A to Z Challenge: Inpection Frequency for Cars

[livingdeb]

Currently, car owners where I live must get an annual inspection and also pay an annual registration fee. In the past, these have been two separate requirements, each with their own windshield sticker. And if you were late in getting your inspection, the one-year clock got restarted. So, as long as you didn't get a ticket, you were rewarded for putting off your inspection. Especially since there was a grace period the following month during which you would not get a ticket.

Those days are over. Now you have to show evidence of your inspection (as well as insurance) when you renew your registration. And there will be only one sticker.

But those whose inspections and registrations have already gotten out of sync get one last bonus during the transition period.

I am one of those people (not totally my fault--I got my car used and it was already out of sync). This time when I got my inspection, they did not give me a sticker--just a receipt with the results. Even though my next registration is not due for several more months, I can show them this receipt, and I'm good. Then I can wait an additional year before getting my next inspection. Meanwhile they also took off my old sticker, so I am not signalling to the police that I am overdue.

Comments

[texpenguin.livejournal.com]

In CA, we also must show proof of inspection to register, but only every 2 years, though we renew registration yearly. We still get license plate stickers here, rather than windshield stickers. We've been here almost 2 years, and I still have my TX stickers up!

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

I would never have guessed you only need an inspection every other year in California!

I don't suppose you need your Texas stickers anymore. They are all expired and thus, you know, dated looking!

[(Anonymous)]

Yep, but it's the last little bit of Texas left...

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

Okay. I will allow you to keep those then. :-)