State Inspections

[Paul Markowski]

In my state, Virginia, every vehicle must have a State Inspection performed on it every year!! Local service stations are authorized to perform these inspections....my problem is that the 3 stations I went to so far, all say that my Ram 3500 Dually is too big and heavy for them to safely do the inspection.....so I am still looking for a place to do this work. Anyone else have/had this issue? Thx. On another note, even the local Ram dealership in my area told me that they cannot service my truck because they don't have a lift that can handle it....what??? Can you believe that this place sells trucks like mine BUT cannot service them!!! Unbelievable.

 

[jgillott]

I have that same issue with my van. It is too tall for the local garage that does my inspections to put it on the lift. They do it on the pad outside the bay with jacks. Maybe ask if that would be an option for yours.

 

[TFucili]

Do they not have state operated inspection stations, as well?

 

[DavidC]

I lived in Pa. for 18 years. Luckily only 2 of those with a vehicle. At that time I think the safety inspections were 2 times per year. Every time I needed wiper blades (of course I do because I am going to fail unless you charge me for them), headlights need adjustment (of course they do). Even then I kept my vehicles in great working order so there was little they could find. After the USAF discharge we moved to AZ. and have not had a Safety inspection in over 40 years but then they started emission testing so I had to put up with that. Back in the Pa. days they did a lot of vehicles on the pad outside.

Dave

 

[Jim W]

No state inspection on any private vehicles 3/4 ton trucks and under and or trailers here in IL. We do have emission compliance checks on gas powered vehicles in certain metropolitan areas such as the six counties surrounding Chicago IL.

 

[Lynx0849]

In MA we have state inspections each year. Many service stations are authorized to do them.

However, when I went to the place I had my 2005 1500 done for 13 years to get my “new to me” 2015 3500 inspected a couple of months ago, I was informed that they were not authorized to inspect vehicles over 10k GVWR.

I had to go to a commercial truck place. Good news was they still only charged me for a passenger vehicle inspection as the truck is not registered commercially.



Pro

 

[Paul Markowski]

I have that same issue with my van. It is too tall for the local garage that does my inspections to put it on the lift. They do it on the pad outside the bay with jacks. Maybe ask if that would be an option for yours.

Thanks. Found a station to do it today....you are right...he said he will do the job outside with jacks. Thx.

 

[Paul Markowski]

Do they not have state operated inspection stations, as well?

Not that I know of.

 

[Paul Markowski]

No state inspection on any private vehicles 3/4 ton trucks and under and or trailers here in IL. We do have emission compliance checks on gas powered vehicles in certain metropolitan areas such as the six counties surrounding Chicago IL.

Haha...lucky you. Maybe I will move............

 

[Newsa]

Do they not have state operated inspection stations, as well?

They stopped inspections in Florida in the mid 90's. It cost too much. The state paid private contractors, IIRC. And I think some rural residents had to travel far to get inspected.

I think the cost was part of your registration fee??????

 

[KCJackson1]

NJ ditched safety inspections a few years back, and diesels 10,000-19,000 pounds GVWR have been exempt from emissions testing for decades - diesels below 10,000 were added to the exempt list a few years ago. Basically, NJ cops knew on sight a diesel-powered dually should not have a sticker. Gasoline-powered vehicles are checked for emissions (OBD test), and medium/heavy class vehicles have separate standards.

 

[TFucili]

NJ ditched safety inspections a few years back, and diesels 10,000-19,000 pounds GVWR have been exempt from emissions testing for decades - diesels below 10,000 were added to the exempt list a few years ago. Basically, NJ cops knew on sight a diesel-powered dually should not have a sticker. Gasoline-powered vehicles are checked for emissions (OBD test), and medium/heavy class vehicles have separate standards.

Way back, they used to give you a sticker that said "Self Inspected", and you had to carry a maintenance log on the truck. When they eliminated the sticker, and I was driving around with no inspection sticker in my '87 6.9 pickup, I can't tell you how many time I got pulled over for no inspection. One of those time I had a shed on the trailer being delivered to Drumthwacket, the governor's mansion. Fortunately, the trooper didn't notice it was a wide load and I had no permit

 

[truckmen]

In my state, Virginia, every vehicle must have a State Inspection performed on it every year!! Local service stations are authorized to perform these inspections....my problem is that the 3 stations I went to so far, all say that my Ram 3500 Dually is too big and heavy for them to safely do the inspection.....so I am still looking for a place to do this work. Anyone else have/had this issue? Thx. On another note, even the local Ram dealership in my area told me that they cannot service my truck because they don't have a lift that can handle it....what??? Can you believe that this place sells trucks like mine BUT cannot service them!!! Unbelievable.

Add to that list Darling's Auto Mall that includes Ram trucks but the service writer told me that they are not really equipped nor have the mechanics trained to work on our Ram trucks but ... they are happy to sell them and bill you for time road testing to better understand what may be wrong with them.

 

[Wayne M.]

I am an inspector in NY State for all classes except motorcycles. There are no state run facilities, all private (except for municipalities) and a station must be able to accommodate and service the vehicle it’s licensed to inspect, get a wheel off, etc, and I believe it has to be inside a building. In downstate counties, diesels over 8500 GVW must be done at a station that does diesel emission testing. A heavy station can give out a heavy safety sticker which is optional on a below 18500 gvw truck. My CTD gets puffed every year. I cannot do my own inspections.
If you know the governing body (in NY, it’s the DMV) and if you dig enough, you’ll find the regulations, chapter and verse.

 

[Wayne M.]

They stopped inspections in Florida in the mid 90's. It cost too much. The state paid private contractors, IIRC. And I think some rural residents had to travel far to get inspected.

I think the cost was part of your registration fee??????

I happen to support a well run inspection program. I know S. Carolina has no program, and the few times I’ve driven around down there, I’ve seen stuff that should not have been next to me on the interstate!

 

[Newsa]

Add to that list Darling's Auto Mall that includes Ram trucks but the service writer told me that they are not really equipped nor have the mechanics trained to work on our Ram trucks but ... they are happy to sell them and bill you for time road testing to better understand what may be wrong with them.

I can do that. Charge you for riding in your truck!

 

[Newsa]

I happen to support a well run inspection program. I know S. Carolina has no program, and the few times I’ve driven around down there, I’ve seen stuff that should not have been next to me on the interstate!

You know it! Lol!

 

[truckmen]

I can do that. Charge you for riding in your truck!

And, add to that, not telling me anything more than "I can hear the noise/sound but sure can't tell you what's causing it."