Here’s When Your Vehicle Is Exempt From Passing Emissions In MA

I remember inheriting my dad’s truck in the summer of 2018. The goal was to fix it and get it back on the road. I just needed a steering rack, water pump, timing belt, shocks, struts, emergency brake repair, a bumper, and massive exhaust work.

I mean, it was a free Toyota Tundra (whose engines and transmissions are incredibly strong and reliable), so I decided to put the money in it, albeit slowly.

The only thing that worried me was the escape. I had the local auto parts store pull all the codes from the check engine light that was constantly on by staring me in the face. Almost all the codes were related to emissions, you know, like O2 sensors and whatnot.

I was telling a friend of mine at the time that I was concerned about the truck’s escape. He just didn’t know whether or not the leak was worth fixing. I needed a $ 1000 repair to pass the inspection, or so I thought.

The truck was a 2003 which made him over 15 years old … I was lucky!

Massachusetts law allows state officials responsible for the emissions program to exempt vehicles that are 15 years before the year your inspection occurs. -mass.gov

You didn’t know that at the time, but yes, if your vehicle is 15 years old or older, it is exempt from passing the emissions portion of the Massachusetts Inspection Program. The safety part is still an absolute must, which includes that ever-important third brake light (if you have a cap) and the emergency brake (which can fail from not being used).

Who knows if you will adjust this law in the future, but take advantage of it as much as you can. There are a ton of nice vintage vehicles out there!