Virginia State Inspection Checklist

On any given day, millions of cars and light trucks operating in the United States are due for state inspections. You probably have plenty of experience sitting in line for your Virginia state safety inspection days before your sticker expires!

One of the worst things that could happen is that you sit in line for your inspection only to find out that your vehicle has failed and you have to get it repaired and reinspected! To help keep this from happening, we recommend that you visually check the following items on your vehicle before coming in to get your vehicle inspected.

Virginia Vehicle Inspection Checklist

1. Check the tread depth

Low tire tread depth is a common reason why vehicles fail inspection in Virginia. You can check your tires’ tread at home using a penny!

Put a penny into your tread with Lincoln’s head pointing down. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, your tire tread is too low and will fail inspection. Be sure to check the tread depth in multiple spots on the tire. If you see wear on only one side, your car is probably out of alignment.

2. Check your lights

Inspect all the lights on your vehicle—headlights, backlights, reverse lights, marker lights, brake lights, turn signals and an often-overlooked light: your tag light. If any of these lights are not working, you will not pass the Virginia vehicle safety inspection. Keep an eye out for condensation build-up inside your lights too, this could cause your car to fail as well.

3. Check your mirrors

Make sure your vehicle’s mirrors aren’t cracked, chipped or missing.

4. Check your horn

Honk that horn and make sure it’s loud, with no muffled sound.

5. Check your windshield

Be sure your windshield doesn’t have any cracks or improperly placed stickers. Also, check that your windshield wipers are working properly (e.g. the wiper arm moves, the blades don’t have rips or tears) and the defroster is operational.

6. Check your dashboard for any warning lights

Any lights that are on could indicate that your car has some serious issues going on that may result in a failed inspection. It’s a good idea to get any illuminated lights checked out before your inspection. (Note: If your check engine light is on, your vehicle will pass the Virginia safety inspection but not the Virginia emissions inspection.)

7. Listen for any unusual noises

Are you hearing strange clunks, clinks, rattles, squeals or whirring? If anything seems out of the ordinary, we recommend bringing it in for a checkup.

Here are all the things you can expect us to inspect during your Virginia Vehicle Inspection:

Click here to see the official Virginia Safety Inspection Procedure that our inspectors follow. For more information, please visit the Virginia State Police’s website.

If all items are approved, an inspection sticker will be given. If any issues are observed, you will be given a rejection sticker. Any issues must be corrected and reinspected within 15 days.

Need a Virginia Safety Inspection?

All Virginia Tire & Auto locations are official Virginia vehicle inspection stations. For shorter wait times, we recommend getting your inspection performed in the middle of the month and middle of the week. Some stores’ inspection hours differ from open hours, so call ahead for availability and wait times before you go.