DC health emergency and expiring car inspection sticker

[Anonymous]

Our car inspection sticker expires on November 29. DC has extended expiration dates on inspection stickers until 45 days after the current public health emergency ends on Dec. 31, which would be mid-February, 2021.

If I wait until February, does any one know whether the new sticker will extend 2 years from that new inspection date (Feb. 2023) or from the old sticker's expiration date (Nov. 2022)?

[Anonymous]

2 years from new date. I just got inspection (though realize I don't need to).

This has been true regardless of health emergency - always two years from actual date. Only difference is now you won't have to pay the monthly late penalty.

[Anonymous]

i can imagine there being a huge run on folks going to the inspections station that have taken advantage of the allowable delay, why not just get it inspected on time and save the hassle of being in the middle of a crush of people, snow, freezing rain, etc...

covid isn't going magically disappear in february...

mask up, get your sanitizer, get it done. plus a its much colder in February. If i was going to have to wait outside for my car, rather do it in November...

[Anonymous]

The wait is about 1 minute outside your car - in the garage - at a designated distance. Then a person comes over after you drive to the end, opens your door and puts the new sticker on.

I was considering not bothering because my car is old and may need a replacement near term, but figured why not get it done for exactly the reason of avoiding the eventual rush.

At some point they really should eliminate this requirement - there's no reason why inspections should be delayed now. They should announce a 120-day grace period for all expired stickers or something and get people going. Or tell people they have to have it done within 9 months of when it actually expired.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I decided to just go in and am SO very glad I did.

It was literally the fastest I've ever experienced -- not only was there no sea of cars lined up, there was no car in line at all. I pulled straight into one of multiple open bays, got out of my car for barely 2 minutes, and then got back in to receive my 2-year sticker.

I think so many people are taking advantage of the extension on expiration dates that it's created a magical world of zero waiting for those of us willing to pay the $35 now.

With 8 months and counting of expired inspection stickers out there, all of them might conceivably come due at once in a nightmare traffic jam at the inspection station, next spring or whenever the emergency ends and 45 days goes by.

[Anonymous]

^ You pay the $35 either way, whether you get the inspection or not. It's added to price of registration.