How do I become a Certified Repair Technician?

To become a Certified Repair Technician PennDOT requires that inspectors must meet the following requirements:

• Have a valid driver’s license

• Apply/qualify with PennDOT

• Successfully complete the EIC course and meet one of the following requirements:

  • Provide proof of current ASE A8, T1 or L1 certification.

    • OR

  • Provide proof of advanced automotive diagnosis and repair training, including documentation of prior training or current certification recognized by PennDOT as equivalent, such as certifications documenting training from another state or from Automotive Vehicle Manufacturers.

• Proof of training will need to be in electronic format (Adobe PDF) which the student will upload to the training portal website (www.patrainingportal.com) for review and approval.

It is common for many inspectors to use ASE certification for this purpose. The ASE certifications that will qualify an inspector to obtain Certified Repair Technician status are the ASE A8 (Engine Performance). T1 (Gasoline Engines) or L1 (Advanced Engine Performance Specialist) certification. You can find out more about the ASE testing process here.

PennDOT also used to maintain a list of manufacturer training that would also qualify but currently that list has been removed from the drivecleanpa website and inspectors are encouraged to submit any manufacturer or equivalent training that they feel would qualify them to become a Certified Repair Technician.

The application process has also changed and no longer requires a paper form or for technicians to have a certified instructor sign off on their application. To apply to become a Certified Repair Technician the emissions inspector must log in to the PA Training Portal. After logging in, if they click on their name on the upper right corner there is an option for "My Status". In the my status menu they can view their testing history and there is a button to "Upload" documentation to apply for the Certified Repair Technician status. The training documents must be uploaded in .pdf format. It contains the following message,

"To apply for Certified Repair Technician designation, please upload the documentation here. Once the documentation is validated, your license will be updated to 'Certified Repair With Emissions Testing (all tests)' ".

Upon approval, a Certified Repair Technician certificate and ID card will be mailed to the inspector. The new certification card will show the inspection class of "CI" indicating the individual has Certified Repair Technician status. Certified Repair Technician certification does not require recertification; however, CRT privileges remain effective only with a continually valid emissions inspector certification. Any lapse in an emissions inspector license may require resubmission of training documentation to reclaim CRT privileges.