RMV announces inspection sticker changes for Massachusetts drivers: 'Don't be late'
BOSTON - There's a change coming to the way inspection stickers are given out in Massachusetts - and it affects those who wait too long to get their car inspected.
The RMV said that starting November 1, cars that pass the annually required inspection will get a new sticker with the month the last sticker expired, rather than the month of inspection.
Drivers who wait more than a year will get a January sticker.
"Any vehicle owner late in getting a vehicle inspected, beyond one year from the last inspection, will no longer get a sticker displaying the month the new inspection occurred," the RMV said in a statement. "Vehicles with inspection stickers that expired last year will receive a January sticker of the current year the vehicle is being inspected, no matter the month the vehicle is inspected this year."
The RMV says these changes will help make sure cars get inspected every year.
"Vehicle owners are required to have the inspection done one year from the month the last inspection was done," Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie said. "We are asking all vehicle owners to place safety first and make sure to check your inspection date, and don't be late."
People who get their cars inspected on time or before it's due will not be impacted by the change.
The RMV said it will also be switching from printed inspection reports for cars that pass to digital, starting October 1. Vehicle owners can access their report by going online to Mass Vehicle Check. Those who fail their inspection will still get a printed report.
Driver Faris Abboushi, who just got rejected, say the new changes add more pressure.
"I mean it did happen to me in the past when I forgot to change the sticker, and now, with this policy, it's not gonna make it easier for sure.
WBZ-TV did a quick walkthrough of a parking lot in Natick, and turned up four expired stickers in just four minutes, including one scraped off altogether.
"So they try to beat the state out of a month, and they think they won," said John MacKenzie, owner of MacKenzie Motors.
And now, that's about to change.
