EPA Lets Aftermarket Group Self-Certify Emissions Parts
The EPA will let a trade group certify aftermarket auto parts as emissions-compliant in 49 states, bypassing California's own process, Autoweek reported.
AI-generated illustration for this story; not a photograph.
President Trump directed the Environmental Protection Agency on June 29, 2026, to look at letting outside organizations certify aftermarket auto parts as compliant with the federal Clean Air Act, sidestepping the California Air Resources Board's own approval process, Autoweek reported. The EPA moved fast. It ruled that the Specialty Equipment Market Association's own "certified emissions" program can now be used to approve parts for sale in 49 states, excluding California, according to the outlet.
SEMA represents more than 7,000 member companies that build aftermarket exhaust systems, brake parts and air-conditioning compressors, Autoweek reported. It is also the industry's lobbying arm and the host of the annual trade show in Las Vegas — not, as the outlet put it, an objective observer. SEMA CEO Mike Spagnola called the EPA's recognition "nothing short of a pioneering action by the federal government to utilize private-public partnerships in service to industry regulatory compliance efforts," in a statement to Autoweek.
CARB disputes the premise. Spokesman John Swanton told Autoweek that the board's program "does not apply nationwide," and does not regulate parts that are identical to original equipment. "Automakers have long been free to sell replacement parts in California without official government approval — only modified and add-on parts sold into California are subject to California's anti-tampering laws," Swanton said, adding that those laws exist "to protect Californians from breathing excess pollution."
The stakes for manufacturers are not small. California registers 1.8 million cars and trucks annually, according to Autoweek, which is why builders still have to make parts to CARB spec or skip the state's market outright. California remains the top state for new sales at 11.4 percent, with Texas closing in at 10.8 percent, and it has more than 36 million vehicles already on its roads, the outlet reported.
The two sides can't agree on how long CARB certification takes, either. Trump's memo claimed getting a CARB Executive Order "takes increasingly long — now well over a year." CARB called that false, telling Autoweek its process — in place more than 50 years — averages 90 days.
Trump's memo reached beyond CARB. It followed his pardon of Troy Lake, a Wyoming diesel mechanic convicted of disconnecting emissions equipment from hundreds of large trucks, which Autoweek has reported on separately. The memo directs the EPA to spell out, within a month, what individual owners may legally do to repair emissions systems on their own vehicles, and to deprioritize civil tampering enforcement against anyone acting in good faith to restore a vehicle's original configuration.
California sued the administration on June 22, 2026, over its broader emissions push. "The Trump Administration is doubling down on its unlawful attack on California's longstanding authority to address air pollution and adopt clean vehicle and equipment standards that protect our State and residents," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, according to Autoweek.
What it means at the parts counter
Nothing on a reman engine or transmission invoice changes because of this memo. A remanufactured powertrain is torn down and rebuilt to the specifications the vehicle already carried, emissions equipment included — it isn't the aftermarket exhaust, brake or A/C hardware SEMA's members produce. Where the ruling reaches a shop is one step over: a companion part like an aftermarket catalytic converter or exhaust system sold outside California no longer needs a CARB Executive Order to move, just SEMA's own sign-off, per the EPA action Autoweek described. A shop selling into California can still confirm with a supplier whether a specific part carries an actual CARB Executive Order number, since Swanton says the state's own requirement for modified and add-on parts hasn't gone anywhere.
The number
1.8 million — the cars and trucks California registers each year, the figure Autoweek cited as the reason manufacturers keep building to CARB spec even with the EPA's new 49-state SEMA pathway in place.
Terms
- **Reman:** remanufactured — torn down, machined to spec, rebuilt with new wear parts, tested.
FAQ
What did the EPA rule about SEMA's emissions certification program?
The EPA ruled that SEMA's own "certified emissions" program can be used to approve aftermarket parts for sale in 49 states, excluding California, following President Trump's June 29, 2026 memo, Autoweek reported.
Does California still require its own certification?
Yes. CARB spokesman John Swanton told Autoweek that California's requirement for modified and add-on parts remains in effect, and that common replacement parts identical to the originals don't need government certification at all.
What did Trump's memo say about individual vehicle repairs?
Trump directed the EPA to clarify what actions individuals may take to conduct their own emission repairs and to deprioritize civil tampering enforcement against good-faith repairs, with guidance due within a month, Autoweek reported.
The EPA's guidance on individual repairs is due within a month of the memo. Autoweek noted it is unclear what "original configuration" means in that directive, and neither the EPA nor the White House has defined it. The REPAIR Act, which has bipartisan support and would give independent shops the same repair-data access as dealerships, remains in committee.
Reported with AI assistance from public sources; reviewed before publication.
