What Can Happen If You Are Driving With an Expired Inspection Sticker?
Driving a vehicle without an inspection sticker can often lead to being issued a ticket and paying a fine. Fines and penalties vary among states, according to CarInsurance.com. For example, the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles states that the penalties for expired inspection stickers include being barred from renewing a car’s registration, in addition to possible parking tickets and fines.
Drivers in Massachusetts that allow an inspection sticker to lapse are also inadvertently adding surcharge points to insurance premiums, according to Belotti Law Group. In Massachusetts, expired stickers are counted as a moving violation.
Drivers should pay attention to state inspection time frames for vehicle inspections to avoid higher fines. For example, in New York, the fine for an expired inspection within 60 days is up to $50. That fine goes up to $100 for continued non-compliance, according to CarInsurance.com. North Carolina levies a fine of $250 on drivers with vehicles that fail to pass inspection within four months of sticker expiration. In addition, North Carolina bars registration renewal.
Drivers who continue to drive a vehicle with an expired inspection sticker can receive parking ticket fines under local city laws, notes The Morning Call. A city assumes the authority to issue tickets for this offense as a matter of public safety.
