WASHINGTON — QUESTION:
Does Virginia have drive-though emissions program on Commonwealth highways? Would you get a bill for $28 in the mail?
ANSWER:
Yes. The program is administered by Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality
SOURCES:
Greg Bilyeu- Director of Communications- Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Fairfax County- "Attention Drivers: Your Emissions Test Just Got Easier"
PROCESS:
A viewer from Arlington, Va., emailed the Verify team for help discerning whether a bill she received in the mail was real.
"I am a faithful viewer of your morning shows, and when I received the attached notice, I immediately thought of your verify team, as I had never heard of remote emissions testing," the Viewer wrote. "So when I received the attached notice, informing me that my vehicle had been screened remotely for emissions...I can pay the $28 and they will give me a code that I will use when I register my car, I was really surprised."
She asked us to verify: Is this official looking mailer completer with logos, real or fake?
Our Verify researchers checked with Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Turns out, it's the real deal.
They run a program called Rapid Pass which rolled out after 2012 legislation.
Basically, they set up dozens of these green screening boxes along the side of highways in Virginia.
When you drive through it, the state is doing an emissions test on your car, without you knowing it.
DEQ is required to administer the program for much of Northern Virginia, including Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford counties, as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.
Click here to find RAPIDPASS locations.
"Whether a vehicle is emissions tested by RAPIDPASS, or by a licensed emissions inspector, the fee for emissions inspection is $28," Greg Bilyeu, Director of Communications at DEQ said. "Owners of qualifying vehicles may increase the chance of receiving a RAPIDPASS notice by driving past RAPIDPASS locations multiple times."
If the test comes out clean, the state will send you this notice in the mail, to let you know your passed and it's time to pay.
So we can Verify this letter's no scam. It's a legit receipt confirming your car passed emissions.