This is correct. There are different rules/standards even between counties of the same state. Diesel powered vehicles in N. Carolina only require an annual safety inspection. In "the South" its very common to see deleted trucks even advertised by dealers. I actually think Georgia and Florida may not require gas nor diesel vehicle emissions testing/inspection of at all! (I could be incorrect). It's confusing for sure.
This is an awesome truck and almost exactly what I want for my upcoming overlanding 4WC build. I just won't be ready to move on anything for another 6-12 months. But man, this thing is one ************** beast!
Just for the sake of transparency for any potential buyers that may not be very "in the know", it should be noted that the deletion of these emissions components is still a violation of the federal Clean Air Act. State emissions requirements do not have any bearing on federal law that requires these components to remain installed. In addition, I believe it is still a federal requirement that state safety inspections in non-emissions counties include a visual tampering inspection to ensure that the federally mandated emissions components are still installed and operational. This would seemingly include the state of NC, according to emissons.org and the EPA...
" Vehicle owners must get their vehicles to pass a vehicle emissions test within 90 days of their vehicle’s registration renewal deadline. If the vehicle owner living in one of the designated 48 counties does not get their vehicle to pass a safety and emissions inspection, the North Carolina DMV will block their vehicle registration until they do.
Vehicles that are not registered in one of the above counties only need to pass a yearly safety and visual tampering inspection."
Are you looking for the latest emissions testing requirements in North Carolina? This guide has all of the regulations and testing locations for you to get your car tested. Click to find the location near you. Find addresses, hours of operation and phone numbers of testing stations near yo
www.emissions.org
You may still be able to sneak it past the visual inspection if you know someone or the shop is lazy and/or doesn't care, but it's still not technically legal regardless. Now the odds of the Feds catching let alone coming after you are very low, but it's still important to understand any risks you assume as a potential buyer. It may also be possible that the seller might be liable for knowingly selling a vehicle that violates federal emissions laws, regardless of whether it was made known to the buyer prior to purchase or not. All that being said, I don't mean for this to deter any buyers. If you're serious about buying a truck like this one, you probably already know what you need to do. I really wish I was in a position to buy this truck right now and I'd do it in a heartbeat if I was ready to pull the trigger.