New Hampshire emissions testing is suspended, and as of early 2026 no vehicle is required to carry a state inspection sticker. Governor Kelly Ayotte signed HB 2 on June 30, 2025, repealing the state’s motor vehicle inspection statutes effective January 31, 2026. A federal court has since ordered the state to keep some form of the program running under the Clean Air Act, but there is no vendor under contract to actually perform inspections. The practical result for drivers: nothing to do right now, no ticket for an expired sticker, and an unsettled legal picture that could change.
Why Inspections Stopped
Two things happened at once. The Executive Council denied the Department of Safety’s request to extend the state’s inspection contract with Gordon-Darby NHOST, Inc., the company that ran the electronic inspection system. Without an approved vendor, the state lost the mechanism to process inspections at all.1NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Inspections & Emissions
Then the legislature went further. HB 2, the state budget bill, repealed the underlying statutes outright: RSA 266:1 (the authority for inspections), RSA 266:2 (fees), RSA 266:5 (penalties), and RSA 266:6 (driving an uninspected vehicle), all effective January 31, 2026.2New Hampshire General Court. New Hampshire Revised Statutes 266:1 – Repealed
HB 2 also repealed RSA 266:59-b, the emissions control equipment statute, but on a delayed schedule. That repeal takes effect September 30, 2026, or when the Commissioner of Environmental Services certifies that EPA has approved changes to the state’s air quality plan, whichever comes first.3New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. Repeal of Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program
What This Means for You Right Now
No station in New Hampshire is currently authorized to issue a state inspection sticker, and no vehicle is required to have one. You will not be ticketed for an expired or missing sticker while the program is suspended.
Vehicle safety requirements under RSA Chapter 266 are still in force. The state has been explicit that drivers remain legally responsible for making sure any vehicle on New Hampshire roads is safe to operate, even without the inspection check in place.1NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Inspections & Emissions
If you are buying a used vehicle, a pre-purchase inspection by a mechanic is still worth paying for. The state isn’t checking, but worn brakes, rust, and failing emissions components don’t care about legislative calendars. And because some version of the program could come back, letting a known emissions problem sit, like a lit check engine light or a failing catalytic converter, could turn into an expensive surprise later.
Why It Might Come Back
New Hampshire cannot simply walk away from emissions testing on its own. The state sits inside the Ozone Transport Region, a federally designated zone along the eastern seaboard where states are required to run vehicle inspection and maintenance programs as part of their Clean Air Act obligations. The emissions program was written into New Hampshire’s federally enforceable State Implementation Plan, so removing it requires EPA approval.4New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. NHDES Works with EPA to Implement Elimination of the Vehicle Emissions Test
The Department of Environmental Services is pursuing two tracks at once. One is a petition under Clean Air Act Section 176A asking EPA to remove the entire state from the Ozone Transport Region. The other is a formal State Implementation Plan revision to discontinue the inspection and maintenance program. Both filings include technical demonstrations that ending the program will not worsen air quality in New Hampshire or neighboring states. As of early 2026 both remain pending, and if EPA denies either request the state could be out of compliance with the Clean Air Act.4New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. NHDES Works with EPA to Implement Elimination of the Vehicle Emissions Test
A federal court has already ordered New Hampshire to keep the inspection program in place while the EPA proceedings play out. The state has said it intends to appeal.5Town of New Ipswich, NH. State Guidance on Vehicle Inspections For now there is a court order to continue, no vendor to perform the work, and repealed statutes that no longer authorize it. The Department of Safety and Department of Environmental Services have said they are “exploring all options” to respond.1NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Inspections & Emissions
Whether emissions testing returns depends on three things resolving in parallel: EPA action on the petition to leave the Ozone Transport Region, EPA approval of the State Implementation Plan revision, and the outcome of the state’s appeal of the federal court order. If all three go New Hampshire’s way, emissions testing is gone permanently. If any one fails, some version of the program could be reinstated.4New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. NHDES Works with EPA to Implement Elimination of the Vehicle Emissions Test
Which Vehicles the Emissions Test Covered
If the program comes back in anything like its previous form, this is what it looked like. Emissions testing applied to light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds or less. Gasoline vehicles from model year 1996 and newer and diesel vehicles from model year 1997 and newer had to pass an On-Board Diagnostics test as part of the annual inspection.6New Hampshire Department of Safety. New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules Chapter Saf-C 3200 Official Motor Vehicle Inspection Requirements Those cutoffs track when EPA began requiring OBD-II systems in new vehicles, which is why gasoline and diesel differ by a year. A light-duty vehicle meant any passenger vehicle capable of seating 12 or fewer people. In practice, the program covered most personal cars, SUVs, and pickups on New Hampshire roads.
Several categories were exempt from the OBD test:
- Gasoline vehicles built before 1996 and diesel vehicles built before 1997, which lacked compatible onboard diagnostics.
- Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating above 8,500 pounds.
- Vehicles more than 20 model years old, under a rolling 20-year exemption.
- Certain alternative fuel vehicles whose propulsion systems were not compatible with the standard OBD protocol.
Exempt vehicles still had to pass the safety portion of the annual inspection when the program was active. The emissions exemption only removed the electronic diagnostic step.
How the OBD Test Worked
A technician plugged a scan tool into the vehicle’s diagnostic port, usually under the dashboard on the driver’s side. That connection let the engine computer talk to the state’s inspection network, known as NIRA, which checked for diagnostic trouble codes tied to emissions components like the catalytic converter, oxygen sensors, and evaporative system.6New Hampshire Department of Safety. New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules Chapter Saf-C 3200 Official Motor Vehicle Inspection Requirements
The technician also checked the vehicle’s readiness monitors, the internal self-tests the engine computer runs during normal driving to confirm emissions components are working. If too many monitors came back incomplete, the vehicle failed even without any trouble codes. That often happened after a battery disconnect or replacement, which resets the monitors. Driving 50 to 100 miles through a mix of highway and city conditions was usually enough to complete the monitors and allow a retest.
The check engine light had to be off, and it had to illuminate briefly during the key-on self-test to confirm it hadn’t been disabled. A lit, missing, or tampered light was an automatic failure.
Where to Check for Updates
Because the situation can change on short notice, with the federal court appeal, the EPA decisions, and the September 30, 2026 trigger on RSA 266:59-b all moving separately, the New Hampshire DMV’s inspections page is the most reliable place to confirm the current status before you plan anything around it.1NH Division of Motor Vehicles. Inspections & Emissions