(a)  A motor vehicle which, after inspection or re-inspection, fails to comply with the standards and criteria for motor vehicle emissions inspections shall be eligible for a waiver certificate, provided that:

(1)  The cost of emission related repairs performed exceeds the repair cost limit. The cost of repairs may include the cost of emission related repairs made after the inspection or the cost of emission related repairs made up to sixty (60) days prior to the inspection. The cost of repairs shall not include any costs covered by an emission control performance warranty or the cost to repair or replace any emission control system or mechanism which has been removed, dismantled or rendered inoperative. The repair cost limit shall be two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) in 1999, 2000, and 2001 and shall be four hundred fifty dollars ($450) in 2002 and 2003. After 2003 the repair cost limit shall be four hundred and fifty dollars ($450) and shall be adjusted in January of each year by the percentage, if any, by which the Consumer Price Index for the preceding calendar year differs from the Consumer Price Index for 1989; or

(2)  A complete, documented physical and functional diagnosis and inspection, conducted by the department, shows that no additional emission related repairs are needed.

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Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 31-47.1-8

  • Department: means the department of revenue. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-47.1-2
  • Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails, except vehicles moved exclusively by human power and motorized wheelchairs. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-47.1-2
  • person: may be construed to extend to and include co-partnerships and bodies corporate and politic. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-6
  • Waiver certificate: means a written statement, instrument or device indicating the requirement of compliance with the standards and criteria for motor vehicle emissions inspection for a particular motor vehicle has been waived. See Rhode Island General Laws 31-47.1-2

(b)  No person shall knowingly give false information to an AIRS or the department concerning the repair costs or repairs needed to bring a motor vehicle into compliance with the standards and criteria for motor vehicle emissions inspections.

(c)  Any person may perform repairs on a vehicle in order to meet the requirements of this chapter or chapter 38 of this title, except that the cost of repairs, including diagnosis, parts, and labor, to be applied to the repair cost limit must be performed by a certified repair technician. Only the cost of parts may be applied to the repair cost limit if repairs are performed by someone other than a certified repair technician.

History of Section.
P.L. 1993, ch. 254, § 1; P.L. 1997, ch. 65, § 2; P.L. 1998, ch. 327, § 1.