Illinois vehicle inspection requirements

Frequency and due triggers

Emissions inspection · renewal: Every two years after the fourth calendar year following the model year; Before registration renewal in the model-year parity year.

Emissions inspection · move in: Once before the affected-area Illinois registration, then every two years; Before Illinois issues registration to the affected-area resident.

Emissions inspection · private sale: Once after the ownership change when no qualifying recent Illinois Compliance Certificate exists; Before the title or registration application is completed when no qualifying recent Compliance Certificate exists.

Emissions inspection · dealer: Once after the ownership change when no qualifying recent Illinois Compliance Certificate exists; Before the title or registration application is completed when no qualifying recent Compliance Certificate exists.

Emissions inspection · retest: One emissions reinspection after failure; After repairs and before emissions compliance or waiver can be completed.

VIN / identity inspection · move in: Once for the represented rebuilt-title or out-of-state salvage-title application; reinspection after an unresolved identity or document failure; Before Illinois issues the rebuilt or foreign-salvage certificate of title.

VIN / identity inspection · private sale: Once for the represented rebuilt-title or out-of-state salvage-title application; reinspection after an unresolved identity or document failure; Before Illinois issues the rebuilt or foreign-salvage certificate of title.

VIN / identity inspection · dealer: Once for the represented rebuilt-title or out-of-state salvage-title application; reinspection after an unresolved identity or document failure; Before Illinois issues the rebuilt or foreign-salvage certificate of title.

VIN / identity inspection · retest: Once for the represented rebuilt-title or out-of-state salvage-title application; reinspection after an unresolved identity or document failure; Before Illinois issues the rebuilt or foreign-salvage certificate of title.

Safety inspection · renewal: Every 12 months; Within six months before the registration application and before the annual certificate expires.

Safety inspection · move in: Once for the registration application, then every 12 months; Within six months before the Illinois registration application.

Safety inspection · private sale: Once for the registration application after the sale, then every 12 months; Within six months before the Illinois registration application after the sale.

Safety inspection · dealer: Once for the registration application after the dealer sale, then every 12 months; Within six months before the Illinois registration application after the dealer sale.

Safety inspection · retest: One safety retest after the failed Chapter 13 inspection; After repair and before the vehicle returns to Illinois highway operation.

Fees

Emissions inspection: No inspection charge. Illinois charges no fee for a required Chapter 13C emissions inspection. The separate statutory $20 charge applies only to voluntary and specified out-of-state inspections.

VIN / identity inspection: Amount set or confirmed by the listed authority. Use the Secretary of State title packet for the applicable inspection and title charges; the cited identity-inspection section does not establish one universal inspection amount for every represented branch.

Safety inspection: Price set by the inspection station. The vehicle owner pays the official testing station; confirm the posted test and retest charge with that station.

What to bring

Illinois emissions test notice when issued; Current registration card or title/registration application information; Title and rebuilt or salvage application documents; Receipts and ownership evidence requested by the Secretary of State inspection unit; Registration application or current registration information; Original failed-test report when retesting at a different official station

High-impact exceptions

• An ordinary first-division passenger car is outside the classes enumerated for Illinois safety tests in 625 ILCS 5/13-101. Renewal, move-in, private-sale, dealer, emissions-retest, and title workflows do not add a separate mechanical inspection to this passenger situation.
• A personal light truck of 10,000 lb GVWR or less is exempt from Illinois safety tests unless used in the statute's enumerated bus, commerce, or heavy-towing service.
• This selection records an emissions or identity failure, not a failed Illinois Chapter 13 safety test, so it does not create a separate safety retest.
• The Illinois biennial renewal schedule tests even-model-year vehicles in even calendar years and odd-model-year vehicles in odd calendar years. This vehicle is on the opposite parity, so no periodic emissions test is due for this renewal year.
• A Compliance Certificate was issued within one year of this title or registration application. Section 13C-15 therefore does not trigger an out-of-cycle new-owner emissions test for this transaction.
• The ordinary clean out-of-state title checklist requires ownership documents but no Secretary of State physical identity inspection.