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Vehicle Safety Inspection
A North Carolina vehicle safety inspection is required within 10 days of receiving a North Carolina license plate or by the last day of the month printed on the inspection sticker. Vehicles 35 years old, or older, are exempt from the North Carolina vehicle safety inspection. The cost of a passed safety inspection is $9.10.
The vehicle inspection can be performed at any of the 7,500 licensed inspection stations throughout the state.
Most service stations, automobile dealerships and vehicle repair garages are licensed inspection stations.
If a vehicle fails the safety inspection, it cannot be operated beyond the expiration date of the current sticker. However, the owner has 30 days to correct any safety defects and qualify for a re-inspection at no additional cost, provided the owner presents a receipt of the initial inspection.
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On-Board Diagnotic (OBD) Emissions Inspection
North Carolina has a new tool for fighting ozone-forming emissions from gasoline-operated cars and light duty trucks. Since 2002, licensed inspection stations have been required to use a more effective method for testing the air-pollution controls on cars and trucks. It requires them to conduct inspections using the vehicle's on-board diagnostic (OBD) systems, or computerized equipment installed on all new vehicles since 1996. Though they are still required to obtain a safety inspection, diesel-operated vehicles are exempt from the annual emission inspection.
Safety/OBD inspections currently are required in 48 counties: Alamance, Brunswick Buncombe, Burke, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Carteret, Catawba, Chatham, Cleveland, Craven, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Johnston, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Onslow, Orange, Pitt, Randolph, Robeson, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Wake, Wayne, Wilkes, Wilson and Union.
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