re: Louisiana lawmaker again trying to do away with vehicle inspection stickers (brake tags)

I’ve been certified to inspect since around 2000. I haven’t done it in many years, but I still drop by the place I worked at time to time. This has been proposed and proposed dozens of times. The biggest disadvantage is the business loses money. They use to receive around 40% on 1/2 year stickers and around 60% on commercial/DOT stickers. The state police and DMV got the rest. What I was told many years ago by a DOT sergeant, basically a big time state trooper, was if they ever passed it, you would pay a one time fee when you registered your vehicle. He said it would be around $50-$70. That would be your “inspection”, and it would be good until you sold the vehicle or dropped the tag. Also the state planned on hiring around 200 more troopers to do “inspections”. They would patrol just like normal, but main focus would be to randomly stop people to check lights, horns, tires, ect, ect. And you know majority would be ticketed for something minor like a license plate light out. The state was gonna get their money and the businesses were just gonna be out all together.

I will say years ago inspections were not that great to do. The state would sit close by and watch you, they would send in someone knowing the vehicle would technically fail for something minor hoping you’d pass it so they could come fine you. I’ve personally been fined twice. Now days, they are more relaxed. The sergeant I mentioned was very cool about everything and even told me the state just wants the money. I personally was more relaxed doing inspections because the business made decent money selling them. I could overlook a small crack in the windshield, license plate light out, ect. If a light was out, I would tell them and 90% of the people would ask me if I could fix it and we did. I never charged an absurd amount and probably gained more business when they told people how good we treated them. It was a win win. Now if the windshield was shattered, lights busted and hanging out, ect, I would just tell them I can’t do it. Never had a problem and they knew it was a gamble if they got the sticker or not. Most would say “I had to try”. I would offer the rejection sticker and most got it. If you had the problem fixed in 30 days, you came back and got a regular sticker for free.

Long story short, if they do away with inspections like now, small business loses and the state is gonna hire more troop to patrol to do “inspections” on the side of the road. That’s what’s coming if it passes