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APPENDIX E. NEW JERSEY STATE GUIDELINES
The following information is condensed from N.J.A.C. 7:27-14, and the instructions for test procedures from
N.J.A.C. 7:27B-4.3, “Procedures for using a smokemeter to measure the smoke opacity of heavy-duty diesel
vehicles”, and provided here as a reference only. The official text of the NJDEP rules are available on the
Internet at
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/aqm/rules.htm
. Certified Diesel Emissions Inspection Centers
(DEICs) are provided with an official operations manual by the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission that specifies
the test procedures and requirements for DEICs.
The New Jersey Heavy-Duty Diesel Vehicle Inspection Program (HDDVIP) applies to all on-highway diesel
powered motor vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 18,000 pounds or greater. Vehicles are
inspected for opacity, which measures the soot particles that are emitted in the engine exhaust. New Jersey
registered vehicles must be inspected annually at a licensed DEIC. Both New Jersey registered, and
out-of-state vehicles, are subject to random inspections under the Roadside Enforcement Program. Only
New Jersey registered vehicles are required to be inspected annually under the HDDVIP. Out-of-state
vehicles are not required to register for the HDDVIP, and DEICs may not issue a New Jersey inspection
sticker to an out-of-state vehicle.
Opacity standards are applied to the vehicles engine, not the chassis, based on its year of production. For
example, if the vehicle is a model year 1995, but has a model year 2000 engine, the opacity standard for
model year 2000 is applied during testing. The NJ smoke opacity standards are:.
Heavy-duty trucks- 18,000 pounds or more
1973 and older
1974 to 1990
1991 and newer
No visible blue smoke > 3 consecutive seconds
40%
30%
30%
Commercial and School Buses-
18,000 pounds or more
Retrofitted buses
(rebuilt engines with a low emissions kit)
1987 and older
1988 and newer
40%
30%
30%
No visible blue smoke >3 consecutive seconds