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As of Dec. 1, vehicle emissions testing will no longer be required in 26 North Carolina counties. Vehicle safety inspections are still required for registration renewal in all 100 counties.

The process to remove the emissions inspection requirement in these counties started more than four years ago, according to a press release from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.

“This change is only possible because of the strides we’ve made in improving air quality throughout the state of North Carolina,” said Assistant Secretary for the Environment Sheila Holman via the release.

The Department of Transportation Division of Motor Vehicles will implement the changes through licensed emissions inspection sites in the following counties: Brunswick, Burke, Caldwell, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Craven, Edgecombe, Granville, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Lenoir, Moore, Nash, Orange, Pitt, Robeson, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Wayne, Wilkes and Wilson.