DEQ: Vehicle Emissions Testing

Omg this is the longest I’ve ever waited. Sitting here now. How depressing. I’m here on a Tuesday. Blah.

Long lines almost every time I come here. Fourth trip here in a month due to various issues. Expect a 30 – 45 min wait on a Tuesday. Today the line was backed up onto the road out front. Go to the DEQ webpage to see a live cam that may or may not save you some time. It was offline the last time I visited.

Okay — I don’t get it. I don’t get Oregon and the sole propieter/​government approach to a smog check.
I do know, however, that there was a lack of a line on a rainy Saturday, and that the website with camera still-​shots of the line is just fantastic.
All-​in-​all it was about a 5 – 10 minute process. Definitely wouldn’t have guessed this was a government run facility. The DMV on the other hand…

What can you say about a place you have to go to every two years if you own a car in Portland? All the DEQ centers are kind of out of the way for me, and it is annoying to wait in line, but the staff have always been friendly and it is very convenient to take car of the emissions test and the car registration renewal at the same time. Bring cash or card, no checks!

I have no complaints… except that you have to wait. But you can look at the camera online and see how many folks are there. Although even though there weren’t many cars at the entrance, I still was in line 3 for a while. All total, the whole thing took less than 30 minutes, it cost $ 21, and my guy was super nice and chatted with me and told me I looked way to young to know the song i was singing to.

Save for having to pay about $ 145, it’s fast and friendly service that makes you happy to live in Portland.

Great place, quick in and out.

The young kid working the booth as you enter gets the Gold Star for customer service. I went on a Thursday after 9:00 a.m. and had four cars ahead of me in my lane, so not too bad. I suggest going after 9, not during lunch, and before 4:30.

in and out…
Thats how it works here, only 21 $. took maybe 10 min. again better than Ca and friendly people whom will answer any and all questions you have.

Well, if you live in Portland and drive a car you have no choice in going here. That being said, expect long lines… expect very long lines… even on the days it tells you that the lines are smaller. But, I will say that they move at a pretty decent speed once the system starts moving. Overall I would say that I spent a total of 20 – 25 minutes here, and I was even waiting out in the center turn lane before the entrance for a short time. That staff is what you’d expect, short and to the point, just trying to do their job, but not rude by any means. Good experience here.
** Oh! If you plan on paying by card and you’re one of those people who writes «SEE PHOTO ID» on the back of your card instead of signing it… that’s a no-​no here and they won’t accept it. Be sure to either pay by cash or present them with a SIGNED credit card.

Compared to all other DEQ stations around Portland this one simply kicks ass. In and out in no time at all. Really friendly people making sure you just get on your way.

I have only had to wait more than 10 minutes once, and it was probably only 15 minutes. They have the process streamlined. It is much much better than a trip to the DMV or any other state run office, The others could learn from them.

Good in and out experience with quick, helpful staff. Oregon doesn’t have a ton of these centers, but so far I’ve always been in and out. Best experience was at this one, but I’ve also done OK at the one «out on 185^th» on the way to PCC Rock Creek in Washington County.
The only DEQ testing station I don’t recommend is the one in Scappose. I had a lot of trouble with their employee, but no line!

pretty speedy service but many of the rules seem pretty arbitrary

Long story short: in and out in 15 minutes flat, no joke. Amazing.
A little bit more history behind the story… I recently moved here from California. Had to purchase a vehicle and do all of the cumbersome things that come along with it.
While California’s DMV, registration, eco-​check processes are usually a nightmare, I’ve found Oregon to be incredibly smooth and trouble-​free. I am consistently amazed by just how little a wait there is to get things done (I was at the NE DMV recently, and was in and out in an hour to transfer my CA license to an Oregon one, something that would take 3 hours minimum in CA), and the staff is always super friendly and helpful to boot.
Needless to say, this place deserved 5 stars and then some.

I’ve had nothing but great customer service here. Every two years I come to this same location and every time the workers here are great!
Pleasant, friendly, funny employees. This is probably the only government agency where the employees actually seem to enjoy their jobs and are above and beyond nice to customers. Rain or shine, they have smiles on their faces.
And no matter how long the lines are they keep everything moving smoothly.

Don’t waste your time anywhere else.
I recently moved from southern California, and this is not what I expected. Less than 30 minutes, in and out for $ 19. Clean, quick, kind and helpful. Not words I would normally associate with the garage that checks my smog.
Keep it up!

Sure it might take awhile to get through, but the staff is awesome!
This station is also set up very well with clear lanes and smooth transitions both into and out of the station.
Even if you’re not from this part of town I would recommend using this station, also it’s helpful to note they have extended hours on Wednesdays.

Oregon prides itself in its unspoiled environment. If you are one of those people who think «get that sh*t fixed» when you see smoke rings coming from the vehicle in front of you, you get the idea.
While not a perfect system, the Oregon system of quick emissions and vehicle testing, required every two years to ensure your, your vehicle’s, and the lands’ health, rocks solid.
Contrast this to the NY system of *privatized* testing at gas stations. «Hey dude, want to pass? That will be $ 50 for a ‘headlight alignment’…» So you will not count me as one believing government can do no right. In fact, I encourage government customer orientation and continuous improvement. This DMV location over several testing/​renewal experiences gets it.
You can check their live «lane cam» on the Internet to see how busy it is. Unfortunately they use Flash video, which does not work on iPhones.
You can pull up to this spot with clearly marked lanes and traffic direction to get your vehicle tested and your tags renewed. It’s fast.
For most vehicles they plug into the ODB port, and they know where that is, even if you didn’t, which I didn’t, and test away. (Non geek: «The testing uses the internal diagnostics of most cars to speed up testing. There is a plug underneath the dashboard they connect to that does it. So they are plugging their computer into your computer of your car.»)
They have a minimal waiting space in each lane to sit outside your car and get some work done. They would 5 star it by adding WiFi.
While way, way North for some Portlander’s, it’s an opportunity to smartphone map explore the area of the Columbia Slough and the hidden areas around and West of the airport on the big river.
Government gets it in Oregon, and this is an example.

I have had the odd pleasure of taking somewhere in the ballpark of 2,000 vehicles through this very DEQ during my tenure at an auto dealership.
There are times when this place is a nightmare. Those times are typically at the end of the month when the folks who have procrastinated (myself included) on getting the DEQ done and registration renewed have that sudden epiphany «Oh shit! I gotta go get it done TODAY!»
Here’s a cool tip… Check out whether they are slammed or not here:

Nothing like a live webcam feed to show you firsthand whether the joint is jumpin or not!
The staff here is exceptional. It’s full of characters, renaissance men & women, nuts, poets, sportsfolk — you name it, they’re here.