STICKER SHOCK: MAINE’S BURDENSOME VEHICLE INSPECTION MANDATE

INTRODUCTION

Every year, hundreds of thousands of Mainers visit auto repair shops for one reason: to acquire the government’s stamp of approval to drive their car.

Maine has mandated vehicle safety inspections since 1930. Supporters of the requirement argue that it protects the public by keeping poorly-maintained, mechanically-deficient vehicles off the road. But the evidence to substantiate these claims is thin.

Most of the evidence, in fact, suggests that Maine’s inspection mandates have outlived their usefulness. To date, a majority of states do not require vehicle inspections for safety. Only 20 states still have these laws on the books and five of them, including California, Colorado and Rhode Island, require them only every two years.