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What should you do if your inspection sticker expires while you're outside the United States? How will you take your car to the inspection center once you get back home if you're not allowed to drive? I'm specifically asking about the law in New York.
Thanks in advance
I don't know what, if any, safe harbors are provided under state laws for this, but I have seen apparent Catch-22s like this resolved in the following practical manner: If your car is overdue for inspection, and you are cited for it, and you subsequently offer the officer or the court evidence that you got it inspected as soon as reasonably practical, they will withdraw the charge. (Of course, absent a legal safe harbor, YMMV at the whim of the officers.)
If your vehicle is outside New York State, you can apply for an inspection extension sticker. This gives you until 10 days after the vehicle returns to New York State to have it reinspected. This would be the case if you were traveling with your vehicle or if you parked it out of state while you were traveling (perhaps at Newark airport, for example).
Source: http://dmv.ny.gov/inspection/inspection-requirements
If your car is in New York State, however, it appears that you have to find another solution. You can presumably have the car towed to an inspection station, or you can risk the fine, which seems lower than the likely cost of towing ($25 to $50 if the registration is less than 60 days expired, $50 to $100 otherwise). Plus of course there's the likelihood that you won't have to pay the fine. You could also arrange to have someone take the car for inspection in your absence.
