THIS MAY SOUND REALLY STUPID

“Let all things be done decently and in order.”  (I Corinthians 14:40)

At this time of the year, I know most people would expect me to write beautiful, inspirational, heavenly and poetic pieces about peace on earth- good will toward men.  Thus, this may sound really stupid, but I just want to give some of you a “heads up” about something, and just take it as sort of a Christmas present - or a “Christmas heads up” to you.

This is pertinent to Massachusetts drivers:  I’ve noticed many expired inspection stickers as I’ve walked around the streets and parking lots of Boston’s MetroWest suburbs.  Most people just don’t think about their car’s inspection stickers nor about their car’s registrations and license plate validations for that matter.  Many of you know that my Dad was a career Registry of Motor Vehicles employee, retiring as one of the Supervisors at the Registry’s Boston headquarters in 1982.  I grew up to notice inspection stickers, plates, and such.

Now, it WAS a lot easier in the 1950s and 1960s.  In those days, you changed sets of license plates every two years and the new plates were always a different color so it was pretty hard to have invalid plates on the car.  And, in those days, cars were mandated to have state inspection every Spring and Fall.  The stickers were very distinctive.  The shapes and colors were changed so that if you had an old, expired sticker, it literally stuck out like a sort thumb.

Today, state inspection is once a year, and it all depends on the big number in the middle of the sticker.  Plates pretty much stay on cars forever (although the state is seriously trying to phase out the old white plates with green lettering which date back to the 1970s).  The thing that validates the plate is that little sticker you attach to it.  Check yours.  Has it expired?  If so, you need to contact the Registry.
And, LOOK at your WINDSHIELD’S lower passenger side corner for the inspection sticker.  When does it expire?  I’ve seen stickers that expired a year or more ago.  People just never think of it.

Is driving around with an expired inspection sticker a big deal?  Well, years ago, it just meant you got a ticket, paid it, and had a state inspection done on your car.  My understanding is that the law has changed and that the longer the car’s inspection has been expired, the greater the fine is.  Has it been over a year?  You’d better plan to go to a finance company to take out a major loan if the cops write you up for it!  AND, that goes on your insurance policy as a surcharge for like SIX years!

I’ve actually left friendly little notes on the windshields of cars that have expired stickers.  It’s better for those drivers than getting tickets.  So check your cars, and check your friends’ and neighbors’ cars.  AND, if you’re reading this in another state, check out THAT STATE’S laws about license plate validation and state inspection.  It could also save you a lot of trouble!