Annual State Car Inspection Required?!

[VanForNow]

I will be leaving NY State soon to travel west, visiting many states. Don't know when I will be back. Maybe months or years, maybe never.

Until I formally change state residency, New York State requires an annual safety inspection of all vehicles. I just bought a vehicle  for the first time (always used the NYC subway until now), and I hear the NY police are quite strict about ticketing anyone with an expired safety sticker.

Since I may be out of NY State for many months or even years, is there a solution to this problem of the annual inspection requirement? When I return to NY, I don't suppose the state police would be sympathetic to an explanation that I have been traveling.

Would NY police recognize the validity a safety inspection performed in another state, for example?

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I'm not sure that the motor vehicle inspection stations are even allowed to inspect your vehicle if it isn't registered in that state.

A Google search on whether or not other states can ticket you for having an expired inspection sticker suggests that in fact they can.

Only 18 states require motor vehicle inspections.  Two of the states that are very popular as domicile states for nomads (because they have no state income tax), FL and SD, also don't require motor vehicle inspections.  Perhaps you shouldn't wait to change your state of residency.

Check out:

https://www.escapees.com/support/ma...ticles/entry/how-to-move-to-florida-in-1-hour

Other than something like that, I can only suggest that when you return to NY, you stop at the first inspection station you find once you cross the NY border and have the inspection done immediately.

 

[Almost There]

You will most likely find that renewing your vehicle tags/license plates is tied to having a current inspection...as in you can't renew the tags unless you have a new inspection done.

If that is the case, you will have one year to figure out which state you want to become your state of residence or you make a trip back solely for the purpose of renewing inspection and plates.

It's not uncommon to have to do this, I've seen people on their blogs having to return to TX for just such purposes. That's why choosing a state that you either plan to be in regularly or at least don't mind returning to, is all part of the choice to be made as to what state to call 'home'.

I'm lucky that my birthday is during the summertime (our tags are due on our birthdays here) so it's not a problem for me. If I was a February child, I'd be getting my tags renewed way early before I left for the winter.

 

[MrNoodly]

Unless there's some compelling reason to remain a NY resident, establish residency in another state. South Dakota is easy. Get a mail forwarding address, pay to stay a night in the state, show the receipt for that, your forwarding address, and suitable ID (a passport speeds things up) and they give you a driver license. Then register your vehicle to the forwarding address. There's no vehicle inspection ever in SD. Renew your plates by mail, come back in five years to renew your DL -- unless in the meantime you decide to establish residency elsewhere.

Or there are some states (AZ is one, I think) that don't care which state you're a resident of, and will register your vehicle anyway. And only the metro areas require smog checks. So register in some rural area.

 

[rvwandering]

It would be easier to become a resident of another state but since you're not sure how long you'll be gone you can let it ride for awhile. You have plenty of time to consider your options.

We're Pennsylvania residents which also has an annual inspection. We go back every year to get inspected but also for annual physicals and to visit friends and relatives. It's a personal choice which doesn't always mesh well with our travels but it's not a huge problem. An inspection in another state would not be sufficient so we must return to PA.

There have been times when our inspection expired before we made it back to PA but we've never been pulled over because of that in PA or any other state.

 

[[email protected]]

I will be leaving NY State soon to travel west, visiting many states. Don't know when I will be back. Maybe months or years, maybe never.

Until I formally change state residency, New York State requires an annual safety inspection of all vehicles. I just bought a vehicle  for the first time (always used the NYC subway until now), and I hear the NY police are quite strict about ticketing anyone with an expired safety sticker.

Since I may be out of NY State for many months or even years, is there a solution to this problem of the annual inspection requirement? When I return to NY, I don't suppose the state police would be sympathetic to an explanation that I have been traveling.

Would NY police recognize the validity a safety inspection performed in another state, for example?

I am also heading out from NY State.  NY is one of the few states that will let your car be inspected in another state.  You will need the paperwork though.  It can be mailed to you. (Look it up to make sure)  That is why I will be keeping my NY tags and address (daughters) for  a while.

 

[USExplorer]

NC also requires annual inspection. Last two years I drove back home to visit my family and get inspected. I have a mechanic that checks the boxes and gives the sticker without really checking the car at all. I know NC allows out of state inspectors to inspect your car.

 

[DannyB1954]

Vehicle rules also can change depending on what county you are in. Here in Nevada Nye county does not require smog checks every two years. Next door in Clark county, they do. EPA rules depend on population.

My county also doesn't do safety inspections. If I am traveling in NY, I don't think they could cite me for not having one. I think there is an interstate agreement for reciprocity.

 

[wayne49]

I highly doubt that LEOs in other states enforce out of state inspection stickers.

It could be to your advantage to have an out of state expired inspection if stopped for something else a little more serious, but not that serious. The LEO may write a non-moving violation for the inspection and just lecture you about speeding, etc.

 

[ccbreder]

if i was out of state for a length of time, i would remove the sticker if expired. NJ doesn't tie inspection to registration, so i would have a valid registration.

 

[[email protected]]

I am also heading out from NY State.  NY is one of the few states that will let your car be inspected in another state.  You will need the paperwork though.  It can be mailed to you. (Look it up to make sure)  That is why I will be keeping my NY tags and address (daughters) for  a while.

 Update to my post. Seems as though I was misinformed . New York does not recognize out-of-state inspections . You need to get the paperwork and have it on hand for when you return to New York State to get your car inspected at the first station you come to