                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

OFFICIAL INSPECTION STATIONS; SAFETY INSPECTION APPROVAL STICKERS; ACTIONS OF
SUPERINTENDENT SUBJECT TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS ACT (§ 46.2-1163)

The Superintendent may designate, furnish instructions to, and supervise
official inspection stations for the inspection of motor vehicles, trailers, and
semitrailers and for adjusting and correcting equipment enumerated in this
chapter in such a manner as to conform to specifications hereinbefore set forth.
The Superintendent shall adopt and furnish to such official inspection stations
regulations governing the making of inspections required by this chapter. The
Superintendent may at any time, after five days&#8217; written notice, revoke
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 issue to the
operator or owner of the vehicle, on forms furnished by the Department 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 Department of State
Police shall be accepted by the Department in electronic form. There also shall
be placed on the windshield of the vehicle at a place to be designated by the
Superintendent an approval sticker furnished by the Department 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 Superintendent. If the
vehicle is a motorcycle, the approval sticker may, at the discretion of the
motorcycle owner, be placed on a plate securely fastened to the motorcycle for
the purpose of displaying the sticker or affixed to the motorcycle. The
Superintendent shall designate the location on which such plate shall be
fastened or such sticker shall be affixed to the motorcycle. 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 highways 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 Commission or the Department of Motor
Vehicles, who desire to do so may use with the approval of the Superintendent
private inspection stations for the inspection and correction of their
equipment.
		The Superintendent shall provide motor vehicle safety inspection information
upon the written request of an individual or corporate entity or such
entity&#8217;s agent. Any information provided shall not include personal
information. The Superintendent may make a reasonable charge for furnishing
information under this section but no fee shall be charged to any official of
the Commonwealth, including court and police officials; officials of counties,
cities, or towns; local government self-insurance pools; or the court, 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 Department 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 (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.). The fees received by
the Superintendent 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 Department of State Police&#8217;s motor vehicle safety
inspection program.
		Actions of the Superintendent relating to official inspection stations shall
be governed by the provisions of the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et
seq.).

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 46-318; 1954, c. 57; 1956, c. 381; 1958, c. 541, §
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.