ECARS: Keeping Dover’s Air Clean

  • Published
  • By Patricia Keffer
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DEL. --  Here at Dover AFB, we have a requirement for all employees who drive their privately owned vehicles on base for work 60 days or more a year to complete their vehicle registration in the Employee-vehicle Certification and Reporting System, or ECARS.

This is an Air Force program that will ensure the base aligns with Clean Air Act, section 118(d). This section states that military personnel and non-contractor civilian federal employees driving their non-exempt vehicles onto a federal facility for 60 or more days per calendar year must have their vehicle emissions tested. Non-exempt vehicles which pass the federal emission test are in compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency emissions standards.

There are two parts to ECARS:

(1) You will receive an automatically-generated email telling you to enter all requested vehicle information into an electronic AF Form 4434. Once this information is entered into the system, you will have to electronically sign the document. It is advised that you print out a copy of this completed form for your records. If you require an emission test, number 14, item c on this form will be checked. You will receive another automatically-generated email reminding you to obtain the emission test from your local government vehicle emission testing station within the next 30 days.

(2) If you require an emission test, you will present a copy of the completed AF Form 4434 to the Delaware Department of Transportation vehicle inspection lane and receive a free federal emission test. Once the test is complete and the vehicle passes inspection, you will receive a record of your successful inspection. Keep this document with your vehicle registration. The emission test results are valid for two years. If you are military and you PCS to another stateside base, you can use the unexpired emission test results to register in ECARS at your new base (assuming you still have the same vehicle described on the emission test results document).

Only the federal emissions test is free. If you require the additional vehicle safety inspection to renew your vehicle registration in your home state, the fee is $4.00. Also, if the “check engine” light is on, the vehicle will not pass the emission inspection test.

For those of you who have registered in ECARS previously, you will receive a recertification email when your vehicle requires an update to your registration. At that time, you must complete a new AF Form 4434.

For additional information on ECARS, contact the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron environmental office at (302) 677-6843.