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Emissions Waiver: Fix, Waive or Sell?

Enter your repair quote and what the car is worth to see your state's waiver minimum and which choice costs less.

Repair quote: $1,500Waiver minimum: $450Car value: $4,000

Repair first; a waiver is the backup

$450 the least Arizona (Phoenix metropolitan area) asks you to spend on repairs before a waiver

  1. Check the official Arizona waiver rule below: which repairs and which shops count.
  2. Have the likely fixes done at a shop that counts, and keep every receipt.
  3. Retest. If the car passes, you are done.
  4. If it still fails and your receipts reach $450, ask for the waiver. It lets you register the car until the next test, so you may not need the rest of the $1,500 quote.

A waiver is not a pass, and every state adds its own conditions.

Fix it
$1,500 out of pocket; once the repair works and the car passes, you keep a car worth about $4,000.
Waiver
$450 of repairs that count first. If the car still fails, you can register it until its next test.
Sell as is
$0 on repairs. The buyer takes on the repair, so expect an offer well below what the car is worth.

Arizona: A one-time waiver after all recommended repairs, up to $450 in the Phoenix area or $300 in the Tucson area; none for catalytic converter failures.

Arizona emissions test rules · Official waiver rule

How this is worked out

If the repair costs as much as the car is worth or more, fixing it puts more money in than the car is worth. If the quote is at or over the state's waiver minimum, a waiver can open once that much has been spent on emissions repairs and the car still fails its retest. Otherwise the repair is the way to pass. The minimums come from each state's official waiver page.

Sources: Connecticut, Ohio E-Check, Texas TCEQ

When a car still fails the emissions test, an emissions waiver can let you register it once you have put a set amount into emissions repairs. That threshold changes from state to state. Knowing your state's minimum first makes it easier to decide whether to repair the car, request a waiver, or sell it.

A sedan raised on a lift in an independent repair shop.

How to get a waiver

Most states use the same order: fail the test, have the emissions repairs done, then test again. If the car fails the retest and your qualifying repairs reach the state's minimum, you can ask for the waiver. Your state's rules also say which repairs and which shops count.

  1. Hold on to the failed test report, since its code identifies the system that failed.
  2. Get the repairs done and keep every receipt, because the state will want proof of what you spent.
  3. Retest the car inside your state's deadline. Connecticut gives you 60 days for repairs plus a free retest.
  4. Ask for the waiver when the car fails again and your receipts add up to the minimum.

Some states accept repairs only from approved shops. In Connecticut, for example, only repairs at a Certified Emissions Repair Facility (a shop the state has approved for emissions work) count, as the Connecticut waiver FAQs explain.

Repair minimums by state

Below are the 2026 amounts you must put into emissions repairs before you can ask for a waiver.

  • Arizona: all recommended repairs, which Arizona caps at $450 in the Phoenix metropolitan area and $300 in the Tucson metropolitan area
  • California: $650
  • Colorado: $715
  • Connecticut: $1,137
  • Georgia: $1,176
  • Illinois: $1,176
  • Maryland: $450
  • Missouri: $450
  • Nevada: $450 in Clark County (Las Vegas urban area); $200 in Washoe County (Reno urban area)
  • New York: $450
  • North Carolina: $200
  • Ohio: $450
  • Pennsylvania: $150
  • Rhode Island: $700
  • Texas: $450 in El Paso County; $600 in other tested counties
  • Utah: $450 in Davis County (no repair waiver in the other tested counties)
  • Washington, D.C.: $1,208
  • Wisconsin: $1,176

Other states with a waiver, and how it works there:

  • Delaware: A waiver once three exhaust tests have failed and repair bills go over the cost limit ($75 for cars built 1968 to 1980)
  • Indiana: One waiver per car in its lifetime, valid until the next test is due (one test cycle), with original repair receipts
  • Massachusetts: Repairs from a Registered Emissions Repair Technician, then a failed retest, can earn a one-year waiver
  • Virginia: State law sets the limit from $450 in 1990 dollars, then moves it up for inflation annually. Ask the inspection station for the current figure. If work done by a certified emissions repair technician costs more than that limit, the waiver applies

Spending the required amount alone does not guarantee a waiver. Rules about eligible repairs, repair shops and retesting also apply.

Georgia, Illinois and Wisconsin change their amount every year (Illinois went from $1,146 to $1,176 on January 1, 2026), and Connecticut's follows consumer prices, so check the official page before you spend.

What repairs count toward the waiver?

Some spending does not qualify. If an emissions part has been removed or altered, don't count on a waiver. Connecticut and Colorado refuse them outright, and Illinois and Rhode Island won't count the cost of putting the part back. Connecticut also refuses a waiver if the car has aftermarket performance parts (parts added to make it faster or louder).

  • Gas caps and fuel vapor leaks: The fuel vapor system keeps gas fumes from escaping the tank. Colorado does not grant repair waivers for a failing gas cap or fuel vapor system. In New York, replacing a missing gas cap or missing emissions control device does not count toward the repair minimum.
  • Diagnosis: Ohio lets diagnostic fees count toward its $450, but Illinois excludes diagnostic labor.
  • Warranty work: Rhode Island leaves out repairs paid for by a warranty.
  • Repair shop: Texas lets a Recognized Emissions Repair Facility count diagnosis, parts, and labor; in other places only certain parts qualify, as the Texas DPS waiver page lays out.

Choosing whether to fix, waive, or sell

The rule is simple: if the repair quote is below your state's minimum, fix the car. If it is above, do the repairs most likely to work first, at a shop that counts, and keep the receipts; if the car still fails once you reach the minimum, ask for the waiver. If the quote is more than the car is worth, compare that with selling it.

A worn catalytic converter (the exhaust part that cleans the fumes) is the usual big bill: RepairPal puts the average replacement at $2,280 to $2,480. Check first that your state gives a waiver for that failure; Arizona, for one, does not. In Ohio, for example, the car qualifies once it still fails after $450 of qualifying repairs and diagnosis, so a $2,300 converter quote does not have to be paid in full to register the car.

Questions people ask

How does an Arizona emissions waiver work?

Arizona offers a one-time waiver once all recommended repairs are finished, and the repairs it can ask for are limited to $450 of work in the Phoenix area or $300 near Tucson. Catalytic converter failures get no waiver, the Arizona MVD notes.

Does Texas offer anything other than a repair waiver?

The state gives a one-year time extension to drivers below the national poverty level with a car that failed the test. A low mileage waiver is also available once you've spent at least $100 on repairs.

How long is a New York emissions waiver good for?

The waiver stays valid until the last day of the same month one year later. In New York, diagnosis and repairs must be completed and the waiver issued within 30 days after the first failed inspection. The car must also pass the safety inspection. If you do the repairs yourself, only the parts and the sales tax on them count.

Do I need a new Maryland waiver every time my test comes due?

Yes. Each Maryland waiver lasts for the rest of the current test cycle, typically about 2 years, and you apply again when the next cycle begins.

Can I get a waiver if my gas cap failed?

In most cases, no. Colorado refuses waivers for a failing gas cap, and New York won't count the cost of replacing a missing cap. Tightening the cap until it clicks is often all it takes.