Virginia Safety Inspection

What is a VA Vehicle Safety Inspection?

All vehicles registered in Virginia are required by law to pass a vehicle safety inspection annually. When a vehicle passes a

VA state safety inspection, the inspection station will place a safety inspection sticker on the windshield showing month and year in which the inspection will expire. The inspection expires on the last day of the month printed on the sticker.

What Does a VA Vehicle Safety Inspection Cover?

The Commonwealth of Virginia requires state safety inspections annually to ensure that cars driven on its roads meet certain safety standards, a precaution that reduces accidents and related injuries.

To that end, the VA vehicle safety inspection covers major mechanical and accident avoidance systems including:

• brakes
• lights and signals
• windows and wipers
• tires
• steering and suspension
• fuel and exhaust systems
• seat belts
• mirrors

How Much Does a VA state safety inspection cost?

The following list of vehicle safety inspection fees are maximums mandated by Virginia law: $16.00 for cars and trucks, $12.00 for motorcycles, and $51.00 for tractor trailers. Certain dealerships and repair shops offer free or discounted VA state safety inspections for promotional and customer service purposes. If your vehicle fails inspection, you will be responsible for the cost of any required repairs.