This article is featured in the 2026 Winter Carnival Issue.
On Jan. 28, a federal judge issued a temporary injunction against a New Hampshire law that would no longer mandate annual safety inspections or emissions testing for private passenger vehicles — ending a policy that has been in place since 1931, according to NHPR. If the law is upheld, New Hampshire will join the 13 states that do not require vehicle inspections.
The repeal was included as a provision in the state budget passed last summer, which was signed into law by Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte. Under the new policy, police officers will no longer be able to stop drivers solely for having expired inspection stickers.
U.S. District Judge Landya McCafferty ruled that the law — which was slated to go into effect on Jan. 31 — violated the Clean Air Act, according to the New Hampshire Bulletin. However, on Feb. 4, the New Hampshire Executive Council voted 3-2 to ignore the court order and end New Hampshire’s contract with Gordon-Darby, an emissions testing firm..
Under the Clean Air Act, emissions testing is required to ensure that vehicles do not exceed the legal limit for pollutants emitted, according to NHPR. To remain in compliance with federal regulations, New Hampshire must receive permission from the Environmental Protection Agency to eliminate emissions testing. The state has not yet received permission. On Dec. 24, the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services submitted a request for approval of exemption from the emissions testing requirement, according to NHPR.
University of New Hampshire professor Jack Dibb argued that, over many years, the aggregate effects of a decrease in emissions testing could have major consequences for air quality in New Hampshire.
Gordon-Darby, a Kentucky-based firm that has operated vehicle inspections in New Hampshire for over two decades, is currently suing the state for being in violation of the Clean Air Act. The firm has said it will have to lay off all of its New Hampshire-based staff, citing a significant decrease in revenue following the repeal.
Vehicle owners will still be required to meet other safety standards, such as working lights and brakes, according to the New Hampshire Automobiles Dealers Association. Law enforcement, even absent the annual inspection sticker on a vehicle, can still cite the driver for safety violations during traffic stops.
State Rep. John Sellers, R-Grafton, said that inspection stickers did not make “one bit of difference” and that they are only good for the moment in which you get them. He emphasized the role of police in ensuring vehicle safety.
“They have the law behind them, where if they see there’s something wrong, they can issue tickets,” Sellers said. “[If they see] that the blinkers don’t work or something like that, that’s obvious. But I don’t see the officers going in and saying, ‘okay, I’m going to give you a safety check now because that’s not what we do here.’ And I don’t see them doing that.”
Christopher Burtt, who owns C. Burtt Truck & Trailer Repair in Bow, N.H., said that the repeal would make roads in New Hampshire more dangerous because, for most drivers, there will not be someone “to put an eye on their vehicle anymore.” Burtt said he will continue to offer inspection and emissions services, especially since customers are “asking for it a lot more now.”
Burtt speculated that the repeal may end up leading to more ticketing, which in turn will drive up state revenue.
“Realistically, [the repeal] is going to probably end up generating the state more revenue, which may be a thing that they’re shooting for anyways,” Burtt said.
Katharine Morley ’28, who has a car in Hanover that is registered out-of-state, said she gets her car inspected at home. However, she expressed concern about the safety of other vehicles if inspection requirements no longer apply in New Hampshire.
