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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57969</law_id><section_number>46.2-1163</section_number><catch_line>Official inspection stations; safety inspection approval stickers; actions of Superintendent subject to the Administrative Process Act</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>46.2-1158.01</reference><reference>46.2-1176</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="21">Safety Inspections</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> may designate, furnish instructions to, and supervise official inspection stations for the inspection of <span class="dictionary">motor vehicles</span>, <span class="dictionary">trailers</span>, and <span class="dictionary">semitrailers</span> and for adjusting and correcting equipment enumerated in this chapter in such a manner as to conform to specifications hereinbefore set forth. The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> shall adopt and furnish to such official inspection stations regulations governing the making of inspections required by this chapter. The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> may at any time, after five days&#x2019; written notice, <span class="dictionary">revoke</span> the designation of any official inspection station designated by him.
		If no defects are discovered or when the equipment has been corrected in accordance with this title, the official inspection station shall <span class="dictionary">issue</span> to the <span class="dictionary">operator</span> or <span class="dictionary">owner</span> of the vehicle, on forms furnished by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police, a duplicate of which is retained by such station, a certificate showing the date of correction, registration number of the vehicle, and the official designation of such station. On or before December 1, 2010, any information an official inspection station is required to provide to the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police shall be accepted by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> in electronic form. There also shall be placed on the windshield of the vehicle at a place to be designated by the <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> an approval sticker furnished by the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police. If any vehicle is not equipped with a windshield, the approval sticker shall be placed on the vehicle in a location designated by the <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span>. If the vehicle is a <span class="dictionary">motorcycle</span>, the approval sticker may, at the discretion of the <span class="dictionary">motorcycle</span> <span class="dictionary">owner</span>, be placed on a plate securely fastened to the <span class="dictionary">motorcycle</span> for the purpose of displaying the sticker or affixed to the <span class="dictionary">motorcycle</span>. The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> shall designate the location on which such plate shall be fastened or such sticker shall be affixed to the <span class="dictionary">motorcycle</span>. This sticker shall be displayed on the windshield of such vehicle or at such other designated place upon the vehicle at all times when it is operated or parked on the <span class="dictionary"><span class="dictionary">highways</span></span> in the Commonwealth and until such time as a new inspection period shall be designated and a new inspection sticker issued. Common carriers, operating under certificate from the State Corporation <span class="dictionary">Commission</span> or the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of <span class="dictionary">Motor Vehicles</span>, who desire to do so may use with the approval of the <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> private inspection stations for the inspection and correction of their equipment.
		The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> shall provide <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> safety inspection information upon the written request of an individual or corporate entity or such entity&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">agent</span>. Any information provided shall not include personal information. The <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> may make a reasonable charge for furnishing information under this section but no fee shall be charged to any official of the Commonwealth, including <span class="dictionary">court</span> and police officials; officials of counties, cities, or towns; local government self-insurance pools; or the <span class="dictionary">court</span>, police, or licensing officials of other states or of the federal government, provided that the information requested is for official use and such officials do not charge the Commonwealth a fee for the provision of the same or substantially similar information. Vehicle information, including all descriptive vehicle data, submitted to or received from the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police related to such a request shall not be considered a public record for the purposes of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title; policy" href="/2.2-3700/">2.2-3700</a> et seq.). The fees received by the <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> pursuant to this section shall be paid into the state treasury and shall be set aside as a special fund to be used to meet the expenses of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of State Police&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">motor vehicle</span> safety inspection program.
		Actions of the <span class="dictionary">Superintendent</span> relating to official inspection stations shall be governed by the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Short title; purpose" href="/2.2-4000/">2.2-4000</a> et seq.).</p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7; 46-318; 1954, c. 57; 1956, c. 381; 1958, c. 541, &#xA7; 46.1-318; 1989, c. 727; 1996, c. 573; 2003, c. 138; 2006, c. 620; 2007, cc. 75, 137; 2009, c. 241; 2017, cc. 322, 332; 2018, c. 333.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
