Health
Vehicle Emissions Testing Offered at Chicago South DMV as Part of Pilot Program
The first phase of the mobile vehicle emissions testing pilot began this week at the Chicago South DMV, 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and will run through Sept. 12, 2025, excluding Labor Day. Emissions testing runs Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (WTTW News)
Vehicle emissions testing is being offered for four weeks at the Chicago South DMV location in Roseland as part of a pilot to reestablish vehicle emissions testing locations in the city.
“For too long, Chicagoans have been forced to travel long distances for routine vehicle emissions testing,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a Wednesday news release. “Bringing services to people where they need them, reducing the hassle and sparing a trip to the suburbs will go a long way toward improving the lives of Chicago area drivers and vehicle owners.”
The pilot is a partnership between the Illinois secretary of state and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Motorists are expected to test vehicle emissions every two years for cars older than four years.
The first phase of the mobile vehicle emissions testing pilot began this week at the Chicago South DMV, 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and will run through Sept. 12, excluding Labor Day. Emissions testing runs Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
The pilot will help assess the community need for the service and explore permanent solutions moving forward, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office. The goal is to eventually have emissions testing kiosks at larger DMV facilities in the Chicago area, including at the Chicago South, Chicago West and Chicago North facilities, Giannoulias told reporters Wednesday.
After passing an emissions test, motorists can purchase their vehicle registration sticker at the DMV without having to pay an additional $9.50 charged by outside vendors, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Owners of gas-powered vehicles who live in and around Chicago are required to test emissions every other year. Emissions testing has been required since the federal Clean Air Act was amended in 1990. Chicago is among several major U.S. metropolitan areas that doesn't meet federal air quality standards, according to a news release.
In 2022, state legislation tasked the Illinois EPA with bringing vehicle emissions testing locations back to the city after testing facilities in Chicago closed nearly a decade ago as a cost-cutting measure under former Gov. Bruce Rauner. The move, however, meant some Chicagoans had to travel farther to get vehicle emissions tested.
Earlier this year, the Illinois EPA reopened its Forest Preserve vehicle emissions testing location at 6959 W. Forest Preserve Drive in Chicago. Two self-service emissions testing kiosks are also available in Chicago.
Contact Eunice Alpasan: [email protected]
