RMV changing rules on vehicle inspections (Boston, Somerville: insurance, construction, live in)

[WRM20]

It could be worse. A couple of years ago, Texas changed the law to require the inspection before they will issue the license plate renewal. Gigantic pain.

[newenglandgal123]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Oh I'd assume most people aren't having to get their own inspections right after purchasing a brand new car. I think most dealerships either have a state inspection facility on site (my current dealer does and I get my inspection at the same time as my annual tune-up) or at least use a shop nearby prior to handing the keys to the customer. I've purchased 3 new vehicles in MA and only had to get the initial inspection myself once (I'm not sure what the explanation was - this was 7 or 8 years ago). Each of the other times, the car was inspected before I picked up the car and drove it off the lot. Same for used vehicles in my experience.

Just had to do this. I had my plates transferred from the old to the new vehicle. They couldn't inspect it until they had the registration back from the registry for the new vehicle. However, I was able to drive off the lot without the registration because you are allowed so many days after purchasing a new vehicle to get it registered, then so many days (I think it is 7 ) after that to get it inspected. So, I did end up having to drive back to the dealer a few days later to get the inspection sticker but they didn't charge me for it. I'm sure it was probably rolled into their 'doc fee' though.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by lrfox

I had to do this once which was extremely silly for a brand new car. The dealer said they'd reimburse me once I had the sticker. I swung by the dealership a week or so later when I was in the area, got the run around from someone (my salesperson wasn't there) before eventually being told that they'd "mail me a check." It never came and wasn't worth it to pursue harder.

Any brand-new car registration should include the sticker for the first year seeing as any new-from-the-factory vehicle is built to adhere to federal and state emissions and safety standards and goes through a pretty thorough QC process before delivery. If an owner wants to do an independent inspection to make sure they don't have a lemon, by all means, go for it. But the requirement for a brand-new car is asinine.

I texted the salesperson to just give me a $35 credit for service. They replied that it was a different business unit so they couldn’t do that. I got a $35 paper check in the mail.

In other Massachusetts car news, I just got my excise tax bill for the 2022 model year car I bought in mid-July. The car was valued at 90% of MSRP as expected. The tax was 50% of 2.5% of the valuation. Next year in my 60% year will be a bit expensive for a full year but it drops off quickly after that.

[MikePRU]

Originally Posted by lrfox

Any brand-new car registration should include the sticker for the first year seeing as any new-from-the-factory vehicle is built to adhere to federal and state emissions and safety standards and goes through a pretty thorough QC process before delivery. If an owner wants to do an independent inspection to make sure they don't have a lemon, by all means, go for it. But the requirement for a brand-new car is asinine.

Couldn't agree with you more. It's absurd to require a brand new car be inspected. I think I would forgive the first year but after that a car should be inspected as it might have bald tires or some other safety concern.

I have to say while the process is onerous and the rules are ridiculous around state vehicle inspection here in MA I am still REALLY glad that we have it. I visit my parents who live in Florida at least once a year and they did away with vehicle inspection in that state at least a decade ago. I can't tell you how many cars I get behind while driving down there that have NO brake lights working at all. Plus, the drivers in south FL are absolute maniacs. I once saw a car tailgating a police cruiser on I95.

[matrix5k]

Originally Posted by matrix5k

I have a 10/22 sticker. If I get my inspection on 11/1/22, does that mean I'll get a 1/23 sticker?

Bump, does anyone know?

[lrfox]

Originally Posted by matrix5k

Bump, does anyone know?

No, I don't think that's how it works. If yours expires in October 2022 and you get inspected on November 1, 2022, you should still get an October 2023 sticker.* You don't get to "push" your inspection anymore and get an extra month which is a big part of the new rule.

That said, I'm a little confused about the inspections that are more than a few months expired. If yours expires in 10/2022, and you don't get it inspected until 11/2023 (so essentially going expired for over a year), it sounds almost as if you would get a January 2024 sticker and need an inspection within 2 months of your last one. But I also could interpret it this way - you let your 10/2022 inspection expire and don't get it inspected again until 2/2023 (so about 4 months with an expired sticker, but into a new calendar year), and they'd give you a January 2024 sticker by default. Maybe someone can clarify those points, but at least it's fairly clear about your scenario (i.e. waiting until the first day of the next month).


*Because this new rule goes into effect on exactly on 11/1/2022, who knows if they'll actually be prepared to roll it out on the 1st of November of this year. But going forward, it sounds like you'd continue to get your October sticker, even if you reinspect in November.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by matrix5k

Bump, does anyone know?

The way I read it is that if you get your car inspected after 11/1/22 and you are late, you will get a sticker with your current month on it. So if you have a 10/22 or earlier sticker and you go after 11/1/22 you will get one that will expire in the month it should have but in 2023.

If you go more than a year, your sticker will default to a January sticker of the inspection year. Thus if you were to take that 10/22 until November 2023, you will get a sticker that expires January 2024.

[BostonMike7]

Originally Posted by robr2

The way I read it is that if you get your car inspected after 11/1/22 and you are late, you will get a sticker with your current month on it. So if you have a 10/22 or earlier sticker and you go after 11/1/22 you will get one that will expire in the month it should have but in 2023.

If you go more than a year, your sticker will default to a January sticker of the inspection year. Thus if you were to take that 10/22 until November 2023, you will get a sticker that expires January 2024.

Yup. That's how i read it too.


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I may have to inspect one of my cars twice next year just to get the sticker date back to where I want it to be. I would imagine if i were to inspect a car early, i would get the current month sticker?

In other words, i inspect car next spring and get a Jan '23 sticker (car hasn't been inspected in 3 years due to restoration). Then, to get myself out of the perpetual loop of always having an expired sticker in the spring, i could inspect again in Sept/Oct and store the car for the winter with a fresh sticker. I prefer this over driving in the early spring on an expired sticker.

Seems silly, but i'm at the age where I am too old to get pulled over for stupid reasons like expired stickers on cars that would easily pass.

[matrix5k]

I always thought an expired sticker was a secondary offense, meaning you can't get pulled over for one. But if you get pulled over for speeding then you'll get fined on top of that for expired sticker.

Except parking meter maids in Boston ticket for them, that's the only time I've been ticketed for an expired sticker.

[bostongymjunkie]

Expired inspection sticker is enough probable cause to stop and cite you and it's surchargeable.