Semiannual Inspected Vehicles

Semiannual inspected vehicles include: school buses, vehicles which are under contract with or owned by a school district or a private or parochial school, including vehicles having chartered group and party rights under the public utility commission and used to transport school students; passenger vans used to transport persons for hire or owned by a commercial enterprise and used for the transportation of employees to or from their place of employment; and mass transit vehicles.

 Annual Inspected Vehicles

Other vehicles, including motor carrier vehicles with a registered gross weight in excess of 17,000 pounds, motor homes, emergency vehicles and private noncommercial vehicles used to transport students, shall be inspected annually.

Motor homes and emergency vehicles built on a truck chassis shall be inspected according to the appropriate truck inspection procedure based on the registered gross weight of the vehicle.

Although the inspection regulations permit an inspection sticker to be issued for not more than 15 months, an inspection sticker for a motor carrier vehicle may not be issued for a period exceeding 12 months.

The motor carrier safety regulations require motor carrier vehicles to be inspected within a 12-month period. The 12-month period commences on the last day of the month the vehicle is inspected. Accordingly, when issuing an inspection sticker for a motor carrier vehicle, the inspection sticker should expire 12 months from the last day of the month the vehicle is inspected.

 Inspectors Liability/Citations When Road Testing

A safety inspector performing a road test shall not be cited by law enforcement personnel for any violation relating to vehicle equipment (for example: sun screening, ornamental lighting, blinking 3rd brake light, etc.). This protection only applies when the inspector is performing the road test portion of the safety inspection.

The inspector is subject to a traffic citation for any moving violations that occur (such as speeding, etc.).

 Sticker Security and Issuing Stickers

Every station should have sticker security issuance procedures in place. A periodic review of all stickers issued should be conducted by station management.

Any missing sticker, missing windshield replacement glass, or missing workorder/report is very serious and could result in the suspension of the station or severe fines and penalties.

Stickers should be kept secure under lock and key on a daily basis during business hours as well as during closed hours.

Do not permit stickers or monthly inserts to be placed on top of a cabinet or in an unsecured drawer during the work day. A sticker could inadvertently get mixed up or stuck with other papers.

Searching for a missing sticker is very time consuming, requires a report to the police as well as to PennDOT, and could result in the station’s suspension.

Stations should frequently review a sticker issuance report and the sticker inventory for both safety and emissions.

 Frequently Asked Questions – Stickers

What should a technician do if there is an invalid or no inspection sticker on the vehicle at the time of inspection?

If there is an invalid or no inspection sticker on the vehicle at the time of inspection, the sticker shall be assigned for 1 year from the month of inspection. New vehicles, not previously inspected, fall within this regulation.

What happens if the inspection sticker expires more than 90 days from the date of inspection?

If the inspection sticker expires more than 90 days from the date of inspection, the sticker assigned shall be valid for one year from the month in which the vehicle is inspected.

For example: if an inspection is performed in January 2024 and the sticker currently on the vehicle expires in April 2024, the vehicle will receive a sticker expiring in January 2025.

When should a station remove the old sticker and affix a new sticker?

Certificates of inspection may not be removed from a vehicle except to replace it with a new certificate of inspection. Safety or Emission stickers should absolutely not be removed from the windshield until the respective test is complete and the renewed sticker is ready to be affixed to the windshield.

What is the proper location to affix stickers? 

On a motor vehicle, the safety sticker shall be affixed in an upright position, in the extreme lower left-hand inside corner of the windshield on the driver’s (left) side. An Emission sticker shall be placed to the right of the Safety sticker. On vehicles with extremely hard slanted windshields, the front side glass known as the “Windshield Pillar Stationery Window’ (between the windshield and A pillar) is an acceptable location for the Inspection stickers. On a motorcycle or a motor driven cycle, the sticker shall be affixed in a clearly visible, upright position to one of the following areas of the vehicle: • on the left side (traffic side) of the front fork; • on the left side (traffic side) of the front fender; or • on a plate attached by WELD or RIVITS to the left side (traffic side) of the vehicle for purposes of mounting the sticker.

 Vehicles with Hand Controls

Inspectors may be called upon to inspect a vehicle which is equipped with special hand or foot controls. Typically, auxiliary controls are installed on vehicles where the operator has a physical disability. Hand controls can range from a simple steering wheel (spinner) knob to extensions on the foot pedals to a joy stick that controls movement of the entire vehicle.

Additionally, vehicles will be presented for inspection that have been retrofitted for right hand operation (i.e. rural mail carriers). As long as the work is performed in a workmanship like manner and all required controls are within the operator reach and view, there is nothing in the PA Equipment and Inspection Manual to prevent the use of such equipment.

If the retrofitted equipment is of a nature that the safety inspector does not feel comfortable to road test for safety inspection, the vehicle shall be inspected by an inspector who is trained to operate the controls. It is not acceptable for the owner/operator to drive the vehicle with an inspector riding as a passenger.