Will they pass my 2004 Forester if I have a pending code of P0420 but no CEL? I'd had a misfire on cyl. #2 the day before but I cleared it up with a new set of Denso plug wires. I dumped the misfire code and drove 75 freeway miles back home without any CEL coming on. It appears to maintain a pending code P0420. 

Depends on the state, but probably No.

If a CEL is pending usually that means the monitor for the Cat isn't set as "Ready" and most states that do emissions inspection will fail it simply because the monitor isn't set. Some states may allow one or two monitors to not be set, but I can't say with certainty which ones.

I do know that VA allows an exemption in some counties if the cost of the repair is more than $800.

Yes I'm starting to wonder if the continuous freeway cruising speed of 60 MPH was sufficient to complete a drive cycle? There was of course some normal rush hour stop and go traffic going into Seattle. Dang I got rid of the P0302 and now I'm stuck with a P0420.  The engine runs good with plenty of power though  for having 230K on the clock. I just bought this one from the original owner last month. Compression test was 200psi on every cylinder. She said the HG's were recently replaced but didn't offer up much info about it. Catalyst monitors are non continuous ?

Most states that do a plug in test allow one system not ready. A CEL is illuminated after the system test fails twice. If it fails only once it goes into a pending code and that system is set to system not ready.. So if that is the only system not ready it is ready for emissions testing.. The system ready/ emissions ready is programmed into the ECU