Could Louisiana Vehicles Skip Inspection Stickers Soon?

Inspection stickers could soon be a thing of the past in Louisiana. The Senate Transportation Committee has approved a bill that would eliminate vehicle inspection stickers.

Who Opposed the Bill in Committee

The measure did see some strong opposition from the businesses that conduct the inspections. Janice Aucion of Morgan City says she’s been inspecting vehicles for 26 years and told Senate Transportation that inspection stations keep unsafe vehicles off the road.

I've seen cars where there are holes in the floorboard. You can actually see the road from underneath them. So, there are things like your seatbelt is not latching properly. There are things that we check that you can't see on a car going down the road that’s not obvious.

The bill author’s, Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley has been working on this change for years. He says it’s inconvenient for drivers to have to get a vehicle inspection sticker every year or two. He’s seeking to replace the inspection sticker with a six-dollar QR code that drivers would pay through the mail instead of going to an inspection station.

But Davey Quinn of Hammond says passage of Bagley’s bill will result in more uninsured motorists, vehicles with tinted windows that are darker than they should be and vehicles that not fit for the road.

"This is a feel good bill. It's going to make him feel good. He's not putting the state first. He's not putting the people first."

Office of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Bryan Adams says the state does not need inspection stations to help find uninsured motorists.

"I will say that we know within 15 days if a vehicle does not have insurance. The thought that we don't know. We know immediately and I wanted to make sure you all understood that."

Bagley downplayed the role inspection stations have in preventing unsafe and uninsured drivers from getting behind the wheel.

You all know that when a policeman walks up to a car they have a reader and they can read if you have insurance and that sort of thing. So there's not really a safety issue here.

The bill is now headed to the Senate floor for final passage. If approved, it would go into effect later this year. The Governor supports the change.