In the great state of New Hampshire we are required to register and inspect our motor vehicles. Registration fees go to your local city or town and the state. The inspection of your motor vehicle must be performed by a state licensed inspection facility like Bob & Sons Automotive.

A question we hear regularly at Bob & Sons Automotive is, “I’m new to the area, why does the state require me to have an inspection every year.” We love educating our customers in all things auto related, so this is right up our alley. In order for the state to regulate the safety of our roads, they need a mechanism that can measure the safety of the vehicles on those state roads. Every year we must inspect the safety and emission related components on these vehicles to be sure we are in compliance and driving safe vehicles.

There are two portions to the NH Safety and Emission Inspection. The first is safety. Motor vehicles’ parts wear out. After time suspension parts become worn out and need replacing, brake parts are past their usable life, wipers do not clear the windshield anymore, sometimes an exterior directional bulb won’t work. These are all instances where customers need to be alerted to the status of the safety of their vehicle.

The emissions portion of the State Inspection deals with the On-Board Diagnostics component. OBD systems are in vehicles that are model year 1996 and newer. This portion of the test deals with emission controls components and is tested by a state mandated computer.

The next question we get is when do I need to have my inspection performed? In New Hampshire we are required to register and inspect our vehicles in our birth month. For example: If your birthday is April 5, 1984, then you need to have your vehicle inspected in the month of April. In this scenario the state says you must have a new registration and inspection performed by May 10. The state gives a ten (10) day grace period after the vehicle owner’s birth month.

The NH Safety and Emission Inspection allows the state to try and keep unsafe vehicles off our streets. If you have any other questions regarding registering and/or inspecting your motor vehicle please visit the State of NH website: https://www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/dmv/registration/inspections-emissions/index.htm