I’m trying to get a general picture of the emission testing requirements of various states/countries around the world. The things of interest are how often are the tests, at what age do they start, what are they primarily looking for, what are the vehicles measure against (modern cars or them selves from new) and do the minimum emission values change each year. My reason for asking is that Australia doesn’t have such tests yet and I’m sure it’s only time.
In TX, we don’t require the emissions part of the test (i.e. only the “safety” part) for cars 25 years old or older (thankfully for me, Superblue and Superblack 
). For those that must take it, pretty strict requirements for it to pass. Apparently though the emissions part is only required in the major metro counties of TX, such as DFW, San Antonio, Houston & Austin areas (and no, you can’t avoid it by having your car inspected in one of the other counties - it goes by location of vehicle 
). TX does have some kind of program that if your car flunks emissions they will either give you up to a certain amount for repairs to get it to pass (I have heard it’s $600, but not sure) or they give you $$ for the old car (so I have heard).
Some states have eliminated their state inspections, one of which is FL, IIRC. I know as to the safety part there have been studies done to show that they really don’t make vehicles any “safer”, as far as preventing car accidents. Therefore, many say it is just a $$-making thing for the state. 
btw, I’m surprised that Oz 
(and NZ 
?) don’t have some kind of required vehicle inspection system, given (1) the history of the MOT from the U.K. 
and (2) I would think both countries would be big into the “green”/environmental thing (but then, Oz is still pretty much wide-open country except in the metro areas, mostly along the coastline). Are you thinking they may do like TX and those metro areas impose one in the near future? Has there been much problem with air pollution/smog in those areas? btw, we really don’t have “smog” in DFW, per se (AFAIK), but we do have issues with ozone levels on hot days … lot of warnings in regard to those levels so far this summer! 
I would think car emissions somehow have a hand in that … 
There is no obvious threat and we don’t have the population density to have significant visible pollution in our capital cities…. However due to our previous govt’s poor stance on global warming we are not popular in the regions that are suffering it. Such as the Pacific Islands. For the reason on being seen to do the right thing the might adopt token programs such as the classic cars rather then shut coal fired power stations.
Each state in the US does its own thing on emissions, unless forced by the EPA to do something in certain metropolitan areas with high levels of air pollution. In my state, Alabama, we have no vehicle inspection of any kind, emission or otherwise. In other states, especially New York and California, they have rigorous emissions requirements, as well as other items. Now days, most states that have emissions testing require no check engine lights on cars so equipped, and all readiness monitors set on OBD2. In California, all emissions equipment must be in place for a visual inspection, and any emissions related replacement parts, particularly catalytic converters, must be certified by the state. So we end up with emissions parts that can be used in one 40+ states, but cant be in California and New York. Some states do exhaust emissions sniffer tests. So its really a mixed bag in the US.
Many northern states that use salt heavily on snowy roads in winter have mechanical inspections, as cars can rot out quickly there and become unsafe.
France and Greece are the ones that I know, and are quite similar:
New cars after five years and then every two years.
Classic cars every Five years.
They check rust, brakes, lights, suspension components, shock absorbers and all safety equipment.
Emissions should comply to the rules at the year of the car’s manufacture date.
Trev . . .
The Province of Ontario (Canada) had emissions testing until a few years ago. An emissions test was required every second year as a condition of license renewal. Criteria were those in effect at the time of manufacture. The government abandoned testing when its data showed that only a very small percentage (<5%, I recall) of cars failed the test. Not surprising, as one would have to do something incredibly stupid or malicious to make a car less than 20 years old fail an emissions test.
Oh you’d be surprised there, RonM … 
Tons of those unfortunate souls here in TX, but then maybe our emissions level standards are more strict that those of Canada. 
It’s almost certainly based on the cats being partly clogged (and hence why those products on the shelves here that claim to clear them up, or otherwise get the car to the pass 
are big, and expensive, btw, sellers). E.g., I think a bottle of “Guaranteed to Pass” goes for over $25.00 now. 
It has also been in the news of late that good cats are becoming so “desirable” (presumably for that purpose) that they are being stolen off newer vehicles left and right here in the DFW area. 
Saw surv. cam. video the other day on one of our local news channels - the pair of thieves were able to use a quick jack lift on one side of the victim’s car, while one of the two quickly rolls under it with a battery-powered cutting tool of some kind to do the deed. Just 1-2 minutes later he rolls back out with the cat in hand. Total elapsed time was less than 5 minutes. 
CA is a PITA ! Every two years on any car after 74!!!
In Colorado, we mirror CA, follow CARB as of January this year 
and require emissions (tailpipe only) from 76-81, and the lovely dyno newer than ‘81, every 2 years.
The exception being when the car hits 31 years old (and was built after ‘75), you can get ‘classic plates’ which extends your emissions requirement out to every five years.
Like CA, ‘75 and older are emissions exempt and there are many rural counties within the state that don’t have any emissions - I suspect this is going to change within the next 5 years.
I own an XJ focused restoration and service shop and about a quarter of my business is getting the cars through emissions. I personally set them up, take them through emissions and return to the customer.
Along with adopting CARB this year, the mid-year 80’s and 90’s cars had their required thresholds lowered too - why not, right?
A late S3 XJ6 with fresh bits, a correctly adjusted air meter, and good cats / air injection all in place, will sail through our “fast pass” nearly every time, which means it’s on the rollers for maybe 2 minutes.
V12’s are a different story - they are almost always subjected to two, back-to-back long tests (meaning it failed the first one, so Aircare gives it one more shot).
Early HE’s are always a pain. The vacuum operated enrichment circuits frequently have minds of their own and throw fuel on decel for no reason, to name a few.
Marelli cars are more likely to have high NoX issues.
6L Denso XJ12’s usually blow flowers out the tailpipe whereas early 6L’s and XJS 6L’s get CO creep, especially as ambient and engine temps increase.
Being at 6k ASL doesn’t help, but it is absolutely imperative that all the factory emissions systems be in place. A stock injected V12 makes 250 hp at the crank on a good day, removing the air injection, cats, EGR, etc., doesn’t wake up a hidden beast (as in it literally does nothing), and these required bits are getting harder and harder to find.
In other words, keep all your systems intact, or at least in a box somewhere.
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The snafu here in Texas is that the dynamo test had to be run on cars that pre-date OBD II … However, given that cars 25 years old and older don’t even need an emissions test, that left kind of a dead year or two around '95 or so MY (i.e. when OBD IIs became mandatory in cars). So back around 2018 or so I go to get Superblue’s emissions tested (being she was only 24 at the time) … However, her MY ('94) is the year before OBD II became mandatory. So, basically I’m running around trying to find an inspection station that even still has a a dynamo tester. 
They were already rare, but I never did find a station that had one that was in running (operable) condition. As the station owners told me, “why should we be motivated to get/repair a dynamo tester, since all the cars that pre-date OBD II will now be 25 years old and not even have to have emissions inspections in a couple of years.” GOOD point … 
Those units are NOT cheap, nor even cheap to repair.