The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency certified five final rules governing the state's enhanced automobile inspection and maintenance program on Aug. 5, 2026, which are set to take effect on Aug. 21, 2026.

As shared in a news release from the Auto Care Association, the new rules include waiver repair technician certification being extended from two years to three years. Applicants must hold current ASE Engine Performance (A8) and Electrical Systems (A6) certifications, and, beginning Jan. 1, 1998, ASE Automobile Advanced Engine Performance (L1) is required. The director may waive the course-examination requirement for applicants who already hold current L1 certification or a comparable credential.

Repair waiver limits and diagnostic cost caps are set in the definitions rule: at least $200 for model year 1995 and earlier, at least $300 for 1996 and newer, and more than $450 in counties classified as serious, severe, or extreme non attainment. Diagnostic costs are capped at $100 toward the waiver limit. These amounts are subject to inflation adjustment by the director.

Consecutive repair waivers for the same repeating diagnostic code are now limited, after
which the vehicle must be repaired rather than waived. New vehicle exemption periods are set at six years for non-hybrid vehicles and seven years for hybrid vehicles. Certified inspector and enforcement provisions are updated, including a three-year bar on reapplying for certification after a revocation.

For shops, the extended certification window for waiver repair technicians could mean reducing recurring administrative burden for shops performing waiver repairs in Ohio's enhanced program counties. The waiver limit and diagnostic cap figures determine when a repair estimate qualifies a vehicle owner for a waiver, which affects repair volume and estimate practices for shops operating in those counties. The extended new-vehicle exemption periods will likely reduce near-term demand for emissions inspections on newer vehicles.