Utah exempts specified older and heavier vehicles from emissions inspections

Owners can register eligible vehicles as classic vehicles, with limits on use and exceptions to certain fees and equipment rules. Cars and motorcycles must be model year 1982 or older and travel fewer than 1,500 miles per calendar year. Collector travel trailers must be model year 1982 or older and cannot serve daily transportation. Owners must sign a safety statement. Original equipment must work properly or have equally or more efficient replacements in good working order. Road use is permitted for vehicle gatherings and exhibition tours without creating a hazard or public nuisance. The minimum speed exception applies to specified gatherings and tours. The law lists a $40 initial base registration fee, with adjustments and additions elsewhere in the section. Classic vehicles are exempt from renewal fees under subsection (1). Owners choosing a historical support license plate pay a $25 contribution, along with applicable plate fees. Renewal also requires the contribution. These provisions took effect October 1, 2026.

County emissions programs exempt specified older, heavier, farm-use, and verified untestable vehicles from inspections. Coverage includes model years 1995 or older, vehicles rated for a total loaded weight of at least 14,001 pounds, and qualifying farm pickups rated at 14,000 pounds or less. Farm pickup owners must sign a statement that the truck serves a farm on qualifying agricultural land and exclusively carries farm products and supplies. For the technology exemption, the county must verify that the vehicle lacks OBD-II, an onboard emissions testing system. Tampering, removal, or modification of emissions equipment cannot cause the testing problem. The county reports the vehicle identification number to the Motor Vehicle Division. Once recorded, the exemption lasts for the vehicle's life without renewal or another verification. The division may cancel that exemption if verification was fraudulent or the vehicle later receives compliant onboard testing technology. These emissions provisions took effect October 1, 2026.

County emissions programs cannot deny registration solely for covered emissions devices or approved modifications in listed Mercedes-Benz and Freightliner vehicles. Only listed models and model years qualify. They include certain Mercedes-Benz diesel cars and SUVs and Mercedes-Benz or Freightliner Sprinter vans from model years within 2009–2016. Owners still must obtain an emissions inspection certificate. The protection covers a device used to defeat emissions controls that falls under the Mercedes-Benz court agreement, or a vehicle modification approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The rule does not excuse other reasons for denying registration. This registration protection took effect October 1, 2026.

Custom collector vehicles follow equipment standards and qualify for an emissions inspection exemption when they meet the stated rules. Coverage includes collector vehicles at least 25 years old with a model year after 1948. Replicas of such vehicles qualify if altered from the original design or built with non-original body materials. Vehicles used for daily transportation, classic vehicles, and vehicles classified as special interest vehicles do not qualify. Safety equipment must meet standards for the model year being replicated. Replacement equipment must follow its manufacturer's design standards, and brakes must meet current stopping standards. Owners must give the safety inspection station a signed statement certifying the permitted collector uses. Other registration, insurance, fee, and tax rules apply. These custom vehicle provisions took effect October 1, 2026.

The State Division of Finance may transfer $36,400 from the Transportation Investment Fund of 2005 to the General Fund. The authorization covers fiscal year 2026, which ran from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. The transfer is one-time. Spending from the General Fund requires separate legislative authorization. The fiscal year 2026 transfer provision took effect May 6, 2026.