Every Burke, VA vehicle must pass two VA State Inspections to operate on local and state roads. Each one has to meet the requirements of the Virginia Safety Inspection, and the Virginia Emission Inspection.
The safety inspection is more than another state licensing requirement to charge drivers another fee in addition to their plates and permits. Our state has a variety of climates and drivers can find themselves going from a tidal area in a thunderstorm to the mountains, trying to manage turns in heavy fog or even snow throughout much of the year. This annual VA state inspection helps keep Burke, VA commercial and private drivers, and their passengers, safe.
Each inspection Wiygul Automotive performs covers the following: Brakes, parking brakes, turn signals and warning flashers, headlights and taillights, horn, steering and suspension, windshield and other window integrity, exhaust system, defrost system, air pollution control systems (for 1973 and newer model vehicles), floor pan integrity, tires, wheels and rims, fuel system, mirrors, driver’s seat, airbags, seat belts, rear license plate, hood, and the doors on either side of the driver’s seat. Our inspectors also remove the old sticker and set the new one in place.
The fee for each safety inspection is $16 for motor vehicles, RVs, trailers, and semi-trailers. For motorcycles, the fee is $12. Every vehicle must display its inspection sticker on the windshield. For motorcycles with no windshield, it must be on the fender.
The VA Emission Inspection is required for all gasoline and diesel-powered passenger and commercial (property hauling) vehicles to control the level of pollutants released into the atmosphere. The fee per vehicle for each emission inspection is $28.00. Each successfully passed inspection is good for two years.
There are exemptions for each state inspection, however. First, every vehicle registered as an antique is not required to have the annual safety inspection. All gasoline-powered passenger vehicles 25 years and older than January 1st of the current calendar year are waivered from needing the state emission inspection. Gasoline-powered property haulers with a manufacturer’s designated gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less receive a waiver as well.
An emissions inspection waiver can also be issued for diesel-powered passenger and property hauling vehicles that are the model year 1996 or earlier if they have a manufacturer’s designated gross vehicle weight rating of 8,500 pounds or less. The Virginia DMV does not process any diesel or gasoline-powered vehicle of any type without passing both inspections or receiving a waiver for one or both.
We perform safety and emission inspections on a first-come, first-serve basis. The waiting time, especially for emission inspections, is normally at its lowest in the middle two weeks of each month. Keep that in mind when preparing to bring in your vehicle for either one. Wiygul Automotive Clinics in Burke, Alexandria, Herndon, and Reston are open every Monday through Saturday, except for major holidays, to perform state inspections. If you have any questions about safety or emission inspections for your Burke, VA vehicle, call us today at 1-866-702-8050.
