About the New York Vehicle Inspection Program (NYVIP2)

Motorists in the state of New York are required to have their vehicles inspected annually. Many passenger vehicles and light trucks are subject to an updated inspection process known as the New York Vehicle Inspection Program (NYVIP2). (NYVIP2) inspections include a check of the on-board diagnostic system (OBDII) on non-exempt vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) less than 8,501 pounds and that are:


  • Model year 1996 or newer gas-powered vehicles
  • Model year 1997 or newer diesel-powered vehicles


Inspections also include the current safety inspection, gas cap check (gas-powered vehicles only), and visual inspection of emission control devices (for gas-powered vehicles only). Licensed inspection stations use (NYVIP2) equipment to monitor the on-board diagnostic system (OBDII) of your vehicle. The inspection stations also use the (NYVIP2) equipment to record most other safety and low-enhanced emissions inspections.



Exempt Vehicles

The following vehicles are exempt from the on-board diagnostic system (OBDII) and low-enhanced emissions inspection:


  • Motorcycles
  • Vehicles less than two model years old
  • Vehicles more than 25 model years old
  • Diesel-powered vehicles that are model year 1996 or older and have a vehicle weight rating more than 8,500 pounds
  • Electric-powered vehicles
  • Vehicles that have historical plates
  • Vehicles subject to the heavy vehicle safety inspection


What emissions inspection is required if a gas-powered vehicle is not required to have the OBDII test and is not exempt from emissions inspection?

A non-exempt gas-powered vehicle that is not subject to the OBDII emissions inspection is subject to the low-enhanced emissions inspection. Diesel-powered vehicles are exempt from the low-enhanced emissions inspection.



How will I know if my vehicle passed or failed the OBDII test?

The inspection equipment prints the test results and a receipt. If your vehicle fails the test, the test result will indicate the reason for the failure. It will also provide helpful information to an automotive technician who repairs the vehicle.



If my vehicle requires repairs to pass the inspection, will the warranty on my vehicle cover the repairs?

Read the owner’s manual and other documents for your vehicle to get information about the warranty on the emissions control equipment.



The vehicle manufacturer is required to warranty


  • Emissions failures for the first 2 years or 24,000 miles
  • Specified major emission components for 8 years or 80,000 miles


What can occur if my vehicle fails the OBDII test?

If your vehicle is required to receive an OBDII emissions test, and it does not qualify for a waiver the vehicle must pass that inspection in order to receive an inspection sticker. The failure of the vehicle to pass the inspection can prevent the renewal of the vehicle registration. You must have the vehicle repaired to meet the standards and pass a re-inspection.



Inspection Waivers

A vehicle that is required to have the OBDII inspection can qualify for a waiver (valid for 1 year) if the vehicle fails the OBDII re-inspection, but had passed the safety inspection, the gas cap check (gas-powered vehicles only) and the visual inspection of the emissions control devices (gas-powered vehicles only). The vehicle also needs to have received repairs that are related to the initial failure of the OBDII inspection and the cost of the repairs was at least $450 for emissions related parts, labor and tax, and the vehicle does not pass the OBDII inspection during a re-inspection. Once a vehicle fails an emissions re-inspection, if the vehicle qualifies, the inspector can issue a waiver and print a waiver form and inspection receipt. Both you and the inspector must sign the waiver form. The inspection station keeps a copy of the waiver and other inspection related documents for two years. The inspector then issues the inspection sticker for your vehicle, which is valid for 1 year.

To qualify for a waiver:


  • You must have the inspection report that shows the failure from the initial NYVIP2 inspection station
  • The inspection report for the re-inspection must show that your vehicle failed the OBDII test, but that your vehicle passed
       the safety inspection, the gas cap check (gas-powered vehicles only), and the visual inspection of the emissions control
       devices (gas-powered vehicles only)
  • The emissions control devices (ECDs) in your vehicle must be intact, and must not show any evidence of
       tampering (gas-powered vehicles only)
  • You must have invoices and receipts that prove that repairs related to the vehicle emissions system were completed at a
       NYS-registered repair shop, or at an out-of-state repair shop
  • The invoices and the receipts must document that the cost of the emissions repairs, including parts, labor, and related
       sales tax was at least $450
  • If you complete the repairs yourself, the calculation of the cost of the emissions repairs includes only the documented cost
       of the parts that have been purchased and installed generally within 30 days of initial failure, and does not include your
       labor


How do I get a 10-day extension of my current inspection?

You can receive an inspection receipt that includes a 10-day extension if the previous inspection was expired at the time of the inspection and your vehicle passed all parts of the inspection except the test of the OBD-II readiness monitors.



The inspection indicates that my vehicle is "not ready" for the OBD-II test. What can I do? Where can I get information about the OBD-II readiness monitor status of my vehicle?

Read the DMV brochure A Consumer Guide to Readiness Monitor Failures as Part of the New York State Vehicle Inspection Program (C-114) at http://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/what-do-you-mean-my-cars-not-ready



What is the warning light on my dashboard that displays the words, "Check Engine", or similar words? What can I do if the warning light illuminates?

The warning light is the malfunction indicator light (MIL) of the OBDII system. The color of the MIL is red or yellow. The MIL can display the words, "check engine soon", "service engine soon", or words that are similar. The MIL on some vehicles displays the image of an engine with the word, "check". The MIL normally illuminates when you turn the key to the run position. If there is no problem, the MIL generally does not remain illuminated after the engine is started. If you start the engine and the MIL remains illuminated, your OBDII system has a problem. The problem may reduce fuel efficiency, increase air pollution, or cause harm to your vehicle. Take your vehicle to a qualified automotive technician to determine the severity of the problem and what service or repairs are required. Normally the illumination of the MIL is not an indication of a malfunction that requires immediate attention, but an unresolved malfunction may lead to more serious problems or costly repairs. To indicate a possible serious malfunction, the MIL flashes on and flashes off while the engine operates. Take your vehicle to an automotive technician immediately, and only operate your vehicle if necessary.



New York Vehicle Inspection Program (NYVIP2) OBD II inspection

To complete an OBD II inspection, the (NYVIP2) test equipment makes an electronic request for information to the vehicle being inspected through a standardized diagnostic link connector (DLC). The subject vehicle responds back to the (NYVIP2) equipment with data including vehicle information, the MIL Command (not the actual lamp) on/off status, Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) and the status of the vehicle’s monitors. The monitors verify the OBDII system has completed testing each vehicle system that can cause increased emissions. An essential component of every (NYVIP2) OBD II inspection is the readiness check of each applicable monitor. The readiness evaluation is part of the final OBD II inspection result, and it could possibly be the only reason why a vehicle fails New York’s emissions inspection. New York has adopted the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidance concerning readiness during OBD II inspections. A vehicle will fail the (NYVIP2) OBD II inspection if enough monitors are reported as “Not Ready.” Generally, OBD II vehicles from model year 1996 to model year 2000, inclusive, will fail when more than 2 monitors are set as “Not Ready;” while model year 2001 and newer vehicles will fail when more than 1 monitor is reported as “Not Ready.”



How can I learn more about OBDII?

The rest of the tabs and subjects on this web site go into details about how OBD II diagnostics and software work and how it is used in vehicle inspection programs like the New York Vehicle Inspection Program (NYVIP2).


To learn more about safety inspections, read the DMV brochure, New York State Vehicle Safety/Emissions Inspection Program for Cars and Light Trucks (C-50). http://dmv.ny.gov/brochure/new-york-state-vehicle-safetyemissions-inspection-program

You can also visit the web sites of these organizations:

US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): http://www.epa.gov
National Center for Vehicle Emissions Control and Safety: http://sustainability.colostate.edu/centers/vehicle-emissions