Massachusetts Vehicle Check

Vehicle Maintenance Tip

Keep your exhaust pipe clear of snow. A blocked pipe can force carbon monoxide back into your car’s interior.

More Vehicle Maintenance Tips

Commercial Vehicle Inspection Program

Effective October 1, 2008, commercial vehicles, trailers and converter dollies are subject to the Massachusetts Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspection. This inspection is equivalent to the annual Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) “DOT” inspection. If your vehicle/trailer receives a state safety inspection beginning October 1, 2008, you are not required to obtain an annual “DOT” inspection.

The Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that is signed by the licensed vehicle inspector is proof of compliance with FSCMA inspection requirements, not the windshield sticker on the vehicle. RMV recommends that the VIR is maintained inside the vehicle at all times.

Massachusetts registered single, full, or semi-trailers that are used in commerce and have a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) over 3,000 lbs, or commercial vehicle/trailer combinations with a gross combined weight rating (GCVWR) of over 10,000 lbs will be subject to this new requirement, as will all heavy duty motor vehicles (over 10,000 lbs GVWR) and converter dollies.

Trailers and converter dollies in use after January 1, 2009, must be in compliance with this new inspection. For more information, please visit www.mass.gov/rmv/inspect and follow the link to “commercial inspections”.

Testing options:
For heavy-duty vehicle owners, several testing options are available:

Take your vehicle to an authorized public commercial inspection station. A number of stations are licensed to inspect heavy-duty vehicles. Contact the station in advance to discuss your specific heavy-duty vehicle needs.
Call a mobile inspection station. Authorized inspection stations can send a mobile inspector to your garage to test your heavy-duty vehicles. The inspection fee ($29 per vehicle) is the same, but a service charge may be added.
Become an inspector and do it yourself. As a licensed inspector, you can conduct safety and emissions tests in your own garage.
Or you can become a mobile inspector and serve your multiple locations with a single testing unit.

For more information, see Commercial Vehicles.

Emissions Tests for Commercial Vehicles:
Many Massachusetts-registered commercial vehicles must pass an annual emissions test, which is given with the annual state safety inspection. The emissions test that a particular commercial vehicle gets depends on the vehicle’s GVWR and fuel type.

Commercial vehicles that fail an emissions test must be repaired and pass a re-test within 60 days of their initial inspection. No waivers of emission standards or economic hardship repair extensions are available for commercial vehicles.

Federal DOT Regulations

Effective on October 22, 2008, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), added the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ annual safety inspection program for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) to their list of Programs which have been determined to be comparable to, or as effective as, the Federal Periodic Inspection requirements contained in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). Click here to download the Federal Register notice.

For more information about U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, see http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules-regulations/administration/fmcsr/fmcsrguide.htm