Inefficiency plagues vehicle emissions testing in Chicago as EPA looks to rollout Chicago test site

About once every two years, most drivers in the State of Illinois have to get an emissions test for their car to renew their license plates — a process that can be quite the headache if you live in Chicago.

"Frustrating, it takes forever," said Jeff Nathan, a Chicago resident. "I’ve waited hours, 2-3 hours, and you have to plan your whole day around it, get out of work early if you can, [then] you just sit in your car."

According to a Jan. 2023 report, the EPA said it planned to re-open the ten lane test station on Forest Preserve Drive in Harwood Heights, and create six smaller one lane locations across the city, as well as install four self-serve kiosks and utilize a mobile testing unit.

WGN’s Dana Rebik reports on the progress made toward bringing a vehicle emissions testing site back within the city limits of Chicago.