Illinois emissions test — who has to test, when it's due, and what fails it.
Illinois tests cars only where the air needs it: the Chicago area and the Metro-East St. Louis area. If your car is registered there, it needs an emissions test before you can renew its plates once it's 4 years old, and every two years after that. It's an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) test: a scan tool plugs into the car's computer and checks the readiness monitors and the check engine light. There's no tailpipe test and no gas-cap test for 1996 and newer cars. Here is who tests and who's exempt, what gets a car failed or rejected, how retests and waivers work, and how to look up a car's due date by VIN.
Buying a Used Car in Chicagoland?
The Air Team's lookup tells you when a car is due for its emissions test. It says nothing about the title. Enter the VIN for a free preview of title brands, salvage records and odometer readings.
Free preview · No sign-up · No owner or personal data
Quick Answer
- Who needs an emissions test in Illinois?
- Vehicles registered in the Chicago and Metro-East St. Louis testing areas. Illinois EPA: "Most 1996 and newer gasoline-powered passenger vehicles are subject to emissions inspections after they are four years old." Heavy-duty vehicles of model year 2007 or newer with a GVWR of 8,501 lb to 14,000 lb test too. Diesels, electric vehicles and motorcycles are exempt. The Air Team's eligibility check tells you if and when a specific car is due.
- How much does the Illinois emissions test cost?
- Illinois Legal Aid Online, a legal-information nonprofit, says "The mandatory emissions test is free." The only price the Illinois Air Team's pages publish is $20 for an optional voluntary test, which isn't an official test. What can cost money is repairs if the car fails, and renewing your plates at the station, which carries additional fees.
- How often is the Illinois emissions test?
- Every two years. The test month matches the license plate expiration, and typically even model years test in even years and odd model years in odd years. You can test up to 4 months before the plates expire, though the plates can only be renewed within 3 months of expiration.
Four steps to an Illinois emissions test
The notice comes by mail, or by email or text if you've signed up. You don't need it to test.
- 1Check if it's dueEnter the VIN, plate or Air Team ID in the eligibility check.
- 2Unplug the dongleInsurance dongles, trackers and other devices in the OBD port must come out before the test.
- 3Go to a station or kioskDrive-thru stations, smaller sites, Chicago kiosks and mobile units. Anyone can bring the car.
- 4Then renew your platesResults go to the Secretary of State automatically. There's nothing to mail.
How Illinois' Emissions Program Works
Illinois EPA runs the program, and its contractor operates the Illinois Air Team stations. The federal Clean Air Act requires it, Illinois EPA explains, because "levels of air pollution in the Chicago and Metro-East St. Louis areas still exceed the ozone NAAQS," and the state's own Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 2005 (625 ILCS 5/13C) requires it too. Enforcement runs through registration: Illinois EPA partners "with the Illinois Secretary of State's Office to deny vehicle license plate registrations to non-complying vehicles."
The testing area is set by ZIP code. US EPA's 2013 description of the program put it in Cook, DuPage and Lake counties and parts of McHenry, Kane, Will and Kendall counties around Chicago, and in parts of Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties in the Metro-East. Test notices follow the registration address, so after a move you only get one if the new address is inside the area.
Which Vehicles Test
From Illinois EPA and the Illinois Air Team's FAQ and exemption list, read on 22 October 2026.
| Vehicle | Tested? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline cars and light trucks, 1996 and newer | Yes | From 4 years old; OBD test. Includes vans, SUVs and hybrids |
| Heavy-duty, 8,501 lb to 14,000 lb GVWR | Yes | Model year 2007 or newer |
| Heavy-duty, 8,501 lb to 14,000 lb GVWR | No | Model year 2006 or earlier |
| Over 14,000 lb GVWR | No | Exempt |
| Diesel or fully electric | No | Heavy diesel trucks over 16,000 lb are inspected by IDOT instead |
| Motorcycles and motor-driven cycles | No | Exempt |
| Antique and custom vehicles, street rods, model year 1967 or before | No | Exempt |
| Registered and compliant in another state's program | No | Exempt |
Most 1995 and older vehicles stopped testing when the 2005 law moved Illinois to OBD testing.
Illinois Emissions Rules at a Glance
When cars test, what fails them, and the waiver and hardship amounts, on one card.
From Illinois EPA and the Illinois Air Team, read on the date shown.
What the OBD Test Checks
The Air Team describes it: "The OBD test consists of connecting a scan tool to a vehicle's on-board computer to determine the OBD system status (readiness checks) and whether the Malfunction Indicator Lamp/Light (MIL) is commanded on." A car passes "if the OBD system is working, all required emissions system readiness checks have been completed and the MIL is not commanded on." It fails if the check engine light is commanded on with trouble codes, if the OBD system doesn't work, or if the connector is missing, damaged or can't be reached.
Readiness trips up more people than the light does. A car is rejected, not failed, when more than two non-continuous readiness monitors read "not ready" on a 1996–2000 model, or more than one on a 2001 or newer car. Clearing codes just before the test doesn't help, and after a battery disconnect or repair, the Air Team suggests driving for several days before you test. "OBD testing has replaced exhaust and gas cap testing on 1996 and newer vehicles."
Fail or reject
- Fail: check engine light on with codes.
- Fail: OBD system or connector not working.
- Reject: too many monitors "not ready".
- Reject: arriving more than 4 months early.
Checking a Car Before You Buy It?
An emissions pass covers the engine computer today. Before you pay, enter the VIN for a free preview of the title brands and junk and salvage records on file.
If Your Car Fails
From the Illinois Air Team's FAQ, waiver and hardship pages.
A report and a repair form
You get a Vehicle Inspection Report and a Repair Data Form. The car must be repaired, then retested.
Shops listed for you
The failing report lists the 10 nearest repair shops within 15 miles that have done emissions repairs recently.
Bring the paperwork back
Repair receipts and the completed Repair Data Form. Retests without complete repair data are rejected.
2 retests, then approval
More need an Air Team representative's approval, and after 4 failed tests no more are allowed unless authorized.
Repair waiver: $1,176
From January 1, 2026, up from $1,146. After at least two tests and repairs by a recognized technician.
Hardship: $588
A one-year extension for low-income owners whose repair spend or estimate reaches $588 (was $573).
Exemptions You Apply For
Beyond the automatic exemptions, these need an application to the Illinois Air Team, read on 22 October 2026.
| Exemption | Who it's for |
|---|---|
| Out of Area Exemption | A vehicle kept and mainly used outside the testing area, somewhere without emissions testing |
| Deployed military | Service members deployed away from the vehicle, even if the car stays in Illinois |
| Out of State Compliance | A vehicle located in another state's testing area, with proof it passed there |
| Sporting activity | A vehicle used only in organized sporting events, with restricted-use insurance |
| Parade or ceremonial | Vehicles of not-for-profit veterans', fraternal or civic organizations |
False statements on these applications are a Class 4 felony. Repair costs don't count toward a waiver if the car failed for the check engine light or a connector that won't communicate.
Plates, Permits and Selling a Car
Vehicles "must pass an emissions test or otherwise comply with the Illinois Vehicle Emissions Inspection Law of 2005 ... before the vehicle's registration (license plates) can be renewed." The result goes to the Secretary of State automatically, and you can renew at the testing station office before you leave, for additional fees, by card. If your plates have already expired, you need a 7-day permit to drive the car to the test.
Selling? Tell the Secretary of State you no longer own the car, or the test notices keep coming. Buying? A change of owner or a new registration in the testing area can set an off-cycle test. Before you buy, the Air Team's eligibility check shows when a car is next due, and its report reprint tool lists the car's past inspection reports by VIN.
Lookups by VIN
- Eligibility check: VIN, plate or Air Team ID.
- VIR reprint: past reports by VIN.
- Expired plates: a 7-day permit to drive to the test.
- Sold the car: tell the Secretary of State.
Station, Kiosk or Mobile Unit
Where the Illinois Air Team will test your car.
Testing stations
- High-capacity drive-thru stations and smaller sites.
- Weekdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturdays 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
- Closed Sundays and state holidays.
- Plate renewal at the station office.
Kiosks and mobile units
- 4 self-service kiosks in Chicago, most open 24/7.
- A kiosk test averages three to five minutes.
- 2 Mobile Testing Units that visit community sites.
- New since Public Act 102-0738.
The online locator shows stations and current wait times.
Related Checks and Guides
Other state emissions and inspection guides, and the checks worth running before you buy.
Where These Facts Come From
From Illinois EPA's program page, the Illinois Air Team's program sites (illinoisairteam.net and airteam.app), the Illinois Administrative Code (Cornell LII copy) and US EPA Federal Register notices, read on 22 October 2026. The statute text on ilga.gov and the Secretary of State's site couldn't be reached from here.
CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with Illinois EPA, the Illinois Air Team or the Illinois Secretary of State, and does not perform emissions tests. This page is general information; Illinois EPA and the Air Team are the authorities on your vehicle.
Illinois Emissions Test — Frequently Asked Questions
What Illinois drivers ask most.
When is a new car first tested in Illinois?+
When it's 4 years old. The Air Team's example: 2021 vehicles were tested for the first time in 2025.
Do I need my test notice to get tested?+
No. A test notice isn't needed to test, though bringing it can speed things up. Since July 2025 you can sign up to get notices by email, text or both.
Does the owner have to bring the car?+
No. The Air Team says anyone can bring the vehicle in to be tested.
Will a check engine light fail my Illinois emissions test?+
Yes, if it's commanded on with trouble codes stored. The car will also fail if the OBD system doesn't work or the connector is missing, damaged or inaccessible.
Are electric cars and hybrids tested in Illinois?+
Vehicles powered exclusively by electricity are exempt. Hybrids are tested: the OBD test covers 1996 and newer passenger cars and light trucks, including hybrids.
Can I test a car in Illinois for another state?+
Yes. The Air Team offers a $20 voluntary test, which isn't an official Illinois test, for uses such as an out-of-state resident whose car is temporarily in Illinois and needs a test for their home state.
Check the VIN Before You Buy in Illinois
Enter any 17-character VIN for a free preview. The full report lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service and is not affiliated with Illinois EPA or the State of Illinois. This guide summarizes Illinois EPA's and the Illinois Air Team's published pages and the Illinois Administrative Code and is not legal advice. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
Passende VIN-Abfragen
Weitere Tools, um die Historie jedes Fahrzeugs zu prüfen