These US States Don't Require An Annual Vehicle Inspection

I know for us car enthusiasts, state vehicle inspections can seem like a bit of a hassle that gets in the way of us enjoying our unsafe crap, but in a lot of ways, they're vitally important for making sure what we drive isn't deeply unsafe for us, the people around us or the environment as a whole. The vast majority of states seem to recognize this, but not all of them have. Just 14 states currently don't have any yearly vehicle inspections to speak of, so if you're a car enthusiast with a more libertarian view of things, perhaps that's where you should go.

For everyone else, I'm breaking down what states (or certain parts of states) require what inspections, how often they're required and what those inspections entail. As with everything in this country, results may vary greatly depending on the state you're in. Hell, they even vary depending on what county you're in. Anyway, let's check out which states require and don't require vehicle inspections.

Until very recently, there were just 13 states that didn't require safety, emissions or VIN inspections for vehicles, according to GoodCar.com. However, a 14th state recently joined these ranks: New Hampshire. We recently reported that the "Live Free or Die" state will eliminate mandatory vehicle inspections on January 31, 2026. Here are the other baker's dozen of states it joins:

• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Iowa
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• North Dakota
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Washington
• Wyoming

These states require owners to get their vehicles inspected in some capacity every two years, though it might not be in every single part of the state. Don't worry, I broke it all down for you.

• Arizona – Emissions inspections for the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas
• California – Emissions inspections in 41 of 58 counties for out-of-state cars or in-state vehicles seven years or older
• Colorado – Emissions inspections in 9 out of 64 counties, with some exceptions for vehicles 7 years old and newer
• Connecticut – Emissions inspections for all vehicles
• Delaware – Safety and emissions inspections for all vehicles
• District of Columbia – Emissions inspection for all vehicles
• Idaho – "Periodic" emissions inspections for Lake and Porter counties
• Maryland – Emissions inspections for 13 out of 23 counties
• Missouri – Safety inspections for the whole state, with emissions inspections for the St. Louis metro area
• New Jersey – Emissions testing required for all vehicles five years and older
• New Mexico – Emissions testing for all vehicles in Bernalillo County
• Ohio – Odd/even emissions testing for the Cleveland metro area
• Oregon – "Periodic" emissions inspections for the Portland and Medford metro areas
• Rhode Island – Safety and emissions inspections are required for all vehicles
• Utah – "Periodic" emissions testing for Davis, Salt Lake, Utah and Weber counties
• Wisconsin – emissions inspections for Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Sheboygan, Washington and Waukesha counties

If you thought biennial inspections were communism, just wait until you see this list of states that require annual inspections. I'm kidding, of course. It's probably better that we know our cars are roadworthy, no? Regardless, here's what we're working with:

• Georgia – Emissions inspections for the Atlanta metro area
• Hawaii – Safety inspections for all vehicles
• Louisiana – Safety inspections are required for all vehicles. That's in addition to annual emissions inspections for the Baton Rouge metro area and Brake tag inspections for New Orlease area vehicles
• Maine – annual safety inspections for all vehicles, and annual emissions inspections for vehicles in Cumberland County
• Massachusetts – safety and emissions inspections for all vehicles
• Nevada – emissions inspections required for urban areas of Clark and Washoe counties
• North Carolina – Safety inspections are required for all vehicles, and emissions inspections are required for 22 out of 100 counties
• Pennsylvania – safety inspections are required for all vehicles, and emissions inspections are required in 25 out of 67 counties
• Texas – Safety inspections are required for all vehicles, and annual emissions inspections are required for large urban areas
• Vermont – safety and emissions testing for all vehicles
• Virginia – safety inspections required for all vehicles, with biennial emissions testing for urban and suburban areas of northern Virginia
• West Virginia – safety inspection required for all vehicles