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Laboratory and vehicle studies were carried out characterizing formaldehyde emissions from methanol fuels. Laboratory experiments focused on catalytic methanol oxidation activity and yield of formaldehyde as a function of temperature and feedgas composition. Pt and Pd catalysts gave the highest activity and lowest formaldehyde yield of a series of noble and base metal catalysts. Formaldehyde yields were lowest under stoichiometric or slightly rich conditions. Experiments carried out with thermally aged lead poisoned catalysts indicated at most about 5% conversion of methanol to formaldehyde, thus proving that catalytic partial oxidation of methanol is not a major source of tailpipe formaldehyde emissions.