I understand North Carolina’s new vehicle inspection law. I’ve had at least three of my friends attempt to explain it to me and all of them gave me a completely different interpretation of the law. Right now, I know less about the new inspection law than I know about the game of ice hockey, which is practically nothing. However, I am aware that the object of ice hockey is to score a goal, and it appears to me with this new law, state government is scoring some goals for its coffers. The difference is, in hockey goals are scored with pucks, and with state government goals are scored with taxpayers’ dollars, which they just loved to collect.

One thing that doesn’t make sense to me was the need for a new state inspection law. What was wrong with the old inspection law? I missed the days when we had the inspection stickers with the big numbers plastered on the left corner of our windshields. I could glance at the sticker and remind myself when my car needed to be inspected, alleviating the chance that I might be pulled over for an inspection violation by one of the state’s fine law enforcement officers. With this new law, I’m not sure when I need to get my car inspected. It’s similar to the lottery, except if you get your vehicle inspection numbers wrong, you run the risk of being charged a hefty fine for breaking the law.

Another thing that troubles me about the new inspection law is the difficult process a citizen of this state has to endure when they’re purchasing a vehicle from an individual. I realize this may be as confusing as trying to figure out the new federal government’s budget, but if you’re toying with the idea of buying a used car from a fellow North Carolianian, you need to pay close attention. My Dad purchased a used van a couple of weeks ago from a lady who lived near Wilson. Before Dad was allowed to drive the van home, the new law required that it be inspected. It didn’t matter that the van had been inspected only a month earlier, when the title switched from one owner to another, it had to be inspected again. Boy, whatever happened to the old days of 2008, when an inspection was good for a year, no matter how many times the title changed hands. It can be expensive and a waste of time to have a car inspected twice in one year, but you can’t fight the State Inspection Czar. Dad tried, but he still had to get the van inspected--again.

From what I have been able to comprehend about the new law, your inspection is supposed to coincide with your vehicle registration. In other words, you must have your car inspected in the same month that you are issued a current registration sticker to go on your license plate. Of course, that’s with the exception of this year when everybody is in the process of adjusting to the new law from the old law, and nobody is quite sure when they should have their car inspected. Now, that’s your state government at work for you. No wonder we’re all broke.