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HB1145 • 2026

Motor vehicle safety inspections; certified safety inspectors.

An Act to amend and reenact § 46.2-1166 of the Code of Virginia, relating to motor vehicle safety inspections; safety inspectors.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Austin
Last action
2026-04-13
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details about the certification process, only that inspections must be conducted by certified safety inspectors.

Motor Vehicle Safety Inspections; Certified Safety Inspectors

This act changes Virginia law to require that motor vehicle safety inspections be conducted by certified safety inspectors instead of mechanics with practical experience or training.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the requirement for who can conduct motor vehicle safety inspections in Virginia.
  • Requires all inspection stations to have certified safety inspectors on staff.
  • Removes the previous requirement for inspectors to have at least one year's automotive mechanic experience or approved training.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Motor vehicle owners who need inspections in Virginia.
  • Inspection stations that conduct motor vehicle safety inspections.
  • The Department of State Police, which will oversee the certification process.

Terms To Know

Certified Safety Inspector
A person certified by the Superintendent of State Police to perform motor vehicle safety inspections in Virginia.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify when it will become effective.
  • It is unclear how existing mechanics with experience or training will transition to becoming certified safety inspectors.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 743 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-13 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0743)

  3. 2026-03-10 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

  4. 2026-03-10 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  5. 2026-02-27 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1145)

  6. 2026-02-26 House

    Signed by Speaker

  7. 2026-02-26 Senate

    Signed by President

  8. 2026-02-26 House

    Enrolled

  9. 2026-02-26 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1145ER)

  10. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Read third time

  11. 2026-02-24 Senate

    Passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Rules suspended

  13. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Rules suspended

  14. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  15. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (37-Y 0-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-02-23 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  17. 2026-02-19 Transportation

    Reported from Transportation (13-Y 0-N)

  18. 2026-02-17 Transportation

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1145)

  19. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  20. 2026-02-12 Transportation

    Referred to Committee on Transportation

  21. 2026-02-11 House

    Read third time and passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A)

  22. 2026-02-11 House

    Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House

  23. 2026-02-11 House

    Passed House Block Vote (98-Y 0-N 0-A)

  24. 2026-02-10 House

    Read second time

  25. 2026-02-10 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  26. 2026-02-10 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  27. 2026-02-09 House

    Read first time

  28. 2026-02-05 Transportation

    Reported from Transportation with substitute (21-Y 0-N)

  29. 2026-02-05 Transportation

    Committee substitute printed 26106929D-H1

  30. 2026-02-03 Department of Motor Vehicles

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)

  31. 2026-02-03 Department of Motor Vehicles

    House subcommittee offered

  32. 2026-01-29 Department of Motor Vehicles

    Assigned HTRAN sub: Department of Motor Vehicles

  33. 2026-01-14 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102105D

  34. 2026-01-14 Transportation

    Referred to Committee on Transportation

Official Summary Text

Motor vehicle safety inspections; safety inspectors.
Requires motor vehicle safety inspections to be conducted by persons certified as a safety inspector by the Superintendent of State Police. Existing law requires the person conducting a vehicle safety inspection, or under whose immediate supervision such inspection is made, to have at least one year's practical experience as an automotive mechanic or have satisfactorily completed a training program in automotive mechanics approved by the Superintendent of State Police.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend and reenact §
46.2-1166
of the Code of Virginia, relating to motor vehicle safety inspections; safety inspectors.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
46.2-1166
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
46.2-1166
. Minimum standards required for inspection stations; appointments.
A. The Superintendent shall not designate any person, firm, or corporation as an official inspection station unless and until such person, firm or corporation satisfies the Superintendent, under such regulations as the Superintendent shall prescribe, that such person, firm, or corporation has met and will continue to meet the following standards:
1. The station has sufficient mechanical equipment and
skilled and competent mechanics
certified safety inspectors
to make a complete inspection in accordance with the provisions of this article;
2. Adequate means are provided by the station to test the brakes, headlights, and steering mechanism of motor vehicles and to ascertain that motor vehicles inspected by the station meet the safety standards prescribed by the Superintendent under the terms of this title;
3. The person making the actual inspection
or under whose immediate supervision such inspection is made shall have at least one year's practical experience as an automotive mechanic, or has satisfactorily completed a training program in automotive mechanics approved
is certified as a safety inspector
by the Superintendent of State Police;
4. No person shall be designated by such station to make such inspections unless the person has been approved for that purpose by the Department of State Police;
and
5.
The Superintendent of State Police may, at his discretion, waive the experience and training requirements of this section for inspections of motorcycles and trailers when, in the Superintendent's opinion, the person performing such inspections is otherwise qualified to perform such inspections; and
6.
The station has garage liability insurance in the amount of at least $500,000 with an approved surplus lines carrier or insurance company licensed to write such insurance in this Commonwealth, provided this requirement shall not apply to inspection stations that inspect only their company-owned or leased or government-owned or leased vehicles.
B. Any official inspection station may, at the discretion of the inspection station, accept vehicles on a first-come, first-served basis or by prescheduled appointments for the safety inspection of a motor vehicle pursuant to §
46.2-1157
.