How would you get your car inspected in Pennsylvania if the current inspection sticker is out of date?

So in Pennsylvania every year, you have to get your car inspected. You also have a sticker affixed to the bottom left corner of your windshield that has the month and the year on it and the mileage when it was inspected.

Let's say that your inspection is due on March of 2022, and let's say that you're not able to drive your car but now it's August of 2022. If you drive your car, you're driving illegally according to the law.

So what would you do to get your car over to the inspection station? Would you have to have it towed?

I work with someone who is in the situation, just thought I'd ask about it, thanks.

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Viper · M

I'm not great with car stuff... so I could be totally wrong but here are my thoughts...

I believe the windshield sticker is just a reminder and has absolutely nothing to do with law ...

The legal sticker, I believe, used to go on the license plate, and I believe Pennsylvania legally stopped doing that... as police now just look it up via the license plate... so the license plate stickers are all old now ...

Towing cost extra money, so I probably wouldn't do that....

I would probably set up the car to be legally inspected and if possible not driving until then...

I'd make sure to get an inspection appointment card...

Then drive it to the inspection place (which yes would technically be illegal, but how else are you going to do it cost effectively?)... I mean, if you're rish, maybe have it towed.

But having the appointment card, show a police officer pulled you over, but in theory, they shouldn't pull you over if you're clearly following all the laws and going straight to the inspection place.

And when you're driving it illegally, go slow and safe and follow all laws extra carefully and otherwise act normal.

twiigss · M

@Viper No, the windshield actually has two stickers one for your inspection and one for your emissions test. Now if you go to get your car's oil changed, then yes the mechanic will throw up a reminder sticker for that. Both of those stickers, the inspection and emissions, have some type of metal circle built into the sticker that apparently police can just scan from the side of the road, and check up on if your car has been inspected or not.

Yes, Pennsylvania did get rid of the license plate sticker so you don't need that anymore, but from what I've seen, other states still do use that license plate sticker.

My registration was 11 months out of date, I was following all traffic laws, I don't speed, I don't run red lights, I don't run stop signs etc. etc., And I got pulled over, but thankfully the cop was nice and didn't put any points on my license, didn't notify my insurance company, all I had to do was just get the car registered. And I had to pay a $297 fine as well.

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