Inspection and maintenance - Virginia

Virginia has adopted Part 396 of the Federal Regulations.

Part 396 applies to vehicles over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating, or gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight, whichever is greater, and vehicles of any size used to transport hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding.

The Department of State Police is authorized to conduct the mandatory periodic vehicle inspection program in Virginia. All motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers registered in Virginia must be submitted to inspection at an official inspection station at time of first registration and subsequently once each year. Inspections are conducted at officially designated inspection stations, and upon approval an inspection sticker is affixed to the vehicle which indicates the month of inspection.

Private fleet garages may be designated as inspection stations for their own fleets. To qualify fleets must have at least 20 vehicles.

This mandatory inspection program is considered equivalent to the Federal annual inspection requirement in Part 396.

The certificate of inspection and approval must be displayed on the windshield at a location designated by the Superintendent of State Police.

Exception — Any commercial motor vehicle subject to regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), that is registered in Virginia, operates in interstate commerce, and is found to be in compliance with the federal requirements for annual safety inspection is considered in compliance with Virginia safety inspection laws.

All vehicles operating on the highways of Virginia are subject to inspection by the State Police when visual observation indicates such vehicles are in unsafe condition or not equipped as required by the State of Virginia.

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will suspend the registration of any Virginia registered motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer if the DMV or the Department of State Police determines that the vehicle is unsafe to be operated. A vehicle is unsafe if it is not equipped with proper brakes, lights, horn or warning devices, or a proper electrical or mechanical signaling device or safety glass when required by law, or proper mirror, muffler, windshield wiper or proper steering gear adequate to insure safe movement of the vehicle, as is required by law, or when the vehicle is equipped with a smoke screen device or cutout or when the vehicle is otherwise unsafe.

If a state police officer observes any defect in a Virginia registered motor vehicle, he may take away the vehicle’s registration card and license plates and retain them for a period of 15 days unless the owner of the vehicle corrects the defects or obtains a new inspection sticker from an authorized inspection station. The card and plates will be returned when defects are found to have been corrected by a trooper.