Louisiana may eliminate vehicle inspection stickers if a bill in the Legislature is passed into law.
House Bill 344 aims to eliminate the mandatory $10 safety inspection for most vehicles. Currently, drivers can be cited if their inspection sticker is missing or expired.
The Finance Committee in the House of Representatives has recommitted the bill after it was approved by the Committee on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works.
The Pelican Institute backs the bill, while the Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Police Chiefs Association, and the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association are against it.
During the Transportation Committee hearing last week, Representative Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, expressed his gratitude for the tremendous response he had received regarding the matter. He mentioned that each time he brought it up, he was flooded with emails, texts, and phone calls urging him to proceed. Being the sponsor, he acknowledged the overwhelming support he had received.
According to him, out of all the states in the United States, only 11 still mandate inspection stickers, and interestingly, his state is the only one among them that leans towards the Republican Party. He firmly believes that this matter is no longer relevant and feels that no one has ever provided him with a convincing argument to support the continuation of inspection stickers.
According to Bagley, if a driver has an expired inspection sticker, it gives law enforcement officials the legal grounds to search their vehicle and compel them to undergo an inspection and test.
Eliminating the inspection stickers would result in a loss of approximately $14.5 million in annual revenues for the state, according to a fiscal note. Bagley emphasizes the importance of lawmakers replacing these revenues if the bill is approved by Gov. Jeff Landry. Currently, the inspection sticker fees are distributed with $4.75 going to the shop conducting the inspection, while the remaining amount is allocated to the state Department of Public Safety & Corrections and Public Safety Services.
In the state of Louisiana, there is a special provision when it comes to vehicle emissions inspections. While most parishes do not require annual inspections, there are five parishes that fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Clean Air Act. These parishes include Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge. For residents in these areas, it is mandatory to have their vehicles undergo emissions inspections on a yearly basis. This requirement ensures that these parishes comply with the regulations set forth by the Clean Air Act.
If the bill is passed into law, commercial vehicles and school buses will still undergo inspections.
Unlike Texas, the other neighboring states of Louisiana do not have a vehicle inspection regime.