{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/46.2-1048.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/46.2-1048.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/46.2-1048.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/46.2-1048.html"}],"law_id":62147,"edition_id":1,"section_id":62147,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1048","catch_line":"Pollution control systems or devices","history":"1972, c. 640, \u00a7 46.1-301.1; 1973, c. 5; 1989, c. 727; 2012, c. 177.","full_text":"No motor vehicle registered in the Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years shall be operated on the highways in the Commonwealth unless it is equipped with an air pollution control system, device, or combination of such systems or devices installed in accordance with federal laws and regulations.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, as herein described, on the highways in the Commonwealth with its pollution control system or device removed or otherwise rendered inoperable.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate on the highways in the Commonwealth a motor vehicle, as described in this section, equipped with any emission control system or device unless it is of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use upon the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment.\n\t\tNo motor vehicle, as described in this section, shall be issued a safety inspection approval sticker unless it is equipped as provided under the foregoing provisions of this section or if it violates this section.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not prohibit or prevent shop adjustments or replacements of equipment for maintenance or repair or the conversion of engines to low polluting fuels, such as, but not limited to, natural gas or propane, so long as such action does not degrade the antipollution capabilities of the vehicle power system.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not apply to converted electric vehicles.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":226724,"text":"No motor vehicle registered in the Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years shall be operated on the highways in the Commonwealth unless it is equipped with an air pollution control system, device, or combination of such systems or devices installed in accordance with federal laws and regulations.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, as herein described, on the highways in the Commonwealth with its pollution control system or device removed or otherwise rendered inoperable.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate on the highways in the Commonwealth a motor vehicle, as described in this section, equipped with any emission control system or device unless it is of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use upon the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment.\n\t\tNo motor vehicle, as described in this section, shall be issued a safety inspection approval sticker unless it is equipped as provided under the foregoing provisions of this section or if it violates this section.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not prohibit or prevent shop adjustments or replacements of equipment for maintenance or repair or the conversion of engines to low polluting fuels, such as, but not limited to, natural gas or propane, so long as such action does not degrade the antipollution capabilities of the vehicle power system.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not apply to converted electric vehicles.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15958,"edition_id":1,"name":"Exhaust System","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12828,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 04:02:42","date_modified":"2026-06-26 04:02:42","permalink":{"id":229593,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15958,"identifier":"5","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12828,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12827,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228599,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12828,"identifier":"10","token":"46.2\/III\/10","url":"\/46.2\/III\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12827,"edition_id":1,"name":"Operation","identifier":"III","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12770,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:55","permalink":{"id":228597,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12827,"identifier":"III","token":"46.2\/III","url":"\/46.2\/III\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12770,"edition_id":1,"name":"Motor Vehicles","identifier":"46.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:52","permalink":{"id":225289,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12770,"identifier":"46.2","token":"46.2","url":"\/46.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":67673,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1047","catch_line":"Muffler cutout, etc., illegal","url":"\/46.2-1047\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1047","metadata":false},{"id":62147,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1048","catch_line":"Pollution control systems or devices","url":"\/46.2-1048\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1048","metadata":false},{"id":65632,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1049","catch_line":"Exhaust system in good working order","url":"\/46.2-1049\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1049","metadata":false},{"id":64381,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1050","catch_line":"Mufflers on motorcycles","url":"\/46.2-1050\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1050","metadata":false},{"id":76491,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1051","catch_line":"Local ordinances; vehicle exhaust","url":"\/46.2-1051\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1051","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":67673,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1047","catch_line":"Muffler cutout, etc., illegal","url":"\/46.2-1047\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1047","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":65632,"structure_id":15958,"section_number":"46.2-1049","catch_line":"Exhaust system in good working order","url":"\/46.2-1049\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1049","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/46.2-1048\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1972. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 640 of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. Unfortunately, the 1972 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1973, chapter 5; in 1989, chapter 727; in 2012, chapter 177<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":81748,"section_number":"46.2-1180","catch_line":"Board to adopt regulations; exemption of certain motor vehicles","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1180\/"},{"id":83623,"section_number":"46.2-1181","catch_line":"Emissions inspection; cost of repairs; waivers","order_by":null,"url":"\/46.2-1181\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":229599,"object_type":"law","relational_id":62147,"identifier":"46.2-1048","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1048","url":"\/46.2-1048\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/46.2-1048\/","token":"46.2\/III\/10\/5\/46.2-1048","dublin_core":{"Title":"Pollution control systems or devices","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 46.2-1048","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No motor vehicle<\/span> registered in the Commonwealth and manufactured for the model year 1973 or for subsequent model years shall be operated on the highways<\/span><\/span> in the Commonwealth unless it is equipped with an air pollution control system, device, or combination of such systems or devices installed in accordance with federal laws<\/span> and regulations.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle<\/span>, as herein described, on the highways<\/span><\/span> in the Commonwealth with its pollution control system or device removed or otherwise rendered inoperable.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate on the highways<\/span><\/span> in the Commonwealth a motor vehicle<\/span>, as described in this section, equipped with any emission control system or device unless it is of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use upon the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment.\n\t\tNo motor vehicle<\/span>, as described in this section, shall be issued a safety inspection approval sticker unless it is equipped as provided under the foregoing provisions of this section or if it violates this section.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not prohibit or prevent shop adjustments or replacements of equipment for maintenance or repair or the conversion of engines to low polluting fuels, such as, but not limited to, natural gas or propane, so long as such action does not degrade the antipollution capabilities of the vehicle power system.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not apply to converted electric vehicles<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPOLLUTION CONTROL SYSTEMS OR DEVICES (\u00a7 46.2-1048)\n\nNo motor vehicle registered in the Commonwealth and manufactured for the model\nyear 1973 or for subsequent model years shall be operated on the highways in the\nCommonwealth unless it is equipped with an air pollution control system, device,\nor combination of such systems or devices installed in accordance with federal\nlaws and regulations.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, as herein\ndescribed, on the highways in the Commonwealth with its pollution control system\nor device removed or otherwise rendered inoperable.\n\t\tIt shall be unlawful for any person to operate on the highways in the\nCommonwealth a motor vehicle, as described in this section, equipped with any\nemission control system or device unless it is of a type installed as standard\nfactory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use upon the particular\nvehicle as standard factory equipment.\n\t\tNo motor vehicle, as described in this section, shall be issued a safety\ninspection approval sticker unless it is equipped as provided under the\nforegoing provisions of this section or if it violates this section.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not prohibit or prevent shop adjustments\nor replacements of equipment for maintenance or repair or the conversion of\nengines to low polluting fuels, such as, but not limited to, natural gas or\npropane, so long as such action does not degrade the antipollution capabilities\nof the vehicle power system.\n\t\tThe provisions of this section shall not apply to converted electric vehicles.\n\nHISTORY: 1972, c. 640, \u00a7 46.1-301.1; 1973, c. 5; 1989, c. 727; 2012, c. 177.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}