Do you have a car, truck, or motorcycle in the State of New York? Then you should probably know that passing the NYS Inspection is part of your expenses and responsibilities.
Possessing your own car may be delightful and necessary but in the end, it is still all about safety.
Apart from having good driving skills, a responsible vehicle owner should also ensure that all components of the vehicle are functioning properly.
In this way, you can be sure that you aren’t putting yourself or others at risk. By passing the NYS Inspection, you will know that your car is safe for the road.
In this article, I tackle the complete details of the NYS Inspection.
You will read about the NYS inspection costs, when to do the inspection, what is checked in your vehicle, what can make you fail the inspection, information about the inspection sticker, and some tips and reminders to know. Read on to find out more.
What Is NYS Inspection?
The State of New York requires a mandatory New York State (NYS) Inspection from every vehicle owner living in the state.
The inspection is done on all registered vehicles to assure safety and acceptable working conditions.
If the vehicle passes the inspection, a sticker is given to indicate the passed inspection status and it can then be legally used on public roads.
What Does the NYS Inspection Check?
For both cars and light trucks, the NYS Inspection checks the working conditions of the following:
- Seatbelts
- Brakes
- Steering, Front End, Suspension, Chassis, Frame, and Wheel Fasteners
- Tires (except the tire spare)
- Lights
- Windshield and Other Glass
- Windshield Wipers and Blades
- Horn
- Mirrors
- Fuel Leaks
Here are some specific checks to be aware of for each component:
Seatbelts
Each seating position is required to have a working seatbelt, which also includes the driver’s seat.
For the 1965 and 1966 models, two front seatbelts are checked. In addition, the Air Bag Warning Lamp is also inspected if it lights or not.
Brakes
The brakes are checked by taking out at least one front wheel.
The inspector will check the brake pedal reserve, brake pedal fade, power brake unit, brake master cylinder, disc brake pads, drum brake linings, brake drums and rotors, wheel cylinders and calipers, all brake lines and hoses, parking brake, and brake equalization.
Steering, Front End, Suspension, Chassis, Frame, and Wheel Fasteners
The condition of the front-end assembly is inspected.
Moreover, the steering wheel play, tightness of steering linkages, the operation of the power steering, shock absorber and mountings, springs and torsion bars, chassis, and wheel fasteners are some parts that need to be free from missing or broken parts, damages, and cracks.
Tires
The tire needs to have the correct tire pressure, a depth of 2/32 inch minimum, and no breaks or cuts measuring one inch. Only the main tires are inspected, and not the spare tires.
Lights
The lights should be complete and in good working conditions.
The headlamps (low and high beam), tail lamps, stop lamps, directional signals, backup lights (1969 and newer), license plate lights, hazard warning/four-way flasher (1966 and newer), and directional signal indicator are all to be checked.
Windshield and Other Glass
All windows should have approved safety glass and appropriate tint.
As for the tint requirements, it is required by law that at least 70% of light should pass through the front side windows. The windshield should also be free from cracks that are 11 inches long.
Windshield Wipers and Blades
The windshield wipers and blades should function properly. This check does not include the rear window and headlamp wipers.
Horn
The horn should be properly mounted and working well. Therefore, the horn should have a proper sound.
Mirrors
1970 models and newer ones must have at least a left outside mirror AND an inside mirror.
For those with 1968 models or newer ones, there should be a left outside mirror, whereas those with 1967 models and older ones must have either a left outside mirror OR an inside mirror.
However, other types such as trucks or vans with obstructed views must have both the left and right outside mirrors.
Fuel Leaks
Any kind of leak will make you ultimately fail the inspection. Thus, make sure there are no small or big leaks from the fuel tank. Aside from fuel leaks, any part of the vehicle with leaks such as oil is also checked.
Why Is NYS Inspection Needed?
For obvious reasons, this is to ensure safe roads for all residents of the State of New York. Moreover, it is needed to reduce harmful emissions from all vehicles.
If you do not have your car inspected, you won’t be able to renew the registration.
Moreover, you will have to pay a fine which varies based on the length of expiration.
For instance, $25 to $50 is charged for a sticker that has expired already for 60 days, and $50 to $100 for more than 60 days and for those without a sticker. Plus, another $88 mandatory state surcharge is charged on top of the fine.
If you park your car and a police officer finds that you do not have a sticker, you can receive a parking ticket as well.
When Do You Need a Safety Inspection?
The NYS Inspection is done once a year and usually before the last day of the month when the inspection sticker expires.
It is also conducted whenever the car ownership is to be transferred to another person.
Make sure to have the inspection done by only a DMV-licensed inspection station.
NYS Inspection Cost 2023
NYS Inspection includes both Safety Inspections and Emissions Inspections.
The Safety Inspection is categorized into three: Light Vehicles, Heavy Vehicles, and Motorcycles.
Each category has varying fees and groups which are indicated in the Inspection Groups and Fee Chart under the Fees page of New York State’s Department of Motor Vehicles.
Aside from safety inspections, NYS Inspection also includes Emissions Inspections categorized into three: OBD II Emissions Inspection, Low-Enhanced Emissions Inspection, and Diesel Emissions Inspection. The fees chart states the following:
Safety Inspection for Light Vehicles
Group A1
Fee: $10
All motor vehicles that have a seating capacity, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, under fifteen passengers, and all motor vehicles, except trailers and motorcycles, that have a maximum gross weight (MGW), as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, under 10,001 pounds.
Group A2
Fee: $15
All motor vehicles, except trailers and motorcycles, that have an MGW, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, over 10,000 pounds and under 18,001 pounds, except when the registrant requests a heavy vehicle inspection.
Group B
Fee: $6
All trailers, except semi-trailers, that have an MGW, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, under 18,001 pounds, except those trailers that have an MGW, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, over 10,000 pounds and under 18,001 pounds, when the registrant requests a heavy vehicle inspection.
Safety Inspection for Heavy Vehicles
Group A1
Fee: $20
All motor vehicles that have a seating capacity, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, over fourteen passengers; all motor vehicles, except trailers, that have an MGW, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, over 18,000 pounds; those motor vehicles, except trailers, that have an MGW, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, over 10,000 pounds and under 18,001 pounds, when the registrant requests a heavy vehicle inspection.
Group A2
Fee: $12
All trailers that have an MGW, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, are over 18,000 pounds, and those trailers that have an MGW, as indicated on the vehicle registration certificate, are over 10,000 pounds and under 18,001 pounds, and when the registrant requests a heavy vehicle inspection.
Group B
Fee: $12
For all semi-trailers.
Safety Inspection for Motorcycles
Group A
Fee: $6
For all motorcycles.
Emissions Inspection
OBD I Emissions Inspection
Fee: $27 (conducted at an inspection station in the New York Metropolitan Area (NYMA)) Fee: $11 (conducted at an inspection station outside of the NYMA)
All 1996 and newer non-exempt vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) under 8,501 pounds.
Low-Enhanced Emissions Inspection
Fee: $11
All 1995 and older non-exempt vehicles, and all 1996 and newer non-exempt vehicles that have a GVWR over 8,500 pounds.
Diesel Emissions Inspection
Fee: $25
All non-exempt diesel-powered vehicles registered in the NYMA that have an MGW of more than 8,500 pounds.
However, there are certain vehicles that do not require Emissions Inspections. The following exempted vehicles stated by the DMV are:
- Electric-powered vehicles
- Diesel-powered vehicles (except 1997 and above models with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 8,501 pounds
- Historical plates
- Motorcycles
- Under the Heavy Vehicle Safety Inspection
- Vehicles less than two model years old (the model year is greater than or equal to calendar year minus one)
- Vehicles that are more than 25 model years old (the model year is less than or equal to calendar year minus 25)
Important Notes about the Inspection Sticker
If you lost the inspection sticker, simply issue a replacement by completing and sending the Request for Replacement Inspection Sticker form.
If the sticker is coming off, it is recommended to reattach it with clear tape or any adhesive to make it stick while making sure it can still be easily removed for the next inspection sticker.
What Can Make You Fail the NYS Inspection?
The inspection of each part is needed to assure your safety and other people’s as well.
For instance, if you have missing or broken wiper blades, your view is obstructed on rainy days and can cause an accident.
If the outside mirrors are missing or cracked, driving will become dangerous as you can’t see the cars behind you.
For the emissions test, it is possible to fail it for several reasons, which include but are not limited to changing your batteries recently right before inspection, the vehicle is not used for a very long time, the vehicle recently died, or the check engine light was repaired.
So before having your vehicle inspected, make sure to drive it again for a few miles after the reasons mentioned above to create new information for the inspector monitors to read.
Ready to Find an Inspection Station?
Before coming to an inspection station, I recommend going to your trusted car mechanic first to have a pre-inspection and help you prepare for the actual NYS Inspection.
The inspection is graded with either a pass or fail. Take note that if you fail the inspection, you still have to pay for the inspection fees and it is non-refundable.
Thus, it is better to have proper monthly maintenance of the vehicle to assure a passing grade on the inspection so you don’t waste money on the fees.
If you are ready to have your car inspected, make sure to do it with DMV-regulated inspection stations. Did you find this article helpful? Let us know in the comments section below.
