The rules in three lines
The owner FAQ on the Ministry of Environment’s scooter inspection site sets out three basic rules (our translation):
- “A scooter must undergo a periodic emission inspection once a year from five years after manufacture.”
- “The inspection period is one month before and after the month of the original registration certificate.” For a scooter first registered in March, that is 1 February to 30 April.
- “A scooter that fails must be repaired and pass a retest within one month.”
The “original registration month” (原發照月份) is the month the scooter was first registered, printed on the vehicle registration certificate (行照). It is not the date of a replacement certificate. The window runs from the 1st of the month before to the last day of the month after, so a January registration means a window starting in December of the year before. The table in the inspection deadline calculator lists every month.
Where to go and what it costs
Only stations approved by the local environmental protection bureau can carry out the test, and the ministry’s station search lists them. The ministry says the test fee is currently NT$100, paid from air pollution control funds, so owners pay nothing.
If a scooter fails, the owner is free to have it repaired at any scooter shop and retested at any certified station. The ministry specifically warns owners not to be misled by dishonest traders.
Fines: the listed amount and the legal range
The table shows two sets of figures. The ministry’s page lists a single amount for each case (NT$500, NT$1,500 and NT$3,000). Article 80 of the Air Pollution Control Act sets a range, and the actual fine is calculated under the penalty guidelines for mobile pollution sources, so a ticket may not match the listed figure. Article 80 also allows a case to be passed to the motor vehicles office (監理站) to cancel the plate if a second notice to fix the problem is ignored.
Checking records and getting reminders
- Inspection records: the ministry’s lookup shows past results by plate number, so you can see whether this year’s check is done.
- Reminders: the ministry’s “E定通” service lets you register a vehicle to get inspection reminders.
These services are all on the ministry’s moenv.gov.tw domain, and the full addresses are in the sources below. Some old inspection web addresses are no longer run by the government, so check that you are on an official gov.tw address.
Electric scooters
The periodic inspection is an exhaust test for air pollutants. The ministry’s page does not spell out a rule for electric scooters, so we do not draw a conclusion; follow the ministry’s announcements. Other differences are covered in electric vs petrol.