AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES (Increases and reallocates the fees collected for motor vehicle inspections, including motorcycle inspections, with an allocation of ten dollars ($10.00) to the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).)

H8369

2026 -- H 8369
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LC006217
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES

Introduced By:
Representatives Furtado, Messier, Donovan, Alzate, Tanzi, Cruz,
Stewart, Ajello, Shallcross Smith, and Cortvriend

Date Introduced:
March 27, 2026

Referred To:
House Finance
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Section 31-38-7 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-38 entitled "Inspection
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of Motor Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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31-38-7. Operation of official stations.
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(a) No permit for an official station shall be assigned or transferred or used at any location
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other than designated in it, and the permit shall be posted in a conspicuous place at the designated
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location.
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(b) The state-certified person operating an official inspection station shall issue a certificate
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of inspection and approval upon an official form to the owner of a vehicle upon inspection of the
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vehicle and determining that its equipment required under the provisions of this chapter is in good
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condition and proper adjustment, otherwise, no certificate shall be issued. A record and report shall
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be made of every inspection and every certificate issued. The records shall be kept available for
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review by those employees of the department of revenue that the director may designate.
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(c) The following fees shall be charged for inspection and issuance of certificate of
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inspection and approval:
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(1) For every vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than eight thousand five
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hundred pounds (8,500 lbs.), the fee shall be included with the fee charged pursuant to § 31-47.1-
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11;
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(2) For every vehicle of a registered gross weight of more than eight thousand five hundred
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pounds (8,500 lbs.) or more, except trailers, fifteen dollars ($15.00);

1
(3) For every motorcycle and electrically powered vehicle,
eleven dollars ($11.00)

fifteen
2
dollars ($15.00)
;
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(4) For every trailer or semi-trailer with a registered gross weight of more than one
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thousand pounds (1,000 lbs.), eleven dollars ($11.00); and
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(5) Provided, that for the inspection of vehicles used for the transportation of persons for
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hire, as provided in § 31-22-12, and subject to an inspection pursuant to chapter 47.1 of this title,
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the fee shall be included with the fee charged pursuant to § 31-47.1-11.
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(d) The director of the department of revenue may establish a state inspection facility at
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which any motor vehicle may be reinspected at no cost to the owner. The state inspection facility
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may inspect all public conveyance vehicles or these inspections may be otherwise provided for by
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the director, or any other vehicles which, in the opinion of the director of revenue, or his or her
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designee, require specific testing to ensure for the health and safety of the general public.
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(e) Any other inspections or activities which may be required to be performed at a state
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inspection facility may be performed at any official inspection station if determined by the director.
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SECTION 2. Section 31-47.1-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-47.1 entitled "Motor
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Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program" is hereby amended to read as follows:
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31-47.1-11. Fees.
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(a) Beginning in fiscal year 2015
until January 1, 2027
, a fee of fifty-five dollars ($55.00)
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is to be charged for each motor vehicle inspected. The amount of fees collected shall provide for
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the cost of the inspection, the costs of administering the motor vehicle emissions inspection
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program and other costs provided by law. The fee must be paid for each motor vehicle inspected at
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an emissions inspection station at the time of the inspection and is payable whether a compliance
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certificate, waiver certificate, or no certificate is issued. There shall be no fee charged for one
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reinspection of a vehicle that failed an initial inspection when the reinspection is conducted at the
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AIRS that conducted the initial inspection.
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Of the fifty-five dollars ($55.00) fee, nineteen dollars ($19.00) shall be retained by the
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inspection station owner to cover the costs of performing the inspection. The remaining thirty-six
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dollars ($36.00) shall be remitted to the program manager. The program manager shall retain no
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more than four dollars ($4.00) of the fee and remit no less than thirty-two dollars ($32.00) for
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deposit in the Rhode Island highway maintenance account. Be it further provided that twenty
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dollars ($20.00) generated from the fee be deposited into the Rhode Island highway maintenance
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fund according to the schedule provided in subsection (b) of § 39-18.1-5. The general assembly
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shall annually appropriate such sums as may be required to cover the costs of administering the
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program by the division of motor vehicles and the department of environmental management.

LC006217 - Page 2 of 4
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(b) [Deleted by P.L. 2014, ch. 145, art. 21, § 6].
2

(c)(1) On and after January 1, 2027, a fee of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) is to be charged
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for each motor vehicle inspected. The amount of fees collected shall provide for the cost of the
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inspection, the costs of administering the motor vehicle emissions inspection program and other
5
costs provided by law. The fee shall be paid for each motor vehicle inspected at an emissions
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inspection station at the time of the inspection and is payable whether a compliance certificate,
7
waiver certificate, or no certificate is issued. There shall be no fee charged for one reinspection of
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a vehicle that failed an initial inspection when the reinspection is conducted at the AIRS that
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conducted the initial inspection.
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(2) Of the seventy-five dollar ($75.00) fee charged pursuant to the provisions of subsection
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(c)(1) of this section, twenty-four dollars ($24.00) shall be retained by the inspection station owner
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to cover the costs of performing the inspection. The remaining fifty-one dollars ($51.00) shall be
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remitted to the program manager. The program manager shall retain no more than four dollars
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($4.00) of the fee and remit no less than thirty-seven dollars ($37.00) for deposit in the Rhode
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Island highway maintenance account. Twenty dollars ($20.00) generated from the fee shall be
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deposited into the Rhode Island highway maintenance fund according to the schedule in § 39-18.1-
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5(b). The remaining ten dollars ($10.00) shall be deposited directly to Rhode Island public transit
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authority (RIPTA). The general assembly shall annually appropriate such sums as may be required
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to cover the costs of administering the program by the division of motor vehicles and the department
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of environmental management.
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SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2027.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- INSPECTION OF MOTOR VEHICLES
***
1
This act would increase and reallocate the fees collected for motor vehicle inspections,
2
including motorcycle inspections, with an allocation of ten dollars ($10.00) to the Rhode Island
3
Public Transit Authority (RIPTA).
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This act would take effect on January 1, 2027.
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LC006217
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LC006217 - Page 4 of 4