# 2026-16330: EPA OKs NH Scrapping Car Smog Checks—Clean Air Win?

2026-16330, Air Plan Approval; New Hampshire; Repeal of Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program, is a Federal Register proposed rule from Environmental Protection Agency published 2026-08-11, effective Written comments must be received on or before September 25, 2026.; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-08-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16330
- As of: 2026-08-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-16330
- Title: Air Plan Approval; New Hampshire; Repeal of Motor Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance Program
- Type: Proposed Rule
- Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency
- Citation: 91 FR 51640
- Published: 2026-08-11
- Effective: Written comments must be received on or before September 25, 2026.
- Comments close: 2026-09-25
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: yes
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-08-18

## In one line

EPA OKs NH Scrapping Car Smog Checks—Clean Air Win?

## Summary

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to conditionally approve a State Implementation Plan (SIP) revision submitted by the State of New Hampshire on December 24, 2025, through the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES). The proposed revision would remove the Statewide motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program as an active measure, which was previously approved into the SIP to address emissions from on-road sources. In accordance with plan revision requirements of the Clean Air Act (CAA), the SIP submittal contains a demonstration that the removal of the I/M program will not interfere with New Hampshire's compliance with any National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) or with any applicable requirement of the CAA. In a letter to the EPA, NHDES committed to submitting an additional SIP revision within one year of a final conditional approval to address maintenance plan requirements.

## Effects PRIA read

- New Hampshire repeals vehicle emissions checks: benefit, low. New Hampshire enacted HB2 to repeal the statewide motor vehicle inspection and maintenance (I/M) program effective January 31, 2026, and the State submitted a SIP revision on December 24, 2025 asking EPA to remove the I/M program as an active SIP measure. The EPA published a proposed conditional ap…
- I/M kept as contingency for southern NH: mixed, low. Although New Hampshire seeks to remove the I/M program as an active SIP measure, the State committed (in a June 11, 2026 supplement) to submit a SIP revision within one year of a final conditional approval to place the I/M program on the list of potential contingency measures for the 1997 ozone mai…

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## Sources
- [2026-16330 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/08/11/2026-16330/air-plan-approval-new-hampshire-repeal-of-motor-vehicle-inspection-and-maintenance-program)
- [2026-16330 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-08-11/pdf/2026-16330.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-16329, Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mamma…](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16329)
- [Next: 2026-16331, Response to Clean Air Act Section 176A Petition From New Hampshire](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16331)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-16330 (as of 2026-08-18).