Sorry, I didn't want to hijack StartTday's thread on the inspection question, but it brought to mind my own question so I started a new thread.

I'm new to Virginia (moved here in December and inspected/registered my previous car in Virginia at that time). When my MINI arrived in July, I transferred my VA plates from my old car to my new MINI, instead of getting a temp tag. So my car has a July 06 inspection sticker on the windshield, but still has license plates front and back that say December 05.

When MINI of Sterling sent me my registration form, they did not include the stickers for the license plate. Were they supposed to? If not, how do I get these license plate stickers? If I don't get them, after December of this year, it will look like my MINI has expired tags even though it really doesn't.

I'd appreciate any information!

 

You need to get a county sticker, and you should get your updated stickers then.

 

I don't recall that all my tags expire in the same month as my inspections -- I may be wrong; but I think it is possible to have them in different months. You just have to have a current inspection when you renew your tags.

Hugs,
PB

 

The inspection sticker on the windshield is NOT tied to the same date as tag expiration except by coincidence. When that sticker is about to expire you must get your car inspected, regardless of the date of your tags expiration. Like wise if the inspection sticker is good that has no effect on expired tags. If you want them in sync you can get the car reinspected when you renew your tags.

You can of course transfer tags to another vehicle, but that does not change the date of the next inspectin due that receiving vehicle, that is still based on the sticker on the windshield.

You do have to have a current inpsection to get tags, but it can be months out of date. Been there, do that ;-)

 

I've now transferred registration on two cars in VA, I've never gotten new stickers for the license plate. I'm also on vehicle #3 with an inspection sticker that expires at a different time than my registration. Remember you transferred your registration/tag, you didn't renew it. That means that you didn't increase or add to the amount of time your current registration is valid.

As long as both the stickers on your tags are valid and so is your inspection sticker then you don't have anything to worry about as you're not driving illegally. (well maybe you are if you're speeding or something but that's different...)

If the date missmatch is a real concern for you, take the car to your local inspection station when your registration is up and get it re-inspected. I'm sure they'd give you a new sticker with a month that matched your registration after re-inspecting the car...

 

Yeesh, now I'm really confused. There is apparently 4 things that can expire at different times on my vehicle. Would someone mind reading to make sure I have it right?

(1) The Loudoun county sticker: (which I didn't mention in my post, but is in the middle of my front windshield). I pay property tax on this to Loudoun county (ouch!) and also pay $25 for this sticker.

(2) Inspection sticker: (middle of the front windshield). Annually in VA I get my car safety and emission inspected. This was done when I purchased my MINI, so I have a sticker with a date of 07/06.

(3) Registration: I paid a bunch of money (I think, I'll check my paperwork tonight) to MINI of Sterling when I purchased my car, this was for my registration. I just received a VA Registration card in the mail from MINI of Sterling. There are no stickers to go on the car for this date, just keep the registration card in the vehicle.

(4) License Plates: (Stickers on License plates say 12/05). I'm guessing from this post that unlike any other state I've lived in, the sticker date on the license plate has nothing to do with the registration date of the vehicle. I must annually "renew my tags" with the DMV in VA, which I would guess is a set fee since it doesn't matter that I now have them on a new and more expensive vehicle.

Wow, they don't make this easy! I can't believe the amount of money every state and county agency seems to want on your vehicle! Thanks everyone for the help.

 

3 and 4 are essentially the same. When you renew your registration you'll get new stickers for the plates.

Virginia's a little odd with the renewals too... Your renewal card looks a whole lot like a real live registration for the next year... But there's a thing to mail back in the envelope and after you pay they send you another card that looks a whole lot like the first but it has the stickers for your tags stapled to it...

 

Just to confuse things a little more... Virginia actually has separate inspections for vehicle safety and emissions. The yellow sticker on your windshield is for vehicle safety only. You must get an annual safety inspection before the end of the expiration month shown on the yellow sticker.

In addition, you also must get emissions testing done. A new vehicle does not require an initial emissions test but you will be notified by mail when one is required. When you pass the test, you are given a certificate and an electronic entry is made in VDOT's computer system. You cannot have an outstanding emissions test notification when you go to renew your tags or they will not issue the renewal.

 

Just to add to jkh's post on the VA inspections...

The safety inspection is required every year, as reflected by the inspection sticker placed on the windshield.

The emissions inspection is only required every two years, coinciding with the maximum amount of time you can register a vehicle for. This means that it usually makes sense to get your vehicle emissions inspected right before you renew your registration, then renew for the full two years (unless of course you plan on moving out of Virginia within the following year).

 

I live in VA, and bought my MINI at Towson. Not surprisingly, it doesn't have a VA inspection sticker. Do new cars need one? The dealer thought that VA mails the sticker out for new cars, but since they didn't sound certain (and it sounds unlike VA to just hand out an inspection sticker), I'm hoping to get confirmation from someone else living in VA who bought in MD. Thanks!

 

i drove my car a yr. before any stickers tarnished my window! that was nice, real easy to clean windscreen!

 

I would assume that Towson would register your car with the VA DMV, but I think state inspection must be done by in-state dealers/auto shops. You might want to drive over to one of the VA dealers (Sterling) since they might do it for free for you (if Towson calls to request), or to a local auto shop to get it done.

...and avoid the Dulles Toll Road/Greenway until you get it done. A cop sits most morning facing the traffic coming into the toll booths (Greenway side). Because it's backed up and everyone is going slow or stopped, he sits there with his binoculars and pulls people over with expired inspection or no inspection stickers!

 

Towson will not register a car in VA for you. I know this because we have bought one there. You will get a temporary 30 day MD tag and Towson will send you the paperwork you need to take to the DMV for registration and insurance etc.

 

Things must've changed, because when I left Towson on Monday, my MINI had real Virginia plates and an actual DMV-like registration card. No temporary tags - these are actual metal tags!