In the Tar Heel State, the laws and rules of the Division of Motor Vehicles call for annual inspections that preclude registration. In other words, NC state inspections must be passed before you can get on the road; you will not be allowed to renew your registration and get a sticker for your license tags until you get a satisfactory certificate of inspection. All vehicles must pass a NC vehicle safety inspection; furthermore, drivers who park their cars in 22 of the 100 NC counties must pass emissions testing, and this includes Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the entire Research Triangle.

NC Vehicle Safety Inspection

If you live near North Hills or Glenwood Avenue, your car must pass both safety and emissions inspections, which must be completed within 90 days of the annual registration date. The NC vehicle safety inspection applies to all vehicles with a single exception: classic models from 1983 and older do not fall under this requirement. It is up to you to find a licensed auto shop to conduct the NC vehicle safety inspection, which consists of establishing the proper mechanical functionality and condition of the following:

⇨ All Brakes

⇨ Turning Lights

⇨ Steering System

⇨ Windshield Wipers

⇨ Tinted Window Grade

⇨ Headlights

⇨ Accessory Lights

As of November 2019, the NC vehicle safety inspection fee set by the DMV is $13.60 plus an additional $10 if your car has tinted windows. You may think that this is a simple inspection to pass, but you would be surprised to learn how many vehicles do not pass it each year; the brake system is a common technical issue in failed inspections. Should your car fail the vehicle safety inspection, bring it to Weatherspoon Automotive along with the report for brake repair or any other service that will allow you to pass. There is no getting around NC state inspections in terms of safety; there are no waivers.

Emissions Inspection: Part Of  The NC Vehicle Safety Inspection

As previously mentioned, if the registration address of your car is within 22 metropolitan counties designated for emissions inspections, your vehicle will have to pass a diagnostic to ensure that it complies with federal air quality standards set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Not all cars are required to undergo emissions testing; in general, gasoline-powered passenger vehicles and light trucks that have less than 70,000 miles on the odometer are exempt, but not from the safety portion of the inspection. There is also an exemption for diesel cars and those that are registered as work vehicles for farming purposes. Finally, if your car rolled out of the assembly before 1995, you do not have to worry about emissions testing.

Compared To Other States, North Carolina’s  Vehicle Safety Inspection Is Not As Strict With Regard To Emissions Testing:

If your car or truck fails the emission inspection but passes in terms of safety, you may qualify for a waiver. The licensed shop doing the inspection will inform you of any mechanical issues that prevent you from passing, and an estimate cost of repairs will be included. Should the estimate be higher than $200, you may be eligible to receive a waiver, which should be requested from the DMV along with all inspection documentation.

Even if you obtain an emissions inspection waiver and are allowed to renew your car’s registration, you should strongly consider getting the issue repaired. If your check engine light is on at the time of inspection, there is a chance that you will not pass because this dashboard indicator is closely tied to the fuel and emissions system. Procrastinating on this issue is not recommended because it may result in decreased performance, reduced fuel efficiency, and more costly repairs at a later time.

Owners of plug-in electric and fuel cell electric cars are also exempt from emissions inspection, which means that your Tesla or Nissan Leaf only have to pass the NC vehicle safety inspection unless the windows have a darkened tint. As for window tinting, it mostly applies to treatments not done by the automaker. If your car rolled out of the assembly line with a factory tint, you do not have to worry about this inspection. The dark tint threshold set by North Carolina statutes is 32 percent, and the windshield stripe cannot extent beyond five inches from the top.

Come See Us At Ray Weatherspoon Automotive

We Are Conveniently Situated In The Triangle Area

In Raleigh North Carolina

We Do North Carolina State Inspections

Call For An Appointment Or Just Drop It

(919) 851-9519