Car Inspection and Insurance

What Are Car Inspections?

Car inspections are often required in many parts of the United States. Two of the more important inspections that are necessary are emissions inspections and safety inspections. Before registering a vehicle in your home state, you may need to get it inspected. While not all states require inspections for emissions, or safety inspections for that matter, many do.

Types Of Inspections

The two main types of vehicle inspections are emissions inspections and safety inspections. A total of 17 states have annual or biennial inspections requirements. That number continues to grow.

Starting in 1977, the Clean Air Act was amended to include a requirement for vehicle emissions inspections. The first state was New York in the early 80’s, with California and Illinois following soon after.

Safety inspections are also required in many states. These inspections are designed to make sure that your vehicle is safe to drive on public streets.

When Do You Need A Car Inspection

Many states require annual safety inspections in order for you to be able to drive legally in the state. The vehicle inspection starts out with a review of your proof of insurance, registration, and title. These things are renewed to make sure that your vehicle is legal, being driven legal, and that your documents are up to date.

The exterior of your car is one of the things that gets inspected. Your license plate must be securely attached and well lit, and the car's windows should be free of cracks and chips that can limit visibility or integrity. The doors, wiper blades, windows, and undercarriage of your vehicle will also be inspected.

The interior of your vehicle, including the steering system, will be inspected as well. Make sure your horn is functioning before you arrived, and that your wheels turn correctly. Another necessary inspection item is your brakes and brake pads. Additionally, your seatbelts are inspected.

Additional areas of the car that will be inspected are your engine and chassis. Your tires will be checked, their fluids as well, and leaks and damage will be looked for.

Can You Get A Car Inspection Without Insurance?

Most often, when you show up for your inspection at the station three things will be required. The first one is proof of liability insurance. In most cases, this is the minimum level of coverage needed to drive in your state and the rest of the country. Without proof of insurance, you will not be able to get the car inspection you need. Additionally, a current photo ID must be presented at the inspection. Inspections must be attended by a person on the insurance policy and/or registration. Lastly, these inspections cost money. You will need to bring payment for inspection services. You are charged for the services regardless of whether or not your vehicle passes the inspection.

There are a few stations that may not ask for insurance when you arrive for your inspection, but this is rare. Also, each state is different, and within each state vehicle inspections can also vary quite a bit.

It does make a lot of sense that you would need proof of insurance in order to get an inspection. Driving to the inspection facility requires driving on roads. Driving on roads requires proof of insurance in order to be done legally. The car inspection process is designed to determine whether or not your vehicle is safe to be driven on public roads. Make sure to drive safely to the inspection facility and have your proof of insurance and ID ready.

While insurance groups most often required for a vehicle inspection, and for driving legally in general, driving without a vehicle being registered is at times allowed. Some states will issue temporary registrations that can last for as long as 45 days in cases where a vehicle inspection is needed. Also, some states allow vehicles to be driven to the first place they are to be stored from wherever they are purchased without being registered. This can be from a dealership to your home or from a dealership to a storage facility.

Final Notes

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