Guide Massachusetts Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Program

August 2020

Massachusetts joined with the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington in supporting California’s agreements with several major automobile manufacturers that will voluntarily continue making annual reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their vehicles. 

The agreements with BMW (including Rolls Royce), Ford, Honda, Volkswagen (including Audi and Porsche), and Volvo will also encourage the transition to electric vehicles, provide the automotive industry with the certainty it needs to make investments and create jobs, and save consumers money. 

Gasoline and diesel cars and light trucks will get cleaner through model year 2026, preventing hundreds of millions of tons of GHG over the lifetime of the agreements. 

June 2018

Massachusetts along with the states of California, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont released an updated Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Action Plan, reaffirming their 2014 commitment to work together on initiatives that increase consumer confidence in ZEVs, make them more affordable, and support development of the infrastructure needed to keep them running.

ZEVs include pure battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric, and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. Collectively, Massachusetts and the eight other states are committed to having at least 5 million ZEVs operating on their roadways by 2025.

See Additional Resources below to learn more about these multi-state initiatives.

The Massachusetts Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) Program requires most new vehicles with 7,500 or fewer miles on their odometers to be equipped with factory-installed California-certified advanced emission control systems.

In addition, Massachusetts has adopted California Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) standards for passenger cars and light-duty trucks as part of its Low Emission Vehicle Program. The ZEV standards require large and intermediate volume automobile manufacturers to deliver and place in the state specific percentages of ZEVs. In turn, manufacturers earn ZEV credits for meeting or exceeding these targets. See Additional Resources below to learn more.

All new car dealerships in Massachusetts, New York, Vermont, Maine, and California sell LEVs. Dealerships bordering these states may also sell LEVs. If you buy a new car from a dealer outside of Massachusetts, be sure to ask for documentation that your new vehicle is a LEV.

How to identify a LEV:

• The law requires a Vehicle Emission Control Label under the hood stating "this vehicle conforms to U.S. EPA and state of California regulations" or "this vehicle conforms to U.S. EPA regulations and is certified for sale in California." Also, the Certificate of Origin will state the following: "Certified for sale in Massachusetts, California, and New York," or "Certified for sale in 50 states."

How the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) identifies a LEV:

• If your vehicle has never been registered, the RMV will inspect its Certificate of Origin for a LEV certification statement.
• For a previously registered vehicle with less than 7,500 miles, you'll need to schedule an appointment with an RMV inspector, who will check under the hood for the Vehicle Emission Control Label.

Non-LEV vehicles may not be registered in Massachusetts! Return your vehicle to the seller. Auto makers have informed their dealers that they may sell only LEVs to Massachusetts residents.

Every vehicle that is newly registered in Massachusetts is required to undergo a state safety inspection and emissions test within seven days of registration. To learn more, visit: Massachusetts Vehicle Check

Depending on the vehicle's model year and where you are bringing it from, you may need to satisfy additional requirements.