All inspectors shall receive formal training and be licensed or certified to perform inspections.

(a) Training.

(1) Inspector training shall impart knowledge of the following:

(i) The air pollution problem, its causes and effects;

(ii) The purpose, function, and goal of the inspection program;

(iii) Inspection regulations and procedures;

(iv) Technical details of the test procedures and the rationale for their design;

(v) Emission control device function, configuration, and inspection;

(vi) Test equipment operation, calibration, and maintenance (with the exception of test procedures which either do not require the use of special equipment or which rely upon a vehicle's OBD system);

(vii) Quality control procedures and their purpose;

(viii) Public relations; and

(ix) Safety and health issues related to the inspection process.

(2) If inspector training is not administered by the program, the responsible State agency shall monitor and evaluate the training program delivery.

(3) In order to complete the training requirement, a trainee shall pass (i.e., a minimum of 80% of correct responses or lower if an occupational analysis justifies it) a written test covering all aspects of the training. In addition, a hands-on test shall be administered in which the trainee demonstrates without assistance the ability to conduct a proper inspection and to follow other required procedures. Inability to properly conduct all test procedures shall constitute failure of the test. The program shall take appropriate steps to insure the security and integrity of the testing process.

(b) Licensing and certification.

(1) All inspectors shall be either licensed by the program (in the case of test-and-repair systems that do not use contracts with stations) or certified by an organization other than the employer (in test-only programs and test-and-repair programs that require station owners to enter into contracts with the State) in order to perform official inspections.

(2) Completion of inspector training and passing required tests shall be a condition of licensing or certification.

(3) Inspector licenses and certificates shall be valid for no more than 2 years, at which point refresher training and testing shall be required prior to renewal. Alternative approaches based on more comprehensive skill examination and determination of inspector competency may be used.

(4) Licenses or certificates shall not be considered a legal right but rather a privilege bestowed by the program conditional upon adherence to program requirements.

(c) SIP requirements. The SIP shall include a description of the training program, the written and hands-on tests, and the licensing or certification process.

[57 FR 52987, Nov. 5, 1992, as amended at 65 FR 45534, July 24, 2000]