West Virginia Code 17C-16-4 – Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police to require periodic inspection; acceptance of certificate of inspection from another state; suspension of registration of unsafe vehicles
(a) The Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police shall require that every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer registered in this state be inspected once every two years and that an official certificate of inspection and approval be obtained for each vehicle: Provided, That the amendments made to this subsection during the 2023 regular session of the Legislature shall become effective on January 1, 2024.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 17C-16-4
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
The inspections shall be made and the certificates obtained with respect to the mechanism, brakes, and equipment of every vehicle designated by the superintendent.
The superintendent may make necessary rules for the administration and enforcement of this section and may designate any period or periods during which owners of any vehicles, subject to this section, shall display upon the vehicles certificates of inspection and approval or shall produce the certificates upon demand of any officer or employee of the State Police designated by the superintendent or any police or peace officer when authorized by the superintendent.
(b) The superintendent may authorize the acceptance in this state of a certificate of inspection and approval issued in another state having an inspection law similar to this chapter and may extend the time within which the resident owner of a vehicle which was not in this state during the time an inspection was required must obtain a certificate.
(c) At the request of the superintendent, the Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles may suspend the registration of any vehicle which the superintendent determines is in such an unsafe condition that it constitutes a menace to safety, or which after notice and demand is not equipped as required in this chapter, or for which the vehicle’s owner has not obtained the required certificate.
(d) If requested by the owner of the vehicle, the superintendent shall also cause to be inspected a Class A farm use motor vehicle exempt from annual registration certificate and licensing as provided in § 17A-3-2 of this code. If the Class A farm use motor vehicle passes the inspection, the superintendent shall cause a certificate of inspection to be issued for that vehicle.