§1304.  Secretary to require periodical inspection

A.(1)  The secretary shall at least once every other year, but not more frequently than twice each year, require that every motor vehicle, low-speed vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer registered in this state be inspected and that an official certificate of inspection and approval be obtained for such vehicle.  However, overweight and oversize mobile homes requiring a state permit shall not be required to bear a certificate of approved inspection when being moved by a bonded carrier as defined by law nor shall used motor vehicles in transit by a dealer be required to have a certificate of inspection and approval.

(2)  Such inspection should be made and such certificates obtained with respect to the mechanism, brakes, and equipment of every vehicle as shall be designated by the secretary.  The secretary shall require the inspection of all approved automotive emission control devices installed on motor vehicles produced after model year 1980 to insure that such devices are operative and have not been tampered with.  However, low-speed vehicles shall not be subject to regular emissions inspections.

(3)(a)  The secretary shall formulate and promulgate a set of standards for the control and regulation of emission control devices on all automobiles and other motor vehicles which standards shall be consistent with other federal and state regulations for the installation and operation of approved emission control devices.

(b)  The secretary is hereby authorized to make necessary rules and regulations for the administration and enforcement of this Section and to designate any periods of time during which owners of vehicles, subject to this Section, shall display upon such vehicles certificates of inspection and approval and shall produce them on demand of any officer or employee of the department designated by the secretary or any police or peace officer when authorized by the secretary.  However, an owner or operator of a light trailer, utility trailer, boat trailer, or farm trailer need only provide a valid inspection sticker on demand of an inspecting officer to be in compliance with the inspection requirements of this Chapter.

(4)  The rules and regulations adopted for the administration and enforcement of this Section shall include standards for windshields as follows:

(a)  In the eight and one-half inch by eleven inch "acute area" directly in the driver’s line of vision there shall be no cracks and there shall be no more than two stars, nicks, chips, bullseyes, or half-moons in excess of one-half inch.

(b)  In the "critical area" cleaned by the normal sweep of the windshield wiper blade on the driver's side of the windshield there shall be no star which is larger than two inches in diameter; there shall be no more than two stars larger than one and one-half inches in diameter; and there shall be no more than two cracks longer than eight inches; or any combination thereof.

(c)  In the remaining areas of the windshield, only those cracks which jeopardize the integrity of the windshield shall be cause for rejection.

B.  The secretary is hereby authorized to make necessary rules and regulations for the administration and enforcement of this Section and to designate any periods of time during which owners of vehicles, subject to this Section, shall display upon such vehicles certificates of inspection and approval or shall produce the same on demand of any officer or employee of the department designated by the secretary or any police or peace officer when authorized by the secretary.  Owners and operators of all motor vehicles required to be equipped with windshields shall display on the lower left hand corner of the windshield a certificate of inspection affixed thereto by a duly authorized motor vehicle inspection station.  The secretary shall accept the certificate of inspection and approval issued by any municipality pursuant to any municipal ordinance adopted prior to July 27, 1960.  However, each person who applies for a motor vehicle inspection tag in the city of New Orleans shall produce written proof of insurance from an insurer that the motor vehicle is covered by security and shall declare in writing that he or she intends to maintain said security at all times while said vehicle is used upon the highways of Louisiana.

C.  The director 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 a certificate shall be obtained by the resident owner of a vehicle which was not in this state during the time an inspection was required.

D.(1)  The secretary may suspend the registration of any vehicle which he determines is in such unsafe condition as to constitute a menace to safety, or which after notice and demand is not equipped as required in this Chapter, or for which a required certificate has not been obtained.

(2)  Repealed by Acts 1999, No. 576, §3, eff. June 30, 1999.

(3)  Repealed by Acts 1999, No. 576, §3, eff. June 30, 1999.

E.(1)  The mere failure of the owner or operator of a motor vehicle required by this Section to be inspected to obtain a current and valid inspection certificate shall not be in violation, provided that the certificate has been expired less than one calendar month; nor shall an owner or operator be in violation if he shall produce on demand, under Subsection B of this Section, a certificate of inspection for the vehicle valid and effective for not more than six months and not in current display on the windshield by reason of replacement of the windshield glass.

(2)  However, when a certificate of inspection is removed from a windshield by reason of replacement of windshield glass, the owner of the vehicle may be issued, for a fee of five dollars and twenty-five cents and return of the original certificate to an inspection certificate station, a certificate which shall be valid for the time remaining on the original certificate.

F.  The purchaser of a used vehicle from a private individual shall be protected from citations for failure to have an inspection tag during the interval between the date of purchase and the receipt of title, provided proof of application can be shown.

G.  In order to enforce the provisions of this Section as applicable to motor vehicles which are propelled by an internal combustion engine or motor capable of using liquefied petroleum gas or compressed natural gas, no such vehicle shall be issued a motor vehicle inspection certificate without a current decal as evidence of tax payment, as required by R.S. 47:802.3.

H.  No motor vehicle registered in a parish that approves the fee or charge authorized by R.S. 32:1306.1 shall be inspected in a parish other than the parish of registration.

Acts 1960, No. 405, §4.  Amended by Acts 1975, No. 257, §1; Acts 1975, No. 282, §1; Acts 1975, No. 640, §1; Acts 1981, No. 201, §1, eff. July 11, 1981; Acts 1982, No. 428, §1; Acts 1983, No. 227, §1; Acts 1986, No. 52, §1; Acts 1986, No. 879, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1987; Acts 1990, No. 166, §1; Acts 1991, No. 416, §1; Acts 1993, No. 570, §4; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 128, §1, eff. July 7, 1994; Acts 1999, No. 470, §1; Acts 1999, No. 576, §3, eff. June 30, 1999; Acts 2003, No. 986, §1; Acts 2010, No. 995, §1; Acts 2014, No. 166, §1.