GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 376

Short Title:  Motor Vehicle Inspections.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representative Robinson.
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Referred to:  Transportation.
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March 28, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT REGARDING MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS AND INSPECTION FEES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 20-183.3(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Before an approval certificate may be issued for a motor vehicle, the vehicle must be inspected by a safety equipment inspection station, and if required by Chapter 20 of the General Statutes of North Carolina, must be found to possess in safe operating condition the following articles and equipment:
(1)	Brakes,
(2) 	Lights,
(3) 	Horn,
(4) 	Steering mechanism,
	(5) 	Windshield wiper,
	(6) 	Directional signals,
	(7) 	Tires,
	(8) 	Rearview mirror or mirrors,
(9)	Exhaust system.
Provided, motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations as contained in 49 C.F.R. Parts 390-397 must be inspected by a licensed safety equipment inspection station in accordance with the standards referenced in 49 C.F.R. Part 396.17.
No inspection certificate shall be issued by a safety equipment inspection station for a motor vehicle manufactured after model year 1967 unless the vehicle is equipped with such emission control devices to reduce air pollution as were installed at the time of manufacture which are readily visible, provided the foregoing requirements shall not apply where such devices have been removed for the purpose of converting the motor vehicle to operate on natural or liquified petroleum gas.  Other modifications of emission control devices shall be approved by the Environmental Management Commission before an inspection certification is issued.
The inspection requirements herein provided for shall not exceed the standards provided in the current General Statutes for such equipment."
Sec. 2.  G.S. 20-183.7(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Every safety equipment inspection station shall charge a fee of five dollars and twenty-five cents ($5.25) effective October 1, 1989; and a fee of six dollars and twenty-five cents ($6.25) effective October 1, 1990 for inspecting a motor vehicle to determine compliance with the safety inspection requirements of this Article and shall give the vehicle operator a dated receipt, indicating the articles and equipment approved and disapproved. At any time within 30 days thereafter, when the receipt is presented to the inspection station which issued it with a request for reinspection, that inspection station shall reinspect the vehicle at no charge.  Whenever any vehicle is approved, the inspection station shall obtain an additional fee of one dollar ($1.00) for a valid inspection certificate, and affix the certificate to that vehicle or otherwise document the issuance of the certificate in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles."
Sec. 3.  G.S. 20-183.7 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:
"( a2)	For inspection of motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations as contained in 49 C.F.R. Parts 390-398 and inspected in accordance with 49 C.F.R. Part 396.17, every safety equipment inspection station licensed to inspect these vehicles, as provided in G.S. 183.4, shall charge a reasonable fee.
After performing the inspection, required by this subsection, the safety inspection station shall give the vehicle operator a dated receipt indicating the article and equipment approved or disapproved and whether the vehicle has met the standards of 49 C.F.R. 396.17.  At any time within 30 days after a vehicle has been disapproved, when the receipt is presented to the inspection station that issued it along with a request for reinspection, that station shall reinspect the vehicle at no charge.  Whenever any vehicle is approved, the inspection station shall obtain an additional fee of one dollar ($1.00) for a valid inspection certificate and affix the certificate to that vehicle or otherwise document the issuance of the certificate in a manner prescribed by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles."
Sec. 4.  G.S. 20-183.7(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	Fees collected for inspection certificates are payable to the Division of Motor Vehicles.  The amount of each fee listed in the table below shall be credited to the Highway Fund, the Volunteer Rescue/EMS Fund established in G.S. 58-87-5, the Rescue Squad Workers' Relief Fund established in G.S. 58-88-5, and the Division of Environmental Management of the Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources:
Fund or Agency	Fee Imposed	Fee Imposed
	Under (a)	Under (a1)
	  and (a2)	
Highway Fund	.75	 1.80
Volunteer Rescue/EMS Fund	.18	.18
Rescue Squad Workers' Relief
Fund	.07	.07
Division of Environmental
Management	.00 	.35."
Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective January 1, 1992.