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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>79566</law_id><section_number>46.2-1001</section_number><catch_line>Removal of unsafe vehicles; penalty</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>46.2-341.4</reference><reference>52-8.4</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="46.2">Motor Vehicles</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="III">Operation</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="10">Motor Vehicle and Equipment Safety</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="1">Vehicle and Equipment Safety, Generally</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span> examined by a <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer certified to perform vehicle safety inspections</span> and found to be operating with defective brakes, tires, wheels, steering mechanism, or any other condition which is likely to cause an accident or a breakdown of the <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span> may be removed from the <span class="dictionary">highway</span> and not permitted to operate again on the <span class="dictionary">highway</span> until the defects have been corrected and the <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer has found the corrections to be satisfactory. Such <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer may allow any <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span> discovered to be in such an unsafe condition while being operated on the <span class="dictionary">highway</span> to continue in operation only to the nearest place where repairs can be safely effected and only if such operation is less hazardous to the public than to permit the <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span> to remain on the <span class="dictionary">highway</span>.
		No person shall operate a <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailer</span>, or <span class="dictionary">semitrailer</span> which has been removed from service as provided in the foregoing provisions of this section prior to correction and proper authorization by a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer certified to perform vehicle safety inspection procedures.
		For the purpose of this section, the term &#x201C;<span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer certified to perform vehicle safety inspections</span>&#x201D; means those <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers</span> who have satisfactorily met the requirements for initial certification and maintenance of certification of <span class="dictionary">driver</span>/vehicle inspectors as prescribed by the U.S. <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Those <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers</span> certified to place <span class="dictionary">vehicles</span> out of service must receive annual in-service training in current federal motor carrier safety regulations, safety inspection procedures, and out-of-service criteria. The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> of State Police shall be responsible for coordinating the annual in-service training. The agency administrator of the <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agencies employing <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers</span> certified to perform vehicle safety inspections shall provide the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Criminal Justice Services with verification that <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officers</span> certified to perform vehicle safety inspections have met the requirements for initial certification and maintenance of certification of <span class="dictionary">driver</span>/vehicle inspectors prescribed by the U.S. <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and satisfactorily completed the annual in-service training required by this section.
		Every vehicle inspected by a local <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer pursuant to this section and found to be free of defects which would constitute grounds for removal of the vehicle from service shall be issued a sticker as <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> of such inspection and freedom from defects. Such stickers shall be valid for 90 days. Any vehicle displaying a valid sticker shall be exempt from local or State Police inspections under this section. However, the <span class="dictionary">fact</span> that a vehicle displays a valid sticker shall not prevent any local or State Police officer from stopping and inspecting the vehicle if he observes an obvious safety defect. The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> of State Police shall work cooperatively with local <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement agencies of localities whose officers are authorized to perform inspections pursuant to this section to develop a standard sticker as provided for in this section and uniform policies and procedures for issuance and display of such stickers.
		However, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, before placing any vehicle out of service, the vehicle <span class="dictionary">operator</span> shall be allowed two hours to effect repairs to his vehicle. Such repairs may be performed at the site where the vehicle was inspected and found to be unsafe, provided the vehicle requiring repair is off the <span class="dictionary">highway</span>, where the repairs can be effected safely. If such repairs remedy the condition or conditions that would have caused it to be taken out of service, it shall not be taken out of service, but allowed to resume its operations. No such repairs, however, shall be allowed if the vehicle&#x2019;s load consists of hazardous <span class="dictionary">material</span> as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/10.1-1400/">10.1-1400</a>.</p></section></text><history>1982, c. 90, &#xA7; 46.1-279.01; 1985, c. 561; 1988, c. 77; 1989, c. 727; 1990, cc. 20, 167; 1991, cc. 284, 416; 1993, c. 409; 1995, cc. 39, 458; 1996, cc. 24, 91, 144, 525; 1997, c. 35; 1999, cc. 68, 279; 2000, cc. 59, 112; 2002, cc. 142, 223, 263; 2003, cc. 82, 85.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
