Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance (I/M) Program
- Background
- Recent Activities (Last updated 11/18/2010)
- Related Rules
- Useful Links
- Contact Us
Background
Areas affected: HGB, DFW, ELP, ARR
End date: None
Applicability period: Year-round
Source type: On-road mobile source
Emissions targeted: Nitrogen oxides (NOX), volatile organic compounds (VOC), carbon monoxide (CO)
Rule/Citation: 30 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) 114, Subchapter C (PDF)(HTML) 
Description: Texas first established a vehicle emissions testing program on January 1, 1995, meeting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's requirements for I/M programs. The I/M program has been implemented in 15 counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston-Galveston-Brazoria, and El Paso nonattainment areas, and in Travis and Williamson Counties in the Austin-Round Rock area.
The I/M program requires the annual inspection of gasoline-powered vehicles 2–24 years old in the affected counties. Vehicles must be inspected through Department of Public Safety–certified inspection stations for emissions of NOX, VOC, and CO.
Recent Activities
On November 18, 2010, the commission adopted revisions to 30 TAC Chapter 114, Control of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles, and to the Texas I/M SIP. These amendments to Chapter 114 and the corresponding revisions to the Texas I/M SIP:
- modified the definition of the low-volume emissions inspection station to implement portions of House Bill (HB) 715 from the 81st Texas Legislature, 2009, relating to requiring the vehicle emissions inspection limit for low-volume emissions inspection stations to be set at no fewer than 150 on-board diagnostics (OBD) inspections per month;
- increased the maximum time that counties have to reimburse dealerships participating in the Low Income Vehicle Repair Assistance, Retrofit, and Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Program (LIRAP) from five to 10 business days as required by HB 1796 from the 81st Texas Legislature, 2009;
- defined the applicable version of the vehicle emissions testing analyzer specifications (TAS) as "the most recent version" available at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) central office;
- removed the "Specifications for On-Board Diagnostics II Analyzer for Use in the Texas Vehicle Emissions Testing Program" and its corresponding references to remove redundant requirements; and
- repealed the Early Participation Incentive Program (EPIP), which expired on May 1, 2008.
Related Rules
These files are available in PDF (PDF Help) and WordPerfect (Help with Downloading Files).
Rule/Citation: 30 TAC 114, Subchapter C (PDF)(HTML)
| Title | Date | Rule Log Number | Associated SIP Title | WP | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adopted | Nov 18, 2010 | 2009-027-114-EN | I/M SIP 2009 |  |
|
| Proposed | Jun 16, 2010 | 2009-027-114-EN | I/M SIP 2009 | |
|
| Adoption | Oct 26, 2005 | 2005-026-114-EN | I/M SIP 2005 | |
|
| Adopted | Nov 17, 2004 | 2009-027-114-EN | Austin EAC SIP | |
|
| Proposed | Jul 14, 2004 | 2009-027-114-EN | Austin EAC SIP | |
|
| Adotipon | Sept 15, 2004 | 2004-035-114-AI | I/M SIP 2004 | |
|
| Proposed | June 11, 2004 | 2004-035-114-AI | I/M SIP 2004 | |
 |
| Adoption | Oct 8, 2003 | 2003-034-114-AI | I/M SIP Oct 2003 | |
|
| Proposal | July 9, 2003 | 2003-034-114-AI | I/M SIP Oct 2003 | |
|
| Adoption | Dec 4, 2002 | 2002-068-114-AI-SIP | I/M SIP Dec 2002 | |
|
| Proposal | Sept 12, 2002 | 2002-068-114-AI-SIP | I/M SIP Dec 2002 | |
|
| Adoption | Oct 24, 2001 | 2001-035-114-AI | I/M SIP Oct 2001 | |
|
| Proposal | Aug 10, 2001 | 2001-035-114-AI | I/M SIP Oct 2001 | |
|
| Adoption | Dec 6, 2000 | 2000-011A-114-SIP | HGB I/M SIP Dec 2000 | |
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| Proposal | Aug 9, 2000 | 2000-011A-114-SIP | HGB I/M SIP Dec 2000 | |
|
| Adoption | Apr 19, 2000 | 1999-055C-SIP-AI | I/M SIP Apr 2000 | |
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| Proposal | Dec 16, 1999 | 1999-055C-SIP-AI | I/M SIP Apr 2000 | |
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| Adoption | June 3, 1998 | 1998-004-SIP | I/M SIP June 1998 | |
|
| Adoption | May 14, 1997 | 97119-SIP-AI | I/M SIP May 1997 | |
|
| Proposal | Mar 5, 1997 | 97119-SIP-AI | I/M SIP May 1997 | |
|
Useful Link
Texas Department of Public Safety Vehicle Inspection
Contact Us
Guy Hoffman
Air Quality Division, TCEQ
Phone: 512/239-6338
