West Virginia – General Emissions Information

Last updated on March 16th, 2021

West Virginia General Emissions Information

If you live in West Virginia, you are required to pass a safety inspection every year for your vehicle. You also need to have your smog and emissions checked at this time as well. Many states are adopting smog and emissions tests in order to keep their air cleaning their state and to make sure that the vehicles on the roads are in friendly. West Virginia emissions laws allow other states to have their emissions stickers accepted when registering a vehicle. Below are some of the ways that you can keep your vehicle from producing extra pollution and putting it into the environment.

• Make sure that your engine is running properly and is clean. You also need to have the emissions test so that you will know if all the components are functioning correctly.
• If you check engine light comes on make sure that you take it to a technician who can see what the issue is to repair the problem.
• Make sure that certain items on your vehicle are ready correctly so that you are not producing excess pollution and emissions. More than likely you’ll want to have these items checked by a professional:
  • Exhaust gas recirculation valves
  • air or smog pumps
  • the vacuum tubing and connections
  • oxygen sensors
  • catalytic converter
• You should also make sure that items such as your distributor and rotator, spark plugs and wires, and gas is always in working order.

Inspections requirements

In West Virginia, you must have a safety inspection completed every year. These inspections will be conducted by the state police or by an officially licensed inspection facility. You will be required to provide proof of insurance as well as your current registration card when you’re having this inspection completed.

After your vehicle passes the inspection, a sticker will be given to you that must be displayed on your vehicle’s windshield. If you moved to West Virginia, you are required to have an inspection completed within 10 days of establishing your move. However, if you have an inspection sticker from one of the following states, you will not need to have one completed until it expires:

• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• New York
• Oklahoma
• Texas
• Utah
• Wyoming

Safety Inspections

After your safety inspection expires from your out-of-state inspection, you will then be required to have a safety inspection within the state of West Virginia. Also, if you purchase a vehicle in West Virginia that does not have an inspection sticker; you are required to inspect the vehicle within three days.

Failure and details

Below are the things that your inspector will check for when performing your exam:

• Registration and insurance
• Windows and body components
• Horn, mirrors, windshield wipers and license plates
• Brakes, steering, and controls
• Exhaustive fuel components
• Tires and wheels
• Headlights, signals, and seatbelts

If you received a rejection notice, this means that your vehicle did not pass inspection. At this point, your inspector will also inform you as to what exactly needs to be corrected on your vehicle. If you are able to complete the repairs within five days and return it to the inspector, only the components that needed repair will be re-inspected. However, it is longer than this timeframe the entire vehicle needs to be inspected once again.