The next time you bring your car in for its annual state vehicle inspection, you may notice a couple of things have changed with the process.
The Austin team knew you would want to learn about these procedural updates and how they might impact you or other car owners in your household. So, we put together a list of six important details—some new, some not—about the current vehicle inspection process.
6 things car owners should know about the Massachusetts vehicle inspection process
- Vehicle inspection stickers will now be valid for one year from the date that a car’s last inspection sticker expired. For example, if your vehicle was due to be inspected in October 2022, but you don’t end up taking your car in until December 2022, it will receive a sticker with an expiration date of October 2023.
- If a car was due for inspection testing in the previous year, its new inspection sticker will expire in January of the following year. For example, if your vehicle was due to be inspected in October 2022, but you wait to bring it to an inspection station until March 2023, it will receive a sticker with an expiration date of January 2024.
- Printed reports will no longer be given out when a car passes inspection. Instead, you will be able to access a copy online. Inspection reports will be printed out for car owners whose vehicles fail the process so they can work with a mechanic to ensure the appropriate repairs are made.
- Newly purchased vehicles must still be inspected within seven days of the vehicle’s registration date. While this was already the procedure for new car owners, it is important to understand that the inspection sticker will only be valid for one year from the month of the first inspection.
- Driving with an expired inspection sticker continues to be a ticketable offense. If you get pulled over, you may be subject to a citation and a $40 fine. In addition, since this is a surchargeable incident, getting a ticket could increase your car insurance premium at renewal time.
- There are many convenient places across Massachusetts to get your vehicle inspection done. In fact, there are 1,800 licensed inspection locations in the state, so it shouldn’t be hard to find one when it’s your car’s inspection month.
Now that you know about the latest updates to the Massachusetts state vehicle inspection process, you may be wondering why these changes are being implemented. The Registry of Motor Vehicles is making a big push right now to get more vehicles in for on-time inspections for two reasons: improving the safety of our roads and the quality of our air.
When a car is inspected, the technician evaluates the vehicle for its operating condition as well as its emissions efficiency. By getting your car inspected on time, it helps ensure not only that you’re driving a car that’s in good repair and not a hazard on the road but also that it has no emissions-related problems that would contribute to air pollution.
The team at Austin Insurance is here to do our part as well. We support Massachusetts car owners like you in any way we can, which includes keeping you up to date on our blog with any news that may impact you and your vehicle.
