11/04/2025
NIPD would like to inform the public on current and pending law changes to NH Vehicle Safety Inspections. NH State Safety Inspections are still required through January 31, 2026. Please keep your vehicle in safe working condition and ensure all safety equipment is working in good order. Let’s keep the roads safe together. See info below.
Inspections & Emissions
What you need to know about vehicle inspections, emissions and On-Board Diagnostics.
FAQ: Termination of the New Hampshire Vehicle Inspection and Emissions Testing Program
Are vehicle inspections and emissions testing ending in New Hampshire?
Under the new State budget (House Bill 2), New Hampshire repealed mandatory annual safety inspections for most passenger vehicles effective January 31, 2026. Emissions/on-board diagnostics testing will also end on that date. Until then, safety and emission inspections remain required as usual.
Do I still have to get my car inspected in 2025?
Yes. A valid inspection sticker is still required until January 31, 2026. Registered owners and/or drivers should continue to have their vehicle(s) inspected during their normal renewal month.
If my car fails inspection in late 2025, can I just wait until 2026?
No. The law requiring inspections remains in effect until January 31, 2026. If your vehicle fails inspection in 2025, it must be repaired and pass a reinspection to be legally driven on the road.
Will commercial vehicles still need inspections after 2026?
Yes. The new law mainly affects safety inspections for passenger vehicles, and commercial vehicles are still subject to federal annual inspections, per 49 CFR 396.17.
Will there still be safety laws for vehicles after inspections end?
Yes. Even after mandatory annual safety inspections for passenger vehicles end on January 31, 2026, New Hampshire's safety laws still apply. It will still be illegal to drive a vehicle that is unsafe or defective.
Examples of laws that still apply include:
• Requirements for working brakes, lights, tires, and other essential equipment.
• Rules about unsafe vehicle conditions, fuel and exhaust leaks.
• Noise and exhaust laws for vehicles and motorcycles.
Drivers will still be personally responsible for making sure their vehicles meet all safety standards, even without annual inspections. Vehicle safety requirements are found in New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated (RSA) Chapter 266.
Do I still need an inspection sticker on my windshield in 2025?
Yes. Until the repeal takes effect in 2026, vehicles are still required to display a valid inspection sticker as proof of compliance with current laws. No stickers will be issued as of February 1, 2026.
This includes Tinted Glass laws. See below.
266:58-a Tinted Glass. –
I. It shall be unlawful to sell or inspect any motor vehicle in this state which has after market tinting on the windshield.
II. It shall be unlawful to install after market tinting on the windshield on any motor vehicle which is registered in this state.
III. It shall be unlawful to drive on any way any motor vehicle registered in this state which has after market tinting on the windshield. Where after market tinting is applied to windows to the rear of the driver, outside rear view mirrors shall be required on both the left and right side of the vehicle for the use of the driver and a front seat passenger. The light transmittance of after-market tinted windows to the left and right of the driver where they are allowed shall not be less than 70 percent, and the light transmittance of after-market tinted rear windows where they are allowed shall not be less than 35 percent, except that the light transmittance of after market tinted rear windows of multipurpose passenger vehicles, as defined in 49 C.F.R. section 571.3 and pickup trucks may be such percentage as is allowed by 49 C.F.R. section 571.205 with respect to pre-market tinted rear windows.
III-a. Persons who require for medical reasons after market tinting on the windshield or on the windows to the left and right of the driver may apply for a special permit pursuant to RSA 266:61-a, IX.
IV. The commissioner shall adopt rules under RSA 541-A relative to the administration and enforcement of this section.
V. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit after market tinting of the windshield of a vehicle with a strip not wider than 6 inches located at the very top of the windshield, provided that the light transmittance of the strip shall not be less than 35 percent.
VI. Any natural person or any other person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation.
