The reason that Emissions Testing is mandated by the state is for the health and safety of all Arizona residents and because in 1987 the federal government earmarked federal funds to states that work to reduce emissions.
As these two areas continue to grow in population there is an increase in traffic which means higher emissions from additional vehicles.
Older vehicles need more maintenance to stay in good working condition and if they are not they often produce more emissions which lowers the air quality and can be unhealthy for those with respiratory problems.
Arizona as a whole state has actually received a good score in the Air Quality Check. The problem is that in highly populated cities like the Greater Phoenix Area and the Greater Tucson Area we continue to fail the air quality test.
The reasoning behind this isn’t all just because of vehicle emissions. Sure vehicles are part of the problem and that is why we test for vehicle emissions but any type of smoke from factories or even natural fires can hurt our air quality.
Sunshine and a high heat index mixed with some pollutants cause a chemical reaction which is how Smog is created. We already deal with some pretty high temperatures which are said to increase the speed at which these chemical reactions occur in the air. Once the pollutants begin to change they cause damage to the Ozone which is why it seems to get hotter each year.
Rain is said to push down and wash away air pollutants but it doesn’t rain very often in Arizona with it being a desert and all but when it does come we can enjoy knowing that it is washing away the pollutants in our air and we can breathe a little easier.
When the Air Quality is bad it’s a good idea to stay home and maybe change out your air filters. This is more important for people who deal with Asthma, Lung Disease, or any other breathing condition that people may have. Breathing heavily polluted air is bad for everyone but for people with lung issues it could be even worse. You can check the local weather to see what level the air quality is at each day if you are concerned but the best thing to do is to work to reduce pollutants so that we can all enjoy good quality air to breathe.
There are many things we can do to help reduce air pollution. Weather.gov provided these helpful tips that every Arizona citizen can follow to help reduce the air pollution levels in your own city. Thank you for all of your efforts in improving the Air Quality of our great state.
As your vehicle gets older it is likely that at some point you may fail the emissions test. Even if your vehicle is in great working order and you maintain it regularly things can still begin to deteriorate and you won’t always see a check engine light if there is a problem with your vehicle emissions. Sometimes you may have to get repairs made to your vehicle before you can retest and in some cases, these repairs can be expensive.
If you need assistance getting the repairs completed for your vehicle after you have failed the emissions test you can request help through the Voluntary Vehicle Repair Program. This program provides financial assistance for people that need help covering the cost of repairs but only after they have failed the Arizona Emissions Test.
You can receive up to $550 for a standard gasoline vehicle and up to $1000 for heavy-duty diesel vehicles that may need repairs to pass the retest. In most cases, the repairs do not tend to be very expensive but they must be completed at an ADEQ-approved facility. Now not just anyone can be approved for this program so be sure to check to see if you qualify. Here are a few reasons why you would qualify for the program.
Good news, you can now see a map with all of the locations for emissions testing in Arizona on this website. Use our handy guide to find the emissions testing location near you Emissions testing is required for all vehicles in Arizona except for vehicles that are three years or older or newer. The fee to have your vehicle emissions tested is $17. However, there are a few exceptions for some vehicle ages and types.
Vehicle emissions testing is required every two years.
If there is no line, vehicle emissions testing typically only takes about 10 minutes. The longest that I ever had to wait in a line was 30 minutes, but that is unusual.
This website is not affiliated with either ADEQ or MyAZCar.com. It is simply an additional resource for people who are trying to find the station closest to them. Please use the MyAZCar.com site to double-check that your chosen location is still open before driving there.
