Until a couple years ago, my state (Washington) had yearly emission inspections. They stopped doing them and are no longer required. They also had exemptions for vehicle older than a certain date (I can’t remember when the cut-off was.)
Do I think they could start them up again? Oh, yeah.
We are still subject to those inspections in SE Wisconsin (where the bulk of our pollution blows in from Chicago)
I’m surprised that they stopped it. In my state, the EPA requires testing until 25 years after manufacture, most states require it for 20. But, it is an easy, bureaucratic method to drive a number of older vehicles off the road.
Unless you’ve replaced the high-mileage engine, it very likely will not pass the original testing.