Can a cop know if my car's safety inspection is overdue by running my plates?

Particia Thorton: it's just the sticker on your windshield. they can however, see if your registration has expired and you forgot to renew it by the color of the sticker on your license plate. the color denotes the month and the year is right there in large print. they can also see that the vehicle isn't registered or that registration expired by running the plates quickly although if they can see the plate they can see the color of the sticker with the year on it.but as far as the safety inspection is concerned, it's just the sticker since a mechanic can put it there for you and there would be no record. also you can have a vehicle in need of inspection but you don't drive it. that's totally legal. but you can't have a car that's not registered. so ironball is right when he says you must be caught driving it with the expired safety sticker to get a ticket since having sit in a driveway in need of inspection is fine as long as it's registered.-McCheese...Show more

Marna Liddie: The only way to get a ticket is being caught driving the vehicle.

Collin Pelfrey: As far as I know it's just the sticker. I doubt local car mechanics can patch into the DMV computers.