Will NC provide extensions on vehicle inspections over drivers’ coronavirus concerns?
Will the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles allow car owners to postpone their annual inspections if they are concerned about catching COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus?
A couple of readers had contacted the Observer, saying they were worried about a stranger getting in their car for an inspection and possibly having the novel coronavirus.
The Charlotte Observer called Steve Abbott, a spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The short answer is no, they can’t, but that could eventually change. Here’s why:
It’s up to the General Assembly
Neither the DMV nor the governor can legally extend expiration deadlines or waive late fees, Abbott said Friday in an email.
“They are part of state law, so that can only be handled by the General Assembly, which we will work with regarding those issues as soon as it meets later this month,” Abbott said.
The government deems inspection stations and license plate agencies as essential businesses. That means they can stay open to the public for now, according to Abbott.
Inspection stations and license plate agencies are privately operated, so it is their owners’ choice whether to stay open, Abbott said.
When to avoid inspection stations
NCDOT officials, however, don’t want people “who are at high-risk or are self-quarantined and whose registration has expired to feel pressured to have to go out themselves and get an inspection handled,” Abbott said.
The vehicle owner doesn’t have to be the one taking the car in for an inspection.
If the high-risk owner should not go out in public, the person if possible could ask a friend, neighbor, relative or someone else to take the car for inspection instead, according to Abbott.
Abbott compared the car-inspection situation to that of a person at home who has a helper doing his or her grocery shopping and other errands.
“The only thing required for the inspection is that whoever is with the vehicle has to have the current registration card,” Abbott said.
Inspection stations use social distancing
People concerned about catching the virus from a fellow license station customer or a worker should know that many inspection stations are following social distancing recommendations, Abbott said.
The stations also are allowing only “very brief or even no direct contact with a staff member” when owners check in and later pay for the inspection, he said.
Some stations have closed their waiting rooms or limited the number of people allowed in at a time, according to the DOT.
Disinfectant measures
A worker at a certified inspection station does have to drive your car into the garage to do the testing, according to the DOT.
“But that is a very quick process of turning on lights, checking brakes, turn signals, etc., and plugging and unplugging the emissions test equipment in the 22 counties that still require those tests,” Abbott said. “Some locations have their staff disinfect the interior before that for their own protection, and then afterward to relieve customer fears.”
A customer can take personal disinfectant wipes or spray to the inspection station “and do the same after the inspection, getting the exterior and interior door handles, the gear shifter, steering wheel, switches, keys,” Abbott said.
Call ahead about precautions
DOT officials said they recommend customers call the station in advance to ask what precautions the station has taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
Try another inspection station if the answer doesn’t satisfy you, the DOT recommends.
Renew online
Once the inspection is done, a car owner who is staying at home can renew online at www.ncdot.gov/dmv or by mail, DOT officials said.
You missed your inspection date. Now what?
Anyone whose vehicle registration expired on Tuesday faces a late fee.
However, people automatically get a 15-day grace period before a trooper can ticket you for an expired registration. In other words, you can’t be ticketed for an expired tag until after the 15th of the following month.
“That gives owners time to decide how to proceed and where,” Abbott said.
This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 2:53 PM.