Massachusetts State Vehicle Inspection
All vehicles registered in Massachusetts must pass a yearly vehicle inspection in order to ensure that they are up to state standards. This includes both an emissions test and a safety inspection. Driving any motor vehicle without a valid inspection sticker is a traffic violation that may result in a fine and affect your insurance rate. The Massachusetts Vehicle Check program is the vehicle emissions testing and safety inspection program for the Commonwealth. You can get an inspection at any of the 1,800 licensed inspection stations in Massachusetts from their Inspection Station Locator.
- Effective November 1, 2022, motor vehicles passing an inspection will get a new sticker with the month the last sticker expired. If the last sticker expired in a previous month, the new sticker will have that same previous month. If the last sticker expired the previous year, the vehicle will get a January sticker of the current year the vehicle is being inspected, no matter the month the vehicle is inspected
- If your vehicle fails inspection, you'll get a "reject" sticker and will be provided with a printed vehicle inspection report by the inspection station. Failed motorcycles don't receive a new sticker.
- Vehicles with onboard diagnostic systems that are less than 15 years old must pass an annual emissions test.
- Fleets of commercial motor vehicles can be tested by mobile inspectors, who bring testing equipment to company lots, or by a licensed company employee.
- The Massachusetts Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspection is equivalent to the annual Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) inspection. Your commercial vehicle will be tested against state and federal requirements at the same time.