North Carolina 2025-2026 Regular Session

North Carolina House Bill H153 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
2	2		SESSION 2025
3		-	H 2
	3	+	H 1
4	4		HOUSE BILL 153
5		-	Committee Substitute Favorable 4/9/25
6	5
7		-	Short Title: DOT/DEQ to Study Safety and Emissions Inspec. (Public)
8		-	Sponsors:
9		-	Referred to:
	6	+
	7	+	Short Title: Increase Vehicle Safety Inspection Fee. (Public)
	8	+	Sponsors: Representatives Penny and Moss (Primary Sponsors).
	9	+	For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
	10	+	Referred to: Transportation, if favorable, Finance, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
	11	+	Operations of the House
10	12		February 21, 2025
11		-	H153 -v-2
	13	+	H153 -v-1
12	14		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
13		-	AN ACT TO DIRECT THE NORTH CAROLINA DEPA RTMENT OF TRANSPORTA TION 2
14		-	AND THE DEPARTMENT O F ENVIRONMENTAL QUAL ITY TO STUDY THE 3
15		-	NORTH CAROLINA SAFET Y AND EMISSIONS INSPECTION PROGRAM. 4
16		-	The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
17		-	SECTION 1. The Department of Transportation and the Department of 6
18		-	Environmental Quality shall jointly study the North Carolina Safety and Emissions Inspection 7
19		-	Program, including whether the frequency of vehicle safety and emissions inspections can be 8
20		-	decreased or eliminated and potential changes to the program that would add to its efficiency in 9
21		-	light of motor vehicle modernization, driver commute trends, and relevant changes to State and 10
22		-	federal programs related to motor vehicle safety and emissions inspections. The Departments 11
23		-	shall include all of the following in their report: 12
24		-	(1) North Carolina Safety and Emissions Inspections Program background. 13
25		-	(2) A summary of other state safety and emissions programs, as applicable. 14
26		-	(3) A motor vehicle inspection analysis process description. 15
27		-	(4) A financial analysis of the program, including the following, at a minimum: 16
28		-	a. State safety inspection fees. 17
29		-	b. State emissions inspection fees. 18
30		-	c. Fee generation and use summaries. 19
31		-	d. Program projections or issues related to fee receipts moving forward. 20
32		-	(5) Current program statistics and projections. 21
33		-	(6) Program projections due to motor vehicle modernization. 22
34		-	(7) The Departments shall conduct and summarize results from a motor vehicle 23
35		-	safety and emissions inspections station survey. 24
36		-	(8) The Departments shall also consider public safety, air quality, savings to 25
37		-	vehicle owners, impacts on State revenue trends, and potential effects to motor 26
38		-	vehicle inspection station industry within this State. 27
39		-	(9) Legislative recommendations, including changes to safety and emissions 28
40		-	inspections program exceptions and changes to inspection fee amounts and 29
41		-	their distribution, as applicable. 30
42		-	(10) Any other information, issues, recommendations, or topics the Departments 31
43		-	deem relevant. 32
44		-	No later than March 1, 2026, the Departments shall jointly submit their report to the 33
45		-	North Carolina General Assembly and the Fiscal Research Division and shall jointly report their 34
46		-	findings and recommendations to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee. 35
47		-	SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 36
	15	+	AN ACT INCREASING THE FEE FOR PERFORMING A VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION. 2
	16	+	The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
	17	+	SECTION 1. G.S. 20-183.7 reads as rewritten: 4
	18	+	"§ 20-183.7. Fees for performing an inspection and issuing an electronic inspection 5
	19	+	authorization to a vehicle; use of civil penalties. 6
	20	+	(a) Fee Amount. – When a fee applies to an inspection of a vehicle or the issuance of an 7
	21	+	electronic inspection authorization, the fee must be collected. The following fees apply to an 8
	22	+	inspection of a vehicle and the issuance of an electronic inspection authorization: 9
	23	+	Type Inspection Authorization 10
	24	+	Safety Only $12.75$29.15 $ .85 11
	25	+	Emissions and Safety 23.7540.15 6.25. 12
	26	+	The fee for performing an inspection of a vehicle applies when an inspection is performed, 13
	27	+	regardless of whether the vehicle passes the inspection. The fee for an electronic inspection 14
	28	+	authorization applies when an electronic inspection authorization is issued to a vehicle. The fee 15
	29	+	for inspecting after-factory tinted windows shall be ten dollars ($10.00), and the fee applies only 16
	30	+	to an inspection performed with a light meter after a safety inspection mechanic determined that 17
	31	+	the window had after-factory tint. A safety inspection mechanic shall not inspect an after-factory 18
	32	+	tinted window of a vehicle for which the Division has issued a medical exception permit pursuant 19
	33	+	to G.S. 20-127(f). 20
	34	+	A vehicle that is inspected at an inspection station and fails the inspection is entitled to be 21
	35	+	reinspected at the same station at any time within 60 days of the failed inspection without paying 22
	36	+	another inspection fee. 23
	37	+	The inspection fee for an emissions and safety inspection set out in this subsection is the 24
	38	+	maximum amount that an inspection station or an inspection mechanic may charge for an 25
	39	+	emissions and safety inspection of a vehicle. An inspection station or an inspection mechanic 26
	40	+	may charge the maximum amount or any lesser amount for an emissions and safety inspection 27
	41	+	of a vehicle. The inspection fee for a safety only inspection set out in this subsection may not be 28
	42	+	increased or decreased. The authorization fees set out in this subsection may not be increased or 29
	43	+	decreased. 30
	44	+	…." 31
	45	+	SECTION 2. This act becomes effective October 1, 2025. 32