Courtesy Check? License Plates Can Foul Inspections

March 10, 2022

How often do your techs check the state of license plates? In Rhode Island, it could cause a failed inspection.

March 10, 2022—A news story from WPRI in Rhode Island notes that a deteriorating license plate can cause a car to fail state inspections.

A peeling rear license plate caused one driver to fail the inspection, according to the story. An inspector from a shop called Safeway Oil Change and Automotive Services out of Cranston, R.I., told the station that New England weather is pretty harsh on plates.

"Unfortunately, doing state inspections we are the bearer of bad news and that is one of the worst parts of doing the job,” he said in the story.

In that state, plates need to be read from 60 feet to pass inspection.