Every vehicle owner knows that buying a car, truck, or SUV requires more than just the initial research and thrill of the purchase. Owning a car means responsibility, caution, maintenance, and care. It’s never just a “one and done.” In fact, to ensure that folks are keeping up with health and safety standards when it comes to what they are driving, most state DMVs will require annual or two-year inspections.
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Today we are reviewing the inspection requirements for our friends in the state of New York.
The Empire State demands of its vehicle owners two different sort of tests. These Inspections are:
- Safety Inspections.
These tests aim to create a safer environment for all people on the road by ensuring that all registered vehicles meet a list of minimum safety requirements. A well-maintained car is not only safer for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, but also results in better performance and better fuel efficiency, ultimately saving the owner money in the long run.
Safety Inspections must be done and passed once every twelve months or when a vehicle is changing ownership. The expiration and next test date will be shown on the inspection sticker – which must be visibly displayed in a window. Vehicles with expired stickers can be subject to fines and tickets. And a vehicle without an inspection sticker may be subject to a parking ticket. So it’s quite important to have a current, clearly-displayed inspection sticker in your vehicle.
Some items that undergo inspection and must meet safety standards are as follows:
- Seat belts
- Brakes
- Steering
- Front-end assembly
- Chassis
- Frame and wheel fasteners
- Tires
- Lights
- Windshield and all glass
- Windshield wipers and blades
- Horn
- Mirrors
- Fuel leaks
- Emissions Inspections.
Owing to the Federal Clean Air Act of 1990, most passenger vehicles in the state of New York must undergo emissions testing every twelve months. A passing emissions test is required in order to renew registration and when registering a vehicle for the first time. The purpose of this test is, of course, to help maintain a cleaner environment by way of reducing air pollution. Moreover, a car, truck, or SUV with a clean emissions system generally runs more efficiently.
There are some exemptions when it comes to which vehicles must undergo emissions testing. They are:
- Motorcycles
- Vehicles that are younger than two years old
- Vehicles that are older than twenty-five years old
- Certain diesel-fueled vehicles
- Electric vehicles
- Vehicles with historic license plates
- Vehicles heavy enough to be subject to a different level of inspection
It’s important to get your inspections done on time so as to avoid any fines or fees. Also, these tests can only be facilitated by New York State-certified inspection stations. These testing centers will bear a sign that reads, “Official Inspection Station.”
For a list of safety and emissions inspection stations, click here.
For a comprehensive list all elements that will be checked by the certified inspector, click here
For a list of inspection fees, click here
And there you have them: the basics of New York State Safety Inspection requirements.
Remember, for all your tag and title needs in the Empire State, head on over to etags.com. We are proud to serve New York with several services, and are always ready to lend a hand with title transfers, replacement titles, new registrations, registration renewals, and replacements. Of course, feel free to reach out to us for any support you might require, because as always, at eTags, we’re here to help!
