Rules regarding vehicle inspections in New York are designed to ensure that safety standards are consistently met. These assessments are required annually for all vehicles registered in the state, and they include both a safety inspection and an emissions test.
If you pass these, the inspection station will issue a sticker to display on your car and electronically send an emissions report to the DMV for registration purposes, but if you don’t, you’ll have to make the needed repairs and undergo another inspection.
As inspections only roll around every 12 months, it’s easy to forget about scheduling them in advance, but even if you do arrive for inspection on time, you might not have the money for needed repairs.
Whatever the case, if your inspection sticker expires, you could be cited and face penalties for failure to comply with the law. You might face fines ranging from $25 to $200, depending on when your sticker expired or how many violations you get in an 18-month period, and you must also pay a surcharge of $88 (in a city) and $93 (for other towns/villages).
Further, if you fail to have an emissions report sent to the DMV, you won’t be able to renew your vehicle registration, leading to additional citations; with multiple on your record, you could even face jail time.
Impact on Your Driving Record
Non-moving violations, like a no-inspection citation, are unlikely to result in points on your license, but they could still go on your driving record, which your insurance provider can access.
An expired, missing, or damaged sticker can also result in additional violations, such as parking tickets, as New York traffic rules state that it is illegal to park a vehicle bearing New York plates without a current inspection sticker properly displayed.
A citation for driving without registration is a zero-point offense, but you could face fines and surcharges in addition to the no-inspection citation, which, again, will go on your driving record.
Insurance Concerns
Insurance companies monitor the driving records of their clients to ensure that safe drivers enjoy the best rates; it’s a double-edged sword, though, because they can also penalize you for violating traffic laws.
Even if you don’t get points on your license, no-inspection tickets and other non-moving violations will show up on your driving record, which may cause your insurance company to increase your premiums or even choose not to renew your policy if you have a poor driving record.
It’s unlikely they’ll drop you over a single violation — especially one that is ultimately corrected — but they’ll likely use any excuse to raise your rates, so it’s a good idea to fully understand your policy.
Fighting a No-Inspection Ticket
If you’re interested in defending yourself against a no-inspection ticket in New York, there are a couple of good ways to do so and fight the ticket: You could provide proof that you tried to rectify the situation with vehicle repairs or order a sticker to replace a current one that was lost or damaged, for example.
You might also choose to fight a ticket that’s missing key information, such as the correct inspection sticker number and expiration date, or a citation of the correct traffic rules subsection for the violation.
Arguably, though, the best way to push back against a no-inspection ticket in New York is with the help of a qualified attorney, one who can evaluate your case and help you come up with a suitable legal strategy. Contact the experienced attorneys at The New York Traffic Ticket Lawyers now to schedule your free case evaluation.
