Maryland legislator seeks to end state’s vehicle emissions inspection program

By Mennatalla Ibrahim, Baltimore Sun (TNS)

Del. Christopher Bouchat plans to introduce legislation in the 2026 General Assembly session to eliminate Maryland’s Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program, also known as VEIP, calling the decades-old policy “obsolete” and overly costly for taxpayers.

Bouchat, a Republican representing Carroll County, told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday that the state’s emissions testing system has outlived its usefulness.

“It was a good program when it started, but since then, automobile manufacturers have incorporated and adjusted the manufacturing process in ways to reduce the emissions that were offensive to us and our climate,” Bouchat said. “What’s happening now is the state says, using it as a money source. There’s no need for this process to be in place.”