When the inspection is due, what the state checks, what an expired sticker costs and what to do if your car fails: the New York rules in one place.
Every car registered in New York has to pass a state inspection. It is a short visit when the car is in good shape, and an expensive surprise when the sticker runs out unnoticed. Here is how the rules work for a car kept in Brooklyn.
When the inspection is due
Most vehicles must be inspected at least every 12 months, and again whenever the car changes owner. The inspection runs out on the last day of the month punched on the sticker in your windshield.
The inspection is also tied to your registration: DMV will not renew a registration without a record of an inspection in the last 12 months. Checking the sticker when the renewal notice arrives saves a second trip.
New cars, used cars and cars from out of state
- Bought from a dealer: the dealer must inspect the car within 30 days of the sale and before handing it over.
- Bought from a private seller: the previous owner's inspection does not carry over. You get a 10-day extension from the date you register the car, and the car needs its own inspection within that time.
- Moved to New York: an inspection sticker from another state stays valid until it expires or one year after you register the car here, whichever comes first. If your old state issued no sticker, the car needs a New York inspection.
What the inspection covers
There are two parts. The safety inspection looks at the parts that keep you and others safe on the road: seat belts, brakes, steering, suspension and frame, tires, lights, windshield and glass, wipers, horn, mirrors and fuel leaks.
The emissions inspection, for most cars, reads the car's on-board diagnostic computer (OBDII) through the plug under the dashboard. It checks that the check engine light works and what the computer reports about the emission controls.
Some vehicles skip the emissions part: the two newest model years, cars more than 25 model years old, electric cars, motorcycles and cars with historical plates. Diesels from 1997 on with a gross weight under 8,501 pounds are tested.
For the full list of what the inspector looks at, item by item, see our article on what happens during an NYS inspection.
What an expired sticker costs
- Expired within the last 60 days: a fine of $25 to $50.
- Expired more than 60 days, or no sticker: a fine of $50 to $100.
- On top of either: a mandatory state surcharge of $88 ($93 in town and village courts).
- A parked car with an expired or missing sticker can also get a parking ticket.
If the car fails
A failed inspection means repairs first, then a new inspection. The rules leave the choices with you:
- You can have the repairs done at any registered repair shop, or do them yourself.
- You don't have to return to the station that inspected the car, for the repairs or the new inspection.
- A station needs your permission before it starts any repair.
A car that fails the emissions inspection may not be able to have its registration renewed, so it is worth dealing with a failure well before the registration runs out.
Before you come in
- Look at the dashboard with the engine running. If the check engine light stays on, have the fault found and fixed first: the emissions test reads it.
- Walk around the car with someone pressing the brake pedal and working the lights: a dead bulb is an easy fix before the inspection and a failure during it.
- Check the wiper blades and washer fluid, and look for cracks in the windshield in front of the driver.
- After a repair or a new battery, the car's computer needs some normal driving before it is ready to be tested. Ask us when to bring it back.
Inspections at S.R. Auto
We inspect cars at our shop at 300 McGuinness Boulevard in Greenpoint, Monday to Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM. If something fails, we explain what and why, and the repair is your decision. Call (718) 349-9742 to ask about a time.
