Consumer Information
Consumer Hotline
For more information about the Air
Care Colorado emissions testing program, you may call the Air Care Colorado
Hotline, 303-456-7090. Recorded information is available on the hotline 24
hours a day. Customer service representatives are available on the hotline
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, including a Spanish-speaking operator. Se habla Espaņol. A
message may be left in the voice mailbox during off-hours, and your call will be returned during business
hours.
Station Hours
Hours of operation for the testing centers are Monday through
Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to
1 p.m. Centers are closed Sundays and all state
holidays.
Avoid waiting in line. Come on Saturdays, early mornings, and
during the middle two weeks of the month.
High volume times to avoid are Mondays, the lunch hour, the first
business day after any holiday, and the first few and last few days of the month.
Motorhomes can be tested at any of the 14 test centers; however,
they are most easily accommodated at the Arvada,
Golden, Parker, Denver Southeast,
Sheridan and Stapleton test centers.
Payments
1982 and newer vehicles require an
enhanced emissions test every two years at a cost of $25.
1981 and older vehicles require a two-speed idle test every year at a
cost of $15.00.
Payment for the test may be made by cash or check.
(Please make checks payable to: ACC.)
Credit cards are
not accepted, and there are no ATMs at Air Care Colorado centers.
Free Retest
If your vehicle fails the emissions test, the first retest is free
within ten calendar days (not ten business days). If the 10th calendar day falls on a Sunday or
holiday when the stations are closed, the free retest will be extended to the 11th day.
Free Evaluations
Vehicles that fail the test, get repairs, then fail a second test are eligible for some free help in diagnosing the problem. The
State of Colorado maintains Emissions Technical Centers that can help evaluate your vehicle for free.
Call 303-744-2442 (and press 3) for more information or an appointment.
Do You Need a Test?
Make sure you need a test before you present your vehicle for
testing! State regulation (D.O.R. Air Program Regulation 2,200-E) requires testing centers to
test all vehicles that are presented for testing. Under this regulation, emissions inspectors are
prohibited from making a judgment on whether your vehicle really needs a test. No refunds can be
given for emissions tests on vehicles that were not actually due for a test. If you are not sure,
call the Air Care Colorado Hotline at 303-456-7090, or your county motor
vehicle office to ask. Effective July 1, 2001, window stickers were eliminated by state law.
Change of Ownership
Used vehicles
that are for sale are required to have a new emissions
test, even if the current inspection report still has time on it.
However, there is an exception to this rule: If a newer used vehicle
is sold and there are 365 days or more left on the original 4-year
exemption, the vehicle does not require a new test at the time of sale.
It is the seller's responsibility to obtain the test. This
is a consumer protection for the buyer. The seller must provide the emissions test paperwork to the buyer
for vehicle registration purposes. The buyer must use this paperwork to register the vehicle within 120
days (emissions test paperwork that is not used for vehicle registration purposes expires in 120 days).
A vehicle dealer may offer customers a voucher enabling the buyer to obtain
a test for free. The customer has the right to refuse this arrangement.
Click here if you purchased a vehicle from
a dealer, used a dealer voucher to obtain a test, and the vehicle failed the test.
Grace Period
There is a 30-day grace period for your annual or
biennial emissions test expiration. However, keep in mind that more than 30
days over the expiration could cost you a $50 ticket. If you need to apply for an extension, call the state
Emissions Office at 303-205-5603.
Independent Test Centers & Diesel Test Centers
1981 and older vehicles may be tested
at any of the independent test
centers as well as at the 14 centralized test centers. For locations of the independents, call
303-692-3270. Diesel vehicles are not tested at Air Care Colorado test centers. For information on
emissions testing requirements for diesel vehicles, visit the
Air Pollution Control
Division website, or call them at 303-744-2442 and press 3.
Obtaining Quality Repairs
If your vehicle fails an emissions test and needs repair, help is
available to find a high quality repair shop in your area. Consult the
Emissions Repair Guide that you were given when your vehicle failed the test.
Tires that are smaller than 17 inches or larger
than 34 inches cannot be safely tested on the dynamometer.
Only vehicles with manufacturer-equipped
undersized or oversized tires that do not fit safely on the dynamometer will
be authorized by the state to undergo an idle test instead of a dynamometer
test. Vehicles with tires larger or smaller than original equipment that do
not fit safely on the dynamometer must be returned to stock condition for
testing. Vehicles with non-original undersized or oversized tires will not
receive authorization from the state for an idle test.
Effective January 30, 2003, the state has raised the waiver limit. Owners
of failing vehicles 1968 or newer now must spend at least $715 on repairs before they may apply for a
waiver. If your vehicle has failed twice and you have spent $715 on repairs, you may
apply for a waiver from passing the test. Hardship
waivers are also available.
Complaints & Consumer Feedback
Have a comment, question, suggestion or complaint about the vehicle
emissions program? All consumer concerns are taken seriously, and will be addressed promptly.
Complaint forms may be requested and filled out at any emissions
test station. These forms are forwarded to the customer service dept. for prompt attention. You can also
call the the Air Care Colorado hotline at 303-456-7090, or send us an e-mail. Please include your name, street address
and a daytime phone number in your e-mail. If you have a complaint regarding an emissions test you
obtained on your vehicle, please include your vehicle's VIN number and date of test in the e-mail as well.
Alternatively, complaints may be made to the Emissions Program
office at the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, Emissions Office, by phone at 303-205-5603 or by
e-mail. If you have a complaint about ineffective
emissions repairs or about a vehicle you purchased without a valid emissions sticker that subsequently
failed its emissions test, call this state office.
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