DMV: Most NY vehicle inspection stations issuing revised stickers

Since the new emissions inspection sticker for New York vehicles debuted earlier... — Since the new emissions inspection sticker for New York vehicles debuted earlier this year, more than 100,000 inspections have been performed, according to the DMV. Credit: NYS DMV

By Matthew Chayesmatthew.chayes@newsday.com chayesmatthewUpdated June 23, 2023

The majority of New York State’s motor-vehicle inspection stations are beginning to use on-demand stickers, or QR code prints, that certify a passed safety and emissions check but now also list the license plate and vehicle identification numbers as well as mileage, the DMV announced Thursday.

The sticker style being replaced did not list vehicle-specific information, and the expiration was indicated by punching a hole in the relevant month listing “JAN” to “DEC” on its border.

Since the new sticker debuted earlier this year, more than 100,000 inspections have been performed. The new style, with a QR code, lists the expiration month and year in large black letters.

Because of attrition, the old stickers with the previous design are expected to remain in place until late 2024.

The new system is meant to combat fraud, the Department of Motor Vehicles has said. Inspection costs remain the same.

In one example of the fraud that would be harder to commit under the new system, in 2015, 935 counterfeit New York State inspection stickers, found by a U.S. Customs inspector at Kennedy Airport, were hidden inside the sneakers and a photo album belonging to a traveler from the Dominican Republic, according to a New York Times article.

New York, which checks vehicles for safety and emissions standards, is one of the few states with a comprehensive requirement for periodic inspections.

States that don't have them include Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wyoming as well as Washington, D.C., according to Kelley Blue Book.

Some states require only certain types or years of vehicles to be inspected, or upon sale, registration, or both, or only in certain jurisdictions within a state, or some combination. A minority of states require no inspections whatsoever.