Texas Emissions Testing

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Mar 27, 2018 | 10:46 PM

bigdaddyj25

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Jul 2013

Posts: 197

Likes: 3

From: Round Rock, TX

Texas Emissions Testing

Guys I’m looking for some advice from some of the TX members on emissions testing. I am moving from MS to TX in a few weeks and I just learned that TX has emissions testing for cars older than 2 years. I have a 15 Z with a catless x-pipe and just purchased a set of long tube ARH headers (no cats) that I just had coated. I know that people or getting around this somehow. I realize you might not want to put a response on the board so a PM if fine. I’m just looking to see how I might can avoid this test as I would love to add my catless headers ha.

Mar 27, 2018 | 10:55 PM

TXshaggy

Drifting

Joined: May 2013

Posts: 1,972

Likes: 1,098

From: Texas Hill Country Texas

Most of Texas is emission free for annual inspections—have you confirmed your location requires it?

Mar 27, 2018 | 11:07 PM

bigdaddyj25

Thread Starter

Instructor

Joined: Jul 2013

Posts: 197

Likes: 3

From: Round Rock, TX

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXshaggy

Most of Texas is emission free for annual inspections—have you confirmed your location requires it?

Yeah at least from the little bit of research I did. I'll be in Denton county and it seems they require it. Of course that's my luck.

Mar 27, 2018 | 11:09 PM

MCK_Z06

Pro

Joined: Sep 2000

Posts: 678

Likes: 310

From: McKinney Texas

The requirements can vary per county...

..and you have to get your car inspected in the county you live in.

My county does an emissions test but only via what the scan tool tells them.
So no visual or additional testing with external sensors. (Most emissions testing in the state follows this standard.)

If you tune the car where it's not throwing errors because of your mods then it will pass. IE: that sensor that would normally fail because it's physically gone will give the magic 'OK' at the testing station.

Mar 28, 2018 | 09:18 AM

Cercone

Racer

Joined: Jul 2017

Posts: 320

Likes: 66

No issues in Houston. I had my Shelby at 850hp pass three years in a row.

Last edited by Cercone; Mar 28, 2018 at 09:25 AM.

Mar 28, 2018 | 11:18 AM

RonC7

Safety Car

Joined: Dec 2012

Posts: 3,858

Likes: 1,863

From: St. Louis Metro East IL

Plug in an ODBII code reader and take a look for yourself. At least you'll know if you have an issue...

Mar 28, 2018 | 11:50 AM

dollarbill

Melting Slicks

Joined: Nov 2003

Posts: 2,312

Likes: 82

From: Ridgeland MS

St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11

I think almost all testing in Texas is now done via the diagnostic port. In the early years they clipped a litmus paper inside your tail pipe. Then they went to a “sniffer” inserted into the tailpipe. Now they hook up to the diagnostic port and read your codes if any. As long as your car is not throwing codes you will pass. Many rural counties do no emissions test as a part of your annual inspection. You will have to pass a state inspection test prior to licensing your car. Good luck.

Mar 28, 2018 | 12:42 PM

GOLD72

Race Director

Joined: Sep 2000

Posts: 11,143

Likes: 1,913

From: Missouri City, TX

Quote:

Originally Posted by MCK_Z06

..and you have to get your car inspected in the county you live in.
........

I understand the point you are making but actually if you live in an EPA non-attainment region county, you can actually get it tested in a different county as long as it is also an EPA non-attainment region county which would of course be required to do testing. The point you are making is that you cannot simply go outside the EPA region to a county that is not required by the EPA to do emission testing.