I just realized something. In NY, the emissions inspectors work for garages, true? I think that's where my confusion was. In WI you have to go to a separate emissions center, where all they do is test cars. There are only three of four that I know of in our metro area of 1,000,000+ people. I think that's why there's no license or testing required: you're expected to get all that when you start your job.
Originally posted by RoadRunner:
Unless you have a CEL, there is no reason for anyone to connect a scanner to your car and diagnose a problem.
Its a required part of the test here, whether or not you have a CEL. I'm sure they do this because someone is bound to pull their CEL bulb prior to going in for testing. Then they test the gas cap for a proper seal. That's in off years; in on years you get the tailpipe test. This is all done by computer, and when its over you get a printout. If you fail, the printout explains why and you're instructed to take your vehicle to a garage with the printout. They fix the problem at your expense (bend over!) and you get retested. 
