Soon, I will be introducing legislation to give vehicle owners a fairer, more practical path to obtaining a 5,000-mile emissions exemption. This bill would allow individuals who have driven less than 5,000 miles in the past year to secure their exemption at any point during the month indicated on their emissions sticker—not just on or after the exact date of their last inspection.

Recently, I’ve heard from several constituents who were unfairly turned away from inspection stations simply because they came in “too early”—even though they were well within the sticker month. A PennDOT bulletin issued in June 2024 clarified the documentation required for the 5,000-mile exemption, but its interpretation has led to unnecessary confusion and frustration. Under current practice, even though an emissions sticker is valid through the end of the month, someone whose last inspection was on June 15, 2024, cannot return for their exemption until June 15, 2025—leaving only 15 days to act. Worse still, someone inspected on June 30 must return exactly one year later, on June 30—giving them only a single day to qualify.

This confusion doesn’t just impact vehicle owners – it also puts unnecessary strain on state-licensed emissions technicians, who are forced to turn customers away and navigate under unclear guidance. The current guidelines are disruptive to workflow and cause unnecessary frustration in the inspection process.

Vehicle owners should not be penalized for responsibly trying to obtain their exemption in advance. My legislation will make it clear: if the sticker says June, you should have the full month of June to get your exemption—no guesswork, no arbitrary deadlines.

Please join me in sponsoring this legislation to eliminate confusion, support our constituents, and restore common sense to this process.