Missouri has it, you can't renew your plates without it. It's a total scam, always has been.

IIRC, $20 in VA,
inspectors have to be approved by the VSP

on older vehicles, may need windshield wipers or a light bulb,

have been in a shop for work and they failed a guy for tie rod ends etc,

when I drove a Cooper, I timed a service when inspection was due, and if I needed tires I bought them there too, (they were actually cheaper than the discount places) and I would get free inspections and sometimes a free alignment,

helps to get along with the service writer sometimes

A big nope in Montana...in fact, if your vehicle is 11 years or older, you can get permanent tags, meaning you never have to register it again...this is what freedom looks like.

Florida had SCAMS… Oopsie, Inspections, for years - almost universally despised!

My theory about the cause of this was the Human Resource requirements for Inspectors:

1. IQ under 75
2. DEI
3. Napoleonic Complex
4. Sadistic tendencies

I cannot recall the name of the politician who was abused at an Inspection for his RV (it was in 1980-81), but it resulted in the requirement being eliminated - a wonderful example of FAFO!

Once a year in PA. I think emissions is dumb, but tolerate a general safety inspection considering how many people don't know how to change a tire on their own. I trust my mechanic, and since mine is due in winter, I just have him do an oil change and grease the driveshaft awhile too.

I have a good friend in VA who owns his own shop there. It is very well respected and trusted by all the clients who go there, including me.

He mentioned one day that he wished he didn’t need to be an official inspection station because the fee people pay just doesn’t cover the time spent doing a proper inspection. Of course if they find something that needs addressing he can make money there but most of his clients are driving newer vehicles so usually don’t require much maintenance.

Maine has annual inspection, mechanical only, no emissions check.

Quality of the inspection depends to some extent on the shop. I've seen both ends of the scale. One shop failed my truck for a cracked tail light lens and "worn tires". The lens wasn't leaking any white light and I immediately called bullshit on the tires.

I did replace the lens and took it back to the same shop without doing anything about the tires and a different inspector passed it. When I told him about the tires he called bullshit on it too after using a depth gauge.

My new shop (the guy that actually had some common sense at the old one retired and the new kid is an asshole) does a decent inspection on the '90 Vette and pretty much rubber-stamps the '20 RAV4 since they do all the maintenance on it.

There used to be a problem with some shops "selling" inspection stickers but the Maine State Police got REAL strict about that and after a few shops lost their license and got fined, that dropped off dramatically.

The base fee is $12.50 for non-commercial inspections and motorcycles, shops are allowed to charge up to $25 I think it is. I pay $20 at my new shop and don't bitch about it as they take good care of me.

Not in Michigan.

VA = yes. VA = CA. Only had to change one of the two initials.

There are three types of inspections here.
Type 1: By the book. Looking for every possible way to take repair money from me. Uses the threat of a rejection to encourage my immediate forking over of cash.
Type 1A: Stealership. Adds video evidence and a smooth-talking criminal (cue the music) who comes to the well-appointed lobby to interrupt your machine-created "starbucks."
Type 2: Practical. Honest. Will fail cars that should be failed. Will pass many cars. Will replace light bulbs at reasonable cost.
Type 3: Rational. Will avoid actual inspections based on your relationship with someone he trusts. "Joe said you were a super shop for inspections. He just replaced my pitman and idler arms. Can you inspect my truck, please?" In short order, an inspection is printed out and the new sticker is on the windshield.

There can be, very rare, practically invisible, and as hard to find as those horribly scary fishes in the Marianas Trench...the fee-based inspection. A technician in an actual shop can provide documents and a sticker for a fee. These arrangements are most often made by a friend of a friend, preventing you from knowing more than you want to know. For $50, you can have a bona fide sticker and inspection record page.

And of course, in our occasional "safety and equipment" road checks, the officers do find forged and illegal inspection stickers. Not hard to see from 20 feet. These cars and drivers do receive extra special attention and additional paperwork.

When I was stationed in Orlando, FL, they did have an inspection where one of the things is they check your headlight beams.

I think for cars past a certain age, which mine would qualify, periodic inspections for basic safety and nuisance items serve the public good.

In Tennessee, only one county - Davidson, which contains most of Nashville and I am nowhere near - requires them, and only for emissions. My own car wouldn't pass - the engine light has been on for ~7 years. (The codes are difficult to troubleshoot, with one being potentially a couple of thousand dollars, and don't affect reliability or safety.) Considering the sorry state of many cars I worked on in my former career, a case could be made for safety inspections.

The previous three states I lived in (CA, NV and AZ) did require emissions testing, but only in certain regions.

Kansas tried it 40 or 45 years ago. If I remember right, it only lasted a couple years.

MA has then, $35 dollars just another tax.

In R.I., mechanical and emissions every two years.
Pain in the ass.

quote:

Originally posted by sooma:
A big nope in Montana...in fact, if your vehicle is 11 years or older, you can get permanent tags, meaning you never have to register it again...this is what freedom looks like.

Man, I really need to move to Montana!

Texas just went to emissions only testing in high population areas. I've got to get it for a truck that I bought new two years ago. Can’t they at least let the freaking warranty run out first.

I live in PA and am ok with annual inspections for the reasons already stated (but there should an exemption period for new vehicles).

One of my vehicles was recently in for an inspection at my trusted mechanic and he informed me that my rear brakes were very close to needing to be replaced, so I had them replaced right away.

Had they not been inspected, it is likely that I would have been out on several recent long road trips when they did wear out beyond being ‘safe’.

This might come as a shock to many of you, but New York has an annual inspection requirement for all vehicles (brakes, lights, steering, emissions, tires, etc.) It's been a requirement for as long as I can remember. I am ok with this but admit I've been institutionalized (never known anything else).

quote:

Originally posted by Rey HRH:

When I was stationed in Orlando, FL, they did have an inspection where one of the things is they check your headlight beams.

When was that? I moved here in 1985, never had inspection.

Just another North Carolina tax.