles emit in actual use, or drastically cut back on the amount we drive, smog-free air may become a problem for many of our cities. Our Thanks to those driving clean vehicles, and helping us keep our air clean for this and future generations.

**Effective July 1, 2002, 1996 and newer model vehicles will undergo an Onboard Diagnostics test, and a gas cap leak check instead of the traditional tailpipe and tampering test.