# Have you been pulled over for an expired inspection sticker while in a company vehicle? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 2, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787 "2011-12-02T02:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/1 "2011-12-02T02:53:09Z")
What happened? Here’s the long part… My boyfriend has to drive a company vehicle tomorrow and Saturday (there on Friday, back on Saturday) and then again Sunday and Monday (there and back both days). The people in charge of getting it inspected were more interested in having some big wig come look at it than they were in getting it inspected and now the sticker is expired. He wants to know whether or not he will get in trouble if he gets pulled over or if the company will. Getting it inspected is not his job and he didn’t know about the sticker until today. He has never had a ticket of any kind and he really doesn’t want to start now because some dumbass didn’t do their job. The vehicle is registered in RI and will be staying in RI. ---
**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/2 "2011-12-02T04:11:48Z")
IANAL or DMV employee, but I’d be stunned if he was held responsible in any way. Whoever owns (or registers?) the vehicle is responsible for inspecting it. If you want to dig into it, the full regulations are here ([pdf](http://sos.ri.gov/documents/archives/regdocs/released/pdf/DMV/5531.pdf)). But the penalty section is thus: > [@](#): > > 1.12.2 Penalties > … > (b) Motor Vehicle Operator Penalties > Any owner or lessee of a motor vehicle who operates their vehicle on > the highways of Rhode Island that is not in compliance with these > regulations shall be subject to a fine of no more than one thousand > dollars ($1,000.) for each violation. I think your boyfriend is in the clear, as he is not the owner or lessee. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/3 "2011-12-02T04:24:17Z")
I used to drive for a courier service(small pickup truck) and if the vehicle registration was not current, the driver would be held accountable along with the company\*\* as the vehicle was not legal to drive\*\*. This was in California. No vehicle inspections. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/4 "2011-12-02T04:27:01Z")
I’ve never been pulled over for it. I’ve always been aware of the working condition and maintenance schedule of the company vehicles I’ve driven, in most cases the inspection sticker fell into my area of responsibility. I couldn’t exactly complain, if the sticker was expired it was my fault. In MA an expired inspection sticker is a moving violation. The ticket is to the driver and will increase your insurance costs. That said in your BF’s position I wouldn’t drive the vehicle without written assurances that the company would cover any fines and increases in premiums due to the sticker. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/5 "2011-12-02T04:35:07Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > In MA an expired inspection sticker is a moving violation. The ticket is to the driver and will increase your insurance costs. Actually, I was once pulled over in Massachusetts and my passenger (the owner of the car) received a ticket for expired registration (I think the inspection sticker was up-to-date). Of course, I think that had more to do with him smarting off to the policeman. (The officer told him he really should get his driver’s license reissued in Massachusetts, since he’d been there over a year, and he said, “Well, you’ll notice that I’m not driving,” in a very snippy tone. Yes, sir, I did notice, here’s your ticket for an expired registration.) ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/6 "2011-12-02T04:52:46Z")
> [@ENugent](#): > > Actually, I was once pulled over in Massachusetts and my passenger (the owner of the car) received a ticket for expired registration (I think the inspection sticker was up-to-date). Of course, I think that had more to do with him smarting off to the policeman. (The officer told him he really should get his driver’s license reissued in Massachusetts, since he’d been there over a year, and he said, “Well, you’ll notice that I’m not driving,” in a very snippy tone. Yes, sir, I did notice, here’s your ticket for an expired registration.) The officer was being nice to you on account of your friend being an ass. They can issue a ticket for an expired registration on an unmoving vehicle. Say they are driving down the street and see a car on the side of the road with an expired sticker. They can issue a ticket to the cars owner. In that case it wouldn’t be a moving violation however. I had a friend who’s car got ticketed in his driveway for having an expired registration. I question how that was even legal and how that’s in the states interest to pursue. Yeah, fuck you officer and get off my lawn. ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2011, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/7 "2011-12-02T04:57:44Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > The officer was being nice to you on account of your friend being an ass. Yeah, I figured. This guy had some issues. He once pulled over a policeman. (He got a ticket, and I was reading it to him, and he got angry that she had marked that the traffic was “light”. So he drove about 110 until he caught up with her, pulled in behind her, and flashed his lights until she pulled over so he could argue some more. I’m surprised he wasn’t shot for that one.) ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2011, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-been-pulled-over-for-an-expired-inspection-sticker-while-in-a-company-vehicle/604787/8 "2011-12-03T00:49:30Z")
I was once pulled over for not having an inspection sticker at all on a car I was test driving from a dealer. I didn’t get a ticket but the dealer claimed that cars with dealer tags (which this had) did not require an inspection sticker. Nonetheless, I went elsewhere to buy. This was in PA. I assume I could have gotten a ticket, but the cop bought my story that I was just test driving. Nonetheless it was likely my responsibility to see that it had a valid inspection sticker on it.