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Owners of more than 6,200 motorcycles in Pima County will soon no longer have to worry about whether their vehicles can pass the state's emissions tests.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed on Friday that exempting the motorcycles from the testing will not harm air quality in the region.

But the change, which becomes effective in about a month, helps more than those who enjoy bugs in their teeth: The EPA said those who drive "collectible vehicles" also can skip the testing. That affects another 1,400 vehicles.

But the federal agency said computer modeling done by the state Department of Environmental Quality found that exempting all older vehicles was not acceptable — at least not from a pollution standpoint.

Motorists in Maricopa County are not quite so lucky: The EPA order exempts only collectible vehicles; motorcyclists still will have to go through the testing.

Both areas of the state have had testing programs for years to comply with federal air-quality rules, particularly as they relate to carbon monoxide and ozone pollution.

State legislators voted for the exemptions in 2005. But the law was contingent on getting the required approval from the EPA — the order that came Friday.

The legislation defines a collectible vehicle as one that is at least 15 years old or "is of unique or rare design, of limited production and an object of curiosity."

But to qualify for the emissions exemption, the vehicle cannot be for day-to-day use. Instead it must be maintained primarily for use in car-club activities, exhibitions or parades, or is part of a private collection "and is used only infrequently for other purposes."

And to ensure that, the law also says the vehicle must be classified by insurance companies as collectible or classic — a designation that DEQ publicist Cortland Coleman said means it can be driven only a limited number of miles each year.

The DEQ actually had looked at a broader exemption, studying the effect of exempting all vehicles at least 25 years old. But Coleman said agency scientists concluded that would add too much pollution to the air and endanger Pima County's status as being in compliance with federal laws.

There already is an exemption for the oldest cars and trucks — those manufactured before 1967.