The Office of Air Quality focuses on reducing harmful emissions from on-road vehicles by enforcing the motor vehicle tampering rule in the Indiana Administrative Code at 326 IAC 13-2.1 (a link to the rule is provided in Additional Information below). The state’s tampering rule applies to those who operate, service, and/or offer for sale any gasoline powered motor vehicle with a model year of 1975 and later. Under state law, it is illegal to sell, lease, rent, or operate a motor vehicle in a tampered condition.
The act of tampering consists of removing, rendering inoperative, causing to be removed, or making less operative any emissions control device on a gasoline powered motor vehicle. The only time these emissions control systems can be tampered with is when the motor vehicle is being disposed of or salvaged. The law also states that no one can sell, offer for sale, or advertise for sale any add-on part or modification part which inhibits the effectiveness or bypasses an emissions control device.
Additional Information:
- State rules for Motor Vehicle Tampering, Engine Switching, and Fuel Switching (326 IAC 13-2.1 [PDF]).
- Federal requirements for vehicle testing procedures (Code of Federal Regulations at 40 CFR Part 1066).
- The U.S. EPA National Compliance Initiative (NCI): Stopping Aftermarket Devices for Vehicles and Engines site details the problem, goal of the NCI, and the results.
- IDEM offers compliance assistance to businesses and individuals.
- IDEM responds to pollution complaints.