DC, VA, MD area... emissions

[JaysZ]

down here in TX, a car this age is emissions exempt. if i plan on moving it with me to DC, would the same rules apply? anyone up there know off the top of their head?

[Pop N Wood]

Not sure about DC or Virginia, but in Maryland cars over 25 years old can get either Hot Rod or Historic plates (only $55 every 2 years) and are not subject to emissions or safety testing.

 

In fact, I tried calling the state smog office and the state police to see what the rules were with old cars and how I could get it certified. They had no idea what I was talking about.

 

DC is virtually a communist state, so I would think they might be more strict. On the upside, they are pretty poorly run so they probably never allocated money for a smog office.

[JaysZ]

Not sure about DC or Virginia' date=' but in Maryland cars over 25 years old can get either Hot Rod or Historic plates (only $55 every 2 years) and are not subject to emissions or safety testing.

 

In fact, I tried calling the state smog office and the state police to see what the rules were with old cars and how I could get it certified. They had no idea what I was talking about.

 

DC is virtually a communist state, so I would think they might be more strict. On the upside, they are pretty poorly run so they probably never allocated money for a smog office.[/quote']

 

awesome, looks like i'll be getting hot rod plates thats funny about DC the only thing i ever see in full force when i'm there (and ALWAYS enforced) is the parking issue. at any given time i'll see 5 officers walking the streets and writing parking tickets. btw, how do you like it up there? i'll be up there in a bit..

[Pop N Wood]

I like it. Have lived and worked just south of Baltimore for 12 years now. Before that I lived in LA and Nebraska.

 

Real estate has gotten pretty obscene out this way. But other than that Maryland is a nice state to live in. Good people, good schools (in most areas) and the weather is not too bad. Not as nice as LA but no where as extreme as the midwest. A lot of work in this area too. Not much open space, but boating on the Chesapeake bay is good.

 

For cars less than 25 years old, Maryland has binannual smog checks. Older cars get a treadmill test (worse than LA), but they just check the computer error codes on post 1996 cars. The newer cars have to pass a safety inspection when they are first licensed in the state, but only when they are first licensed. Sort or a revenue generating tactic for the local shops to sell wiper blades and head light alignments to all the newcomers.

 

DC has speeding cameras and red light cameras. The speeding cameras are pretty easy to spot by all the calibration marks they paint on the street. The roads through the district are purposely laid out poorly, I have heard in an effort to encourage mass transit. Overall DC is a pretty miserable place to drive. I worked on the other side of the district for a few years otherwise I would have avoided it as much as possible.

 

The Virginia area surrounding DC is more expensive and has worse traffic problems than Maryland. But they have even more high tech, defense and government related jobs. Overall I think taxes in the two states is about the same. Maryland might be a little higher.

 

I have no idea what the smog laws are like in Virginia.

[loy]

I think to get regular tags you gotta pass inspection once that you just go through the regular process of getting tags. In md

[Rival5]

In Va you have to do safety inspections and smog. Dont know if there are exemptions for age, I do know that the smog and inspections go atleast as far back as 86 and most likey farther.

[CarJway]

In MD, For Historic Tags; There is just a limit on the amount of mileage a year. Something like, 2500. But I don’t see how they can check that. I had historic tags for about 2 years and not once, was I asked about mileage. I assume the Hot Rod tags are the same. Oh, and after 25 years old, (on Historic/Hot Rod Tags) you are emissions exempt.

[savageskaterkid]

In Va you have to do safety inspections and smog. Dont know if there are exemptions for age, I do know that the smog and inspections go atleast as far back as 86 and most likey farther.

 

 

As far as I know this is untrue statewide. I once heard that that in NoVA there is a smog check, but nobody has really backed that up. Here in Richmond there is no smog checks. Never did it in the 81', which wasn't antique at the time. Not in my truck, which was a 91'. Not in my parents 2004 minivan. And I haven't heard anything about having to smog my 78' 280z.