New Hampshire car inspection — repealed, suspended, and still argued in court.
Until 2026, every New Hampshire vehicle needed a yearly safety and emissions inspection in the owner's birth month. The state budget trailer bill, HB2, signed in June 2025, repealed the inspection statutes effective January 31, 2026. A federal injunction kept the program alive for two weeks; on February 13, 2026 the state suspended it "until further notice." No annual state inspection is required today, though a Clean Air Act suit and an EPA decision are still open.
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Quick Answer
- Does New Hampshire still require car inspections?
- No. Since February 13, 2026, the Department of Justice and Department of Safety have said vehicles aren't required to get an annual state inspection, and the DMV told stations to stop issuing state stickers. HB2 repealed the inspection and penalty statutes effective January 31, 2026.
- Can I still get my car inspected in New Hampshire?
- Yes, voluntarily. The DMV said repair shops may keep offering vehicle and emissions inspections, but may not call them "State" inspections or put a state sticker on the car.
- Could New Hampshire inspections come back?
- It's possible but not scheduled. Jonas v. Ayotte, a Clean Air Act suit filed July 22, 2026, is pending, and EPA's August 11, 2026 proposal to approve dropping the emissions program from the state's air plan isn't final yet.
Four steps from repeal to suspension
Each step is dated from the state's own releases or a federal court order.
- 1HB2 signedJune 2025: inspection statutes repealed from January 31, 2026.
- 2Court injunctionJanuary 27, 2026: a federal judge ordered the program kept running.
- 3No vendorFebruary 4, 2026: the Executive Council voted 3-2 against extending the contract.
- 4SuspendedFebruary 13, 2026: no annual state inspection required.
What HB2 Repealed
HB2, the 2025 budget trailer bill (2025 N.H. Laws ch. 141), repealed RSA 266:1, the statute that authorized vehicle inspection, along with the fee, penalty and related sections, effective January 31, 2026. The DMV told stations in November 2025 that the change ends both the annual safety inspection and on-board diagnostics (OBD) emissions testing.
The emissions-equipment statute had its own, later repeal date tied to EPA approval. The federal district court found that once the authority to require inspections ended, emissions testing was no longer required either.
Timeline: Repeal to Pending Lawsuit
Dated from state releases and DMV letters filed as court exhibits, federal court orders and dockets, and the Federal Register.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 2025 | HB2 signed; inspection statutes repealed effective January 31, 2026 | NHDES SIP submittal; court order |
| January 27, 2026 | Federal court orders the state to keep the program running until EPA approves a revised air plan | D.N.H. No. 25-cv-508 |
| January 30, 2026 | State says the program continues; expired inspections get until April 10, 2026 | DOJ/DOS release |
| February 4, 2026 | Executive Council votes 3-2 against extending the vendor contract | Court order |
| February 13, 2026 | Program suspended until further notice; stations told to stop issuing state stickers | DOJ/DOS release; DMV letter |
| April 30, 2026 | First Circuit stays the injunction pending appeal | 1st Cir. No. 26-1209 |
| May 7, 2026 | Vendor dismisses its suit; case closed June 1, 2026 | Court docket |
| July 22, 2026 | Jonas v. Ayotte filed under the Clean Air Act; pending | D.N.H. No. 26-cv-600 |
| August 11, 2026 | EPA proposes conditional approval of removing the program; comments closed September 25, 2026 | Federal Register 2026-16330 |
HB2's signing date appears as June 30, 2025 in the NHDES filing and June 27, 2025 in the court's order. Stations had to return state stickers to the DMV by April 30, 2026.
New Hampshire's Inspection Timeline at a Glance
The repeal, the court orders and the suspension on one card.
Every date is from a state filing, a court order or the Federal Register.
The Statutes That Went
Sections of RSA 266 listed in HB2's repeal clause, as filed by NHDES.
RSA 266:1
Inspection authorized: the yearly inspection requirement itself.
RSA 266:2
Fees: the statute behind station and sticker fees.
RSA 266:1-b
Inspection of trailers.
RSA 266:3 and 266:3-a
Spare tires and rust: two rules unique to the old check.
RSA 266:5 and 266:6
Penalties, and driving an uninspected vehicle.
RSA 266:8
Sales of unsafe vehicles, replaced by a dealer rule.
Why It's Still in Court
New Hampshire's emissions inspection was part of its federally approved air plan. Only that emissions part was federally required; the safety check never was. That's why the inspection vendor sued, and why a federal judge ordered the program kept running until EPA signed off on the change.
The First Circuit stayed that order on April 30, 2026, and the vendor dropped its case. A second suit, Jonas v. Ayotte, was filed on July 22, 2026 and is pending; its docket shows motions to dismiss but no injunction. EPA's conditional approval depends on a separate decision to take New Hampshire out of the Ozone Transport Region. An EPA staffer told the New Hampshire Bulletin, via Insurance Journal, that the agency aims to publish a final action by the end of 2026.
Not settled yet
- EPA action: proposed, not final, as of this page's date.
- Jonas v. Ayotte: pending in federal court.
- Emissions-equipment statute: repeal tied to EPA approval.
- Federal law: reaches the emissions part, not the safety check.
No Sticker to Go By
Without a state inspection, nothing on the windshield vouches for the car. Enter the VIN for a free preview of title brands, salvage records and odometer readings.
Buying a Used Car in New Hampshire Now
HB2 rewrote the dealer rule in RSA 358-F:2, effective January 31, 2026. A dealer must have a used vehicle safety-inspected before sale if you ask. If that inspection finds the car unsafe, the dealer may sell it only with a written notice listing the defects. Failing to comply, or hiding a defect the inspection found, is an unfair or deceptive act under the Consumer Protection Act, RSA 358-A.
A private seller has no such duty, so in a private sale an inspection is yours to arrange. Registration still has its own rules: a passenger vehicle built after January 1, 1972, can't be registered without a tamper-resistant odometer.
Before you buy
- Ask the dealer: the inspection is only required if you request it.
- Get it in writing: defects must be listed on a notice.
- Private sale: no inspection duty on the seller.
- A shop's sticker: isn't a state inspection.
How the Old Inspection Worked
The repealed law required an inspection once a year, in the month of the owner's birthday; corporate and fleet vehicles were inspected in assigned months. Each visit combined a safety check, under rule Saf-C 3203.01, with an OBD emissions check for light-duty gasoline vehicles from model year 1996 and diesels from 1997. A car that passed safety but failed OBD had 60 days for repairs.
The state never set a driver's price. It charged stations an annual $25 fee and $3.25 per sticker, and stations set their own prices. Under the 2011 air-plan narrative, a missing or invalid sticker brought a $60 citation and 10 days to get inspected, rising to $160 with license and registration suspension if unpaid. That penalty statute is now repealed.
What Still Applies to Drivers
From the state's February 2026 guidance and the sections HB2 amended rather than repealed.
A safe vehicle
Drivers remain responsible under RSA 266 for a safe, equipped car.
Odometers
Tamper-resistant odometers for 1972-and-later passenger cars.
Motorcycle noise
RSA 266:59-a survives: fines of $100–$300.
Consumer protection
Hiding a defect a requested inspection found is unfair under RSA 358-A.
Voluntary checks
Shops may inspect on request, without calling it a state inspection.
Dealer inspections
Required before a used-car sale when the customer asks.
Related Checks and Guides
Inspection rules in other states, what an inspection costs, and checks to run before you buy.
Where These Facts Come From
The state's own documents as filed with EPA and the federal courts (the state's websites were unreachable), court orders and dockets, and the Federal Register.
The NH DMV, Department of Environmental Services and General Court websites refused automated requests, so state guidance is quoted from copies filed in federal court. CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with the State of New Hampshire. This page is general information, not legal advice.
New Hampshire Car Inspection — Frequently Asked Questions
What New Hampshire drivers and buyers ask about the end of inspections.
Can I get a ticket for an expired New Hampshire inspection sticker?+
HB2 repealed both the penalty statute and the offense of driving an uninspected vehicle effective January 31, 2026, and the state said on February 13, 2026 that no annual inspection is required. Equipment violations, like broken lights, are a separate matter.
Do I need an inspection after buying a car or moving to New Hampshire?+
No state inspection is required to register it under the current guidance. Dealers must inspect a used car before sale if you ask.
What happened to the emissions test?+
It ended with the safety inspection. The court found emissions testing was no longer required once the authority to require inspections ended on January 31, 2026; EPA's approval of removing it from the air plan is still pending.
Why did the program keep running in early 2026?+
A federal judge ordered it on January 27, 2026. The state extended deadlines to April 10, 2026, then suspended the program on February 13, 2026 after losing its vendor contract.
What did a New Hampshire inspection cost?+
The state never set a driver's price; stations set their own. Stations paid the state a yearly fee and a per-sticker fee, under the repealed RSA 266:2.
Is a shop's voluntary inspection worth getting?+
For a used car, yes: a mechanic's pre-purchase inspection is the only check of brakes, tires and rust now. It can't come with a state sticker.
Check the Car's History Too
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 the State of New Hampshire, its Department of Safety or EPA. This guide summarizes HB2 as filed by NHDES, state releases filed in federal court, court orders and the Federal Register, read on 23 October 2026; it 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.
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