CLEVELAND — Ohio’s longtime E-Check vehicle emissions testing program is on its way out. Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday that he has directed the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to begin the process of eliminating the program across Northeast Ohio.
The E-Check program requires drivers across the greater Cleveland-Akron region to have their vehicles tested for emissions before renewing their registrations. Ending it would remove a recurring chore — and an added cost — for hundreds of thousands of Northeast Ohio motorists who have dealt with the testing stations for decades.
Because vehicle emissions testing is tied to federal air quality standards, dismantling the program is expected to involve coordination with federal regulators. DeWine’s directive sets the formal process in motion at the Ohio EPA, which will now begin the steps needed to wind the program down.
The move marks the end of an era for a program that has been part of car ownership in Northeast Ohio for generations. NewsForce247 will update this story as the state releases a timeline.
