DEQ: Vehicle Emissions Testing

This testing station is a little out of my way from where I live but right down the street from where I work.
What I love: I always zip right through without waiting in a long line. The guys and gals there are always friendly. My car still passes — whew!
What I hate: It gets more damn expensive every year I go. Not the fault of the the testing station but still, $ 145.00 for a tiny sticker is a bullshit thing to spend that much money on.
But seriously, if you have to visit DEQ for new tags, and you will, this a fine destination to go to.
2016 — Review # 20

This trip was much faster then usual. Probably due to my timing, I was in and out in just a few minutes. The set up is nice, I am not so sure about the whole do it yourself thing. It took most of my time trying to figure out where to plug the thing in. Whats worse it that in two years, I will have had time to forget!
Over all it was ok. I think the employee should be there more, they said to talk to them if you had problems finding where to plug it in. I could find no one. She showed up just as I was paying to get their part of the slip.
It is nice that they take credit cards now.

DEQ, a pain in the rear, especially when you have three vehicles that have to be inspected every 2 years. I am here fairly often.
They are fast, efficient and very nice folks. They now have two lines which merge into one, (that helps with the cars stacked up waiting to turn into the facility). No dogs allowed into the payment booth, so you stand near the door with your pet until they are done, then you pop your pet back into the car and enter the payment booth.
Sadly today I was denied due to the engine modifications we have added to our Challenger. I should have known. No payment required when you fail the DEQ test.
Even though there was a line all the way to the street I still got in and out in about 20 minutes. I shall be back in a week or so and try again!

This is my go to DEQ center for the last 14 years. Its close, they are open late some days, I never had to wait in line, I went couple of times in the weekends and late evenings on weekdays. The process was pretty simple, have the paperwork ready with you (mail, insurance info etc), the attendant will tell you to go to a specific lane, drive in, leave the engine ON, let the other guy hook up the computer test out, sign the paper, pay the fee and drive out in 10 – 15 minutes.

I moved to Portland from Idaho and had to figure out this whole DEQ business. When I arrived late Friday morning, there was a short line of cars waiting to be directed to the testing lanes. The man up front was very nice and polite as he told me where to go. I only waited probably fifteen minutes before my car was next to be checked and the woman who helped me was just as nice and efficient. The test itself was only a few minutes and I was on my way. For a DMV related agency, it was very quick and painless, which was very refreshing.

Not sure where the 5 stars are coming from this place is a hot mess and a miserable waste of a perfectly good day off. I waited an hour and a half in line (I arrived at 7:25 am, and was first in line when the doors opened at 8:30. At 8) they opened the lot so the line spilling out onto the street wouldn’t block traffic so badly), had all my paperwork ready and exact change in cash. Mechanic OK’d my car for DEQ a week ago, you would think I’m set. But…
The employee couldn’t figure out how to use the OBD scanner on my Mazda. She called another employee to help, who turned my car off and on again, and tried again, waking my sleeping baby. They still couldn’t get a read, so they handed me a fail slip with no cause of failure or useful information whatsoever. The second employee suggested I take the car to the mechanic (again? For what?) and when I asked what the mechanic was supposed to do to make the scanner work (mechanic was able to use the scanner fine last week) he replied, verbatim, «oh, who knows what mechanics do?»
At this point the next car in line had been let in to the garage, had pulled up behind me and I was told to get in line again and wait another hour and a half if I wanted to try the connection again.
When called the help number printed on the fail slip, (503) 299 5066, the number was discontinued. The actual number for DEQ help is (503) 229 5066, the paperwork is misprinted.
Real class act. WTF.
The way I see it, my car didn’t fail the test, the employee failed to perform the test. Apparently, your incompetency is my problem. Thanks DEQ.

Quick and efficient a week before Christmas? I’m sold. They were friendly and it took five minutes to renew, I will absolutely be back to this location in the future.

Very friendly staff, short lines, and quick testing with easy instructions. All on a Saturday afternoon.

On the first of the month which also happened to be a Friday to boot, the line was pretty damn long by post lunch hour, which I was worried spelled disaster and ghastly service. Imagine my pleasant surprise when the staff (both the first one and the one that performed the testing itself) were personable, took their time to be friendly and treated me like a person, not a number. Though the temperatures were soaring (into the 90s) they managed to maintain excellent customer service standards and even, (hang onto your hats) a smile! Thanks guys! This was one government office that I felt good seeing what they are doing with my tax dollars.

Huh?!? Five stars for a government agency?!?
Yep. Okay, look, you’re a captive audience. By mere nature of the fact that you drive a (dramatic gasp with the backside of your hand up against your forehead) vehicle anywhere within 50 miles of a city, you’re going to wind up here at one point or another. You have no choice.
BUT, that said, look, you fill out 60 seconds worth of information on a form, hang out in a line for 15 – 30 minutes (or less – some years I’ve gotten in and out of here in 8 minutes flat) they plug in little electronic doohickeys and tubey things and let the robots smell your car’s fart-​pipe. And by the time they’ve been able to slide that handy plastic mag-​stripe card and drain $ 100 out of your checking account your car is ready to roll with another 2– or 4-​years’ in pretty colored stickers.
Between my car and Wife N’s, I’ve been through here 6 times in the last 10 years. They’re always nice. They run the place with the understanding that no one really wants to be here right now – we’ve ALL got better things to be doing than hanging out at really long red lights and proceeding a car length at a time into the bay. They understand the inconvenience. And yet here you are.
So here’s what it comes down to: your experience here will be what you can make of it. If your tags expire on the 31^st, and here it is the 31^st at 4:30PM, you should plan to be here a while. But since you were notified of this three months ago you deserve the long wait you’ve brought upon yourself. The rest of us with time to choose the day you’d like to be there should opt for the mid afternoon on a mid-​week day. My Thursday 1:30pm visit took me 12 minutes from the time I drove in the driveway to the time I fled with my shiny new sticker.
Your mileage may vary.

I came here on a Wednesday afternoon to get my car tested /​renew my registration. Per the instructions on the form I received in the mail, I had the registration form filled out before I showed up, and I was prepared to pay the registration fee (specified on my form) + the DEQ cost ($ 21).
I rolled up, and there were two lines funneling into one where an employee checked my forms, scanned my car, and directed me into a specific testing lane. After driving up to my lane, I had to wait a couple of minutes for the car in front of me to finish up. I left the car running, and was told to wait inside of the adjacent waiting room by another employee. She did some things to my car, looked at my forms, checked a few things, and I paid her the fees. In return, I received my new registration forms along with new license plate stickers. They take credit cards.
In total, I think it took about 15 minutes. I was there around 5 PM on a Wednesday, too, so I definitely expected the waits to be longer. This location is very efficient, and I was very happy with the service I received. My only complaint would be that the employees weren’t super friendly, but in the grand scheme of things, that’s not the most important thing when I need to get my car registration renewed — efficiency is wayyy more awesome so I don’t have to waste too much time.
I’ll be back again, though not by choice =).

Renewing my registration was so quick and easy here! There were no long lines and the employees were so nice and friendly. It was a one stop deal-​what a relief!

The Federal Government is shut down, but the DEQ is going strong, 6 days a week! My checkup took 5 minutes, 10 minutes before closing time. The employees weren’t very friendly, but the efficiency wins out. It also has the benefit of being the closest DEQ to Chennai Masala.

Fast & Friendly… what more do you need from DEQ?!

In and out in under 5 minutes… on a Tuesday afternoon! You can’t beat that!

In and out in 8 minutes! Awesome.

Some people have an aversion to going to DEQ due to long lines and the thought of an inefficient system. Well, fear no more! At least not at this DEQ.
I went the other day to get my 2006 Avalon tested. Pulled up and there were two lines to speak to the person in the booth directing cars to the numerous lines available. Each line was only 3 cars deep and I got to the booth within about 90 90 seconds. The person in the booth directed me to lane number 8 and off I went.
This was a «self service» lane but there was someone there to show me where to plug in the car for the test and walked me through the steps. I was in and out of here in 5 minutes!
Friendly and fast!

Thank you for speedy service!
Thank you for processing my DMV renewal so I don’t have to stand in line at the DMV itself!
Thank you for getting me in and out within 10 minutes!
Thank you to the kind Filipino man who helped me!
Thank you for making sure my car isn’t emitting any harmful fumes!
Thank you, I’ll definitely come back again!

Yep, it’s a mandatory DEQ testing station. Not unlike trips to the dentist, this trip is necessary every 2 years unless you live in the sticks. Or, unless your car is registered out in the sticks. *ahem*
This is the least painful DEQ testing station I’ve ever been to. Not unlike Kate, I’ve spent ~5 minutes total in here with either of my vehicles. Pro-​tip: visit the place on Wednesdays. They’re open later than usual (7pm vs. 5:30) and it’s not half as busy as a Tuesday. Speaking of which: days to avoid include the aforementioned Tuesday and Saturday. At least, that’s my experience.

I was in and out of this DEQ in less than five minutes.
I showed up around 3pm on a Thursday, and most of the lanes were completely empty. I’m not just saying there was no line, but that there was no one in the lane being tested either.
I rolled in with out-​of-​state plates, and the guy at the booth gave me a brief explanation of what was going on, working under the (correct) assumption that this was my first ever visit to a DEQ.
The tech working the lane to which i was directed also made sure i knew what was going on. He and i chatted in the little private waiting room while the computers chatted with my car. A few minutes later, he handed me a sheet of paper saying my car passed, and i was done.
Compared to getting a smog check in California or an emissions test in New York, this was unequivocally wonderful.