Washington Emissions Testing

The people at the front desk were just plain rude. I wasn’t prepared for their attitudes. The guy with the glasses on was especially rude. He was really snarky. He talked to me like I was interrupting something important, and babied me through the payment process. I told him it was my first time doing this and I needed him to explain this stuff to me.
The mechanics were quick though and I was out in like 25 minutes tops. One of them was really nice and we talked a bit.

No problems. I’ve always gotten right in with no waiting. The techs have been friendly. Quick and painless!

No issues and no wait time. The facility is located in a rural area near some trucking businesses. I was in and out in about 10 minutes. The lady who did my test was friendly and professional.

These guys are a joke. If you need to know why your vehicle failed, or what a valid fail due to not ready is — just read the paper they give you. They do no more than read it to you like you are 3. Sorry buddy. A) I can read. B) I’ve been working on cars a lot longer than you have had your job so when I say what the paper means — don’t act so surprised.

Coming from Wyoming where there is no emissions testing (which they should have given all of the industry there. Pinedale, WY a very small town actually has to put out air quality alerts) I was nervous about doing it when I was still young and naïve when I first moved to Colorado. Was my car going to pass or not? I was so excited when the car passed it’s first test and went to see my grandmother to tell her. «Well most of the time they do.», she said stiffly. Well to me it was a big deal at the time.
And she was correct with that assessment for a while but when the car got lots of miles on it more often than not it would not pass. So the ensuing headache of getting it fixed so it would pass commenced.
I have a different car now and it passed all of it’s emissions tests in Colorado which have now gone to drive by test vans on Interstate exits. I was worried about it though because it did surge on a trip back to Washington from Wyoming. When I took it in to the garage they said it may be emissions related but in Wyoming which is where the garage was that I took it to, who cares about emissions?
Before I took the test I followed all the pointers that help make your car pass which is a fresh oil change and a full tank of gas.
Needless to say it did pass when I was renewing and changing my plates to Washington. I was excited and was much like how I was when I had to do my first emissions test. I look at it now that a test is a test and if you pass, awesome!
The test itself here is quick and depending if your car passes or not, can be relatively painless after the fifteen dollar fee.
So now I’m sporting new Washington plates! Hooray!
I’m only going to stick with three stars here because it could just as been an aggravating experience as well if it did not pass!
As I said, you get out fast and the lady that did the testing was nice and polite.

Emission Test… it is what it is. But these people get u thru quick.

First of all, this review is more about the Washington State emissions testing program than this particular facility. The Lakewood inspection station and its employees were adequate.
I’m all for a cleaner environment, and support most government programs to that end. Plus, who loves being stuck in traffic behind a vehicle thats belching nasty clouds of smoke? The problem is that the Washington State system is loophole-​ridden scam that does virtually NOTHING to ease the pollution situation.
Only PORTIONS of FIVE COUNTIES (King, Pierce, Snohomish, Clark, Spokane) in the entire state are even required to have their vehicle emissions tested– the rest of the state is exempt. How much sense does it make that a worker in Seattle or Tacoma who lives in the city and gets to work on the bus while the car remains parked must pass an emissions test while another worker commuting (many miles, each way, every day!) from unincorporated Pierce County is exempt?! The extra time and expense required for *certain* WA State vehicles to be tested is also unfair– why are some vehicle owners required to spend $ 15 and take half a day off work every other year for this test when most owners in the state are not?
If a vehicle fails the emissions test, the owner must prove they «have spent at least $ 150 on diagnosis/​repairs aimed at emission reductions» in order to obtain a waiver and renew the license. This means that if your car is always producing a thick cloud of noxious, choking exhaust and you don’t want to do anything about it (or register it in a different zip code), you can essentially buy a waiver for $ 150 and that makes it OK.
Emissions testing should be required for ALL licensed vehicles in the ENTIRE state or not at all– and perhaps vehicles should actually be required to pass the test (rather than buy a waiver) if the program is to have any real effect.

If you succeed at finding this place — it’s tucked WAY back in this industrial development behind a couple big warehouses — you will almost certainly be rewarded with a quick in-​and-​out inspection. My family has been using this inspection station for years and none of us can remember encountering more than one or two cars in line at the busiest times. It’s a very short drive from I-​5 or 512. This last time I was literally finished in five minutes — easy peasy!