U.S. Court Issues Temporary Injunction Halting EPA's Reclassification of California's Vehicle Emissions Waiver

On September 2, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to withdraw or correct its June 2026 reclassification of California’s four Clean Air Act waivers and prohibiting the agency from giving that reclassification legal effect. The injunction is an interim measure, not a final ruling, and the EPA may appeal the decision. Currently, California—and states that have adopted its standards—operate under a separate compliance track from the federal government, requiring automakers to maintain dual-track capabilities to meet differing requirements on emissions, zero-emission vehicle sales mandates, and vehicle certification. The injunction only temporarily blocks the EPA from directly submitting the existing waivers to Congress for disapproval via reclassification; it does not signify that California has prevailed in all related litigation, nor does it guarantee that all of California’s emission requirements will remain in force exactly as before.