Sen. White proposes biennial vehicle inspections in S.211; DMV warns of implementation costs and data gaps

Senator White introduced S.211, a two‑page bill that would change most annual vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial passenger vehicles to a required every‑other‑year cycle and adjust the fee structure so motorists pay the same over two years.

"This bill before you is just 2 pages, but it packs a punch," Senator White said, framing the change as a compromise intended to reduce burdens on drivers while preserving oversight. White cited national research, including a 2015 Government Accountability Office review, and said many states have scaled back or eliminated mandatory inspections without clear increases in crash rates.

Renee Coda, DMV director of finance, told the committee that DMV recorded about "495,000 inspections in 2025" and that changing timing and fees requires lead time for contracts and materials. Coda warned the department holds roughly 300,000 inspection stickers that may not be reusable under a two‑year sticker regime and estimated the cost to replace or reissue those stickers could be on the order of hundreds of thousands of dollars. She recommended a calendar‑year rollout (citing 01/01/2027 as a practical earliest start) to avoid large, one‑time revenue swings tied to fiscal‑year accounting.

Daniel Merchant, a DMV enforcement lieutenant, described enforcement activity for 2025: "There were 8,037 stops for vehicles not inspected," with "6,179 warnings issued and 1,858 tickets issued." Committee members and Merchant also discussed that ticketing declined sharply from pre‑COVID levels and that enforcement figures reflect a mix of education, staffing levels and agency priorities. Witnesses said ticket fine reporting in testimony varied; the committee requested precise judicial and fiscal breakdowns tied to Title 23.

Wade Cochran, DMV director of enforcement, said DMV's formal stance on S.211 was neutral but urged the committee to consider enforcement capacity, sticker visibility and staffing trends when evaluating the bill. White and multiple senators asked DMV to provide written analyses on: the number of registered versus inspected vehicles, five‑ to ten‑year enforcement trends, the revenue and fiscal‑year impacts of switching cycles, and operational details for implementing odometer/photo processes if a mileage‑based user fee is also pursued.

No formal vote was taken; the committee directed DMV to supply written backup and to return for additional testimony. The committee also flagged emissions testing and Environmental Protection Agency compliance as items requiring coordination with the Department of Environmental Conservation before any final change.

What happens next: DMV agreed to provide the requested data and written fiscal analyses; the committee will schedule follow‑up hearings that include DMV operations and other affected agencies.