State Dmv Drops Inspection Reg

The state Department of Motor Vehicles threw in the towel on its plan to alter car inspections to expire at three different times within a month, State Senator James L. Seward said today.

The D.M.V. issued a notice of withdrawal today (2/14) that will be published in the state register within two weeks. Anyone who has received a new inspection sticker since January 1, 2006 with three inspection periods on it can wait until the end of the month next year.

"This is great news for hardworking, overburdened New York taxpayers and motorists," Seward said. "I applaud the D.M.V. for listening to the voice of the people and rescinding a new mandate that only aggravates people and provides twice the opportunities for police to write tickets for uninspected motor vehicles. The people have won a victory today."

Seward started an on-line petition against the new mandate which garnered over 700 responses in just a few weeks, and expressed his opposition to the plan to the acting and incoming D.M.V. commissioners. He also signed onto legislation (S. 6426) with Sen. George Maziarz that would maintain the current month-long validity of an inspection sticker.

Last week the Administrative Regulations Review Commission, a joint senate-assembly panel, came out against the rule in a letter to Acting D.M.V. Commissioner Nancy Naples. The bipartisan panel asked the D.M.V. to revoke the rule because it enacted the new inspection requirements without public notice or the normal regulatory review procedure.

"I hope the D.M.V. does not restart the rule using the normal process," Seward added. "The handwriting is on the windshield: this is one idea that should go the way of the Edsel and new Coke."

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