Recently (3 November 2016 to be exact), I went to have my vehicle licensed (renewing the vehicle coupon). My vehicle inspection was valid until 25 November 2016; however, the licensing officers advised that they cannot accept my vehicle inspection and that I had to go and get it re-done. Thinking that they must have not read the expiration date correctly, I brought it to their attention that the inspection was still valid for at least another three weeks. However, he insisted that I had to get the inspection re-done. Can you tell me why this is? This is so unfair that if you have a valid inspection, they still force you to get it re-done and to pay yet again!  

P.S. I shared my story with other co-workers and friends and this has also happened to some of them… with some of them having a valid coupon with over one month remaining.


Auntie’s answer: I understand it is tempting to make the argument that since your coupon and the accompanying certificate of roadworthiness both have three weeks of validity remaining, if you are renewing the licence before its expiration your car should still be considered up to snuff without a new inspection.

In reality and in law, unfortunately, it doesn’t work like that as an official with the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing explained.

“To license a vehicle for any allowed period, prescribed in law, there must be an inspection which covers that same period,” he said. “So, with the inspection coming up for expiration on 25 November, it would have been impossible to renew the vehicle licence beyond that, without first having an inspection done.”

To clarify, under Section 63 (1) of The Traffic Law (2011), it says that the owner of a vehicle “shall, before the due date of renewal of the licence, submit the vehicle to a vehicle inspector at a place and within the times prescribed, for inspection for roadworthiness and general compliance with this Law and regulations”.

In simplest terms, for every renewal of your vehicle licence you need to get your car inspected.

The law mentioned in this column can be found on the CNS Library