Always Renew Your Inspection Sticker
Cars are as American as apple pie and have radically changed our society, for better or for worse. Cars have indeed made life easier in a lot of ways. However, they can also become a quality of life issue, particularly when we don’t maintain them. Cars that operate poorly can present a dangerous hazard to the public: drivers, bikers and pedestrians alike. This is especially the case in densely populated urban areas like New York City. To mitigate the hazards cars can bring, vehicle inspection must be an important routine for any and every car on the streets of NYC. All cars who do this successfully are given an inspection sticker.
Nevertheless, it’s very easy for drivers to forget their car is due for an inspection and get a parking ticket. Fortunately, it’s even easier to prevent getting one. Don’t be one of those drivers who get unnecessary tickets. Drivers need to make sure that their inspection sticker is up to date. If you follow some of the tips given in this article, you can easily avoid receiving an expired inspection parking ticket.
Why Is Vehicle Inspection Important?
Most states across the country require vehicle inspections for the purposes of safety and environmental protection. The New York State vehicle safety inspection program is one of them. It helps make sure that every driver registers their vehicle so it’s verifiable and on record. It also helps cars meet the minimum standards for safe operation on public streets and highways. In addition to safety tests, vehicles are also subject to an emissions inspection to help reduce air pollution. This is very important for public health in a city like New York and can help reduce smog and haze.
When you get your vehicle inspected, you not only ensure that you and your passengers are safe while driving around. But that everyone else, pedestrians, bikers and other drivers alike, are safe as well. A properly maintained vehicle is safer, performs better, uses fuel more efficiently and saves you money. You can help by doing your own equipment safety checks between annual inspections. You can also ensure your car runs smoothly by regularly following your car manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule.
How Often Do I Need A Vehicle Inspection?
Every 12 months, you must test your vehicle in a few different areas to ensure that it is fully operational and safe enough to be on the road. If your vehicle fails, it will need to have the specific failures addressed before you can drive your car again on the road. You will have to have another inspection done on the vehicle. If your vehicle passes the screening, the DMV will issue you an inspection sticker that you must display on your car. Usually, drivers place this inspections sticker on the windshield. Failure to display an inspection sticker will cost you a $65 parking ticket.
All vehicles registered in New York state must get a safety and emissions inspection at a DMV-licensed inspection station every 12 months. You must also renew both inspections if ownership of the car in question changes. It’s easy to forget this routine check up and you won’t get a reminder from the city so be sure stay on top of it.
The inspection stations electronically send a record of all emissions inspections to the DMV. The DMV must have a record that your vehicle passed an emissions inspection during the previous year or you will not be able to renew your registration. Failure to have your vehicle re-inspected after this 12month period can result in some pretty hefty fines from both the city and the state.
Penalties For Having An Expired Inspection Sticker
According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, the validity of an inspection sticker expires at midnight on the last day of the month that’s specified on the vehicle’s inspection certificate. If you’ve moved to New York state and registered your vehicles in New York, an out-of-state inspection sticker is valid until its expiration date or until one year has passed since the vehicle was registered in New York.
If a traffic agent catches you in NYC with an expired inspection ticket, expect to receive a $65 parking ticket. Don’t try to alter or damage your inspection ticket thinking you can dodge your inspection either. This is also illegal and will result in a $65 parking ticket as well.
New York State also comes after drivers with expired inspection stickers. The fine for an expired inspection sticker in the state of New York depends on how long the sticker has been expired. If the inspection sticker on your vehicle has expired in the past 60 days, you can receive an additional fine of $25 to $50. However, If the inspection sticker expires beyond 60 days, the fine bumps up to between $50 and $100.
The state also goes after drivers who do not display their inspection sticker. For this, the fine is between $50 and $100. Also, expect a mandatory state surcharge of $88 added to the fine. In all cases, the state adds mandatory state surcharges of $88 ($93 in town and village courts).
Once a traffic agent tickets you for an expired inspection sticker, it’s basically a warning to get a new inspection sticker as soon as possible. If you don’t, don’t expect mercy from the city. The city will keep ticketing you for driving or parking on public streets without one.
Dodge The Penalties For An Expired Inspection Sticker
The best way you can avoid racking up parking tickets for an expired inspection sticker? Simply put, stay on top of your inspection.
If you have received a parking ticket for an expired inspection sticker, do not let it sit there. Make sure you immediately get your inspection sticker updated and pay the ticket as soon as you can. If you do not do this, you can expect that additional parking tickets will appear on your car. You can also expect some additional fines and late fees added to any unpaid tickets.