What You Need to Know About Emissions Testing in Georgia
Jerry can help you find out if your car is up to Georgia emissions testing requirements.
Written by Patrick Price
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
Georgia emissions testing is required for all cars or light-duty trucks manufactured between 1994 and 2014 that weigh less than 8,500 lbs—assuming it's registered in one of the 13 counties requiring emissions testing.
Most states have at least some form of emissions testing requirements. In Georgia, those requirements are a little more relaxed than in most places, but you’ll still want to know exactly what the rules are so you can stay up to date.
To make this easier for you,
Jerry
—the car insurance
shopping app—has compiled this overview of Georgia emissions testing regulations. Then stick around and we'll show you how to find cheap car insurance in Georgia
!Georgia emissions testing regulations
In 1996, Georgia state legislation officially created the Inspection and Maintenance program. Among other things, it requires qualifying vehicles in certain counties to pass annual emissions tests.
The aim is to reduce harmful emissions and minimize the harmful effects of vehicles on the atmosphere. But which cars in Georgia are required to undergo these emissions tests? And in which counties?
For the answers, keep scrolling through this guide.
Which counties in Georgia require emissions testing?
Let’s start by looking at which counties require emissions testing. The
1996 Federal Clean Air Act
designated 13 counties in and around the Atlanta
metropolitan area as “non-attainment areas,” indicating that those areas were failing to meet the act’s regulatory requirements.In response, Georgia’s Inspection and maintenance program launched that same year, requiring qualifying cars and light trucks to pass an emissions test to be registered in those 13 counties—and that they would need to take and pass the same test once every year (or every registration period).
Those 13 counties are as follows:
- Cherokee County
- Clayton County
- Cobb County
- Coweta County
- DeKalb County
- Douglas County
- Fayette County
- Forsyth County
- Fulton County
- Gwinnett County
- Henry County
- Paulding County
- Rockdale County
If you’re planning on registering a vehicle in one of those counties—unless it qualifies for an exemption—you’ll need to report to one of the state’s
approved testing sites
, pay the $25 fee, and pass the emissions inspection. Jerry sends free alerts to keep your car up-to-date so you can avoid costly repairs
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Get ahead of my car maintenance
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Which cars need emissions testing in Georgia?
If you live in one of the counties where testing is required, you’ll still only need to submit to testing if your vehicle meets certain qualifications.
In Georgia, only cars and light trucks weighing less than 8,500 pounds need to pass emissions. Once passed, car owners will only need to pass emissions again once every year or registration renewal cycle for the vehicle.
Exemptions from Georgia emissions testing
With how relaxed Georgia’s emissions testing regulations are, you wouldn’t expect many additional exemptions. However, state law specifies a rather exhaustive list of vehicles exempt from emissions testing requirements.
Here’s a look at the different vehicles that are exempt that exist in Georgia:
- Vehicles weighing greater than 8,500 pounds
- Diesel, electric, propane powered, or other alternative fuel vehicles
- Vehicles registered as antiques or collector cars
- Vehicles that are over 25 years old
- Hybrid vehicles
- Vehicles that are at least 10 years old, used for less than 5,000 miles of driving each year, have a functioning odometer, and are owned by persons older than 65
- Non-conforming vehicles, such as kit cars, hot rods, and vehicles with obsolete parts
How does Georgia emissions testing work?
It’s recommended that you submit your vehicle for testing four to six weeks before the registration renewal date to have adequate time to address any potential issues.
When the time for testing does come, you’ll just follow these steps:
- Bring your car in for an inspection. Report to the testing site during normal hours of operation and hand over the vehicle.
- Pay the fee at the testing center. The testing fee in Georgia should be no higher than $25 (and can be less in certain situations).
Types of emissions tests
Unlike many states, Georgia does not have multiple types of testing that it requires besides the standard emissions test/smog check that is required for all qualifying vehicles (as specified above).
The standard emissions test/smog check will include the following procedures:
- An OBDII test
- An inspection of the catalytic converter
- A two-speed idle test (which tests the vehicle's emissions at both high and low RPMs) or an accelerated simulation mode test (which tests emission levels under different loads)
What happens if you fail emissions testing in Georgia?
If your vehicle ends up failing the emissions testing, don’t worry! You’ll have the opportunity to make the necessary repairs and have it retested. If you complete the repairs and submit the vehicle for a retest within 30 days of the initial test, the retest is free.
If your vehicle fails the retest, you can request a repair waiver to see if you can bypass the inspection and proceed with registration. Whether or not you’re granted a repair waiver will be a judgment call made by local government officials. They’ll take into account the age of your vehicle and any pre-existing alterations that were added before the state instituted its current testing standards.
According to the Georgia state government, the most common reasons why drivers end up failing their emissions testing are the following issues:
- Malfunctioning oxygen sensor
- Malfunctioning EGR valve
- Air filter needing replacement
- Malfunctioning spark plugs
- Vacuum system leaks
- Malfunctioning fuel cap
They recommend you do an at-home test of these features before reporting for inspection to avoid the need for a retest.
How to save on car insurance in Georgia
With testing fees and required repairs, it can cost a sizable pile of cash to pass your annual emissions testing—not to mention the actual registration fee!
All that red tape and those extra expenses have probably got you looking for ways to cut back on your car-related expenses. Luckily, you can quickly and easily save tons of money on your
car insurance
by using Jerry
—the insurance broker and policy comparison super app—to instantly get and review multiple quotes side-by-side. Then, you just have to choose the one that works best for you, and Jerry will handle all the hassle of filling out the paperwork, setting up your new policy, and canceling your old coverage. It only takes a few minutes and saves drivers an average of $800+ a year!
Jerry sends free alerts to keep your car up-to-date so you can avoid costly repairs
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Get ahead of my car maintenance
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Do you need an emissions test every year in Georgia?
Yes. Assuming you have a qualifying car or light truck registered in a county where testing is required, you’ll need to pass emissions testing once a year. More specifically, you’ll need to pass emissions once every registration renewal cycle for the vehicle—though this is almost always a one-year period.
How do I avoid emissions testing in Georgia?
Unless you live in one of the 13 counties where testing is required, you won’t have to worry about it. If you do live in one of those counties, and your car qualifies for testing requirements, you can try applying for a Repair Waiver or registering your car as an antique (if it's old enough).
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