Confusion over validity of car inspection certificate
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
Category: Ask Auntie
I know that in the UK the opposite is true, you would be allowed to licence the car with three weeks to go on the inspection, the reason being that whilst your car would be taxed, after the 3 weeks is up you are guilty of driving without an inspection. The issue in Cayman is that there is really only one way of telling if a car is taxed AND inspected, and that’s by the tax disk/coupon on the screen. In the US they typically have two distinct markers, one for tax, one for inspection, the UK use automatic number plate technology. The US allows the police to stop and search for other issues, the UK’s is good at generating fines, different agenda’s, different approaches.
Makes no sense to do it that way.
If that is the case How could they get out of sync.
I recently (AUGUST 2016) transferred ownership of a vehicle for which the inspection certificate was valid until JULY 2017. I was told that the license could only be extended to FEBRUARY 2017. So, I have to pay for a new inspection WAY BEFORE the expiry of the current one! This isn’t “a few weeks” but nearly half of a year!!
BOHICA! (Look that up in the urban dictionary!) Who’s shafting who and why??
Just to add to Auntie’s great response here; think of your inspection as the maximum period allowed to do something. You cannot license the car for longer than it is inspected. As the licensing increments are 3, 6 and 12 months, the minimum time you have left on your inspection cannot be less than 3 months. Hope this helps!
This would seem logical, EXCEPT that when I transferred ownership in August 2016 there was less than ONE month of “back tax” due. I acknowledged that fact, but was only allowed to register through the middle of FEBRUARY with an inspection valid through MID-JULY 2017. The previous owner had only licensed for ONE MONTH as they were leaving the island. Effectively I was licensing for 12 MONTHS (including the one month of “back tax” due for July)! The point being that I was effectively CHEATED out of 5 months licensing before I had to re-inspect! A few weeks, I fully understand – but 5 MONTHS!?!? The “back tax” was actually only for ONE WEEK, but yet I was charged for a full month.
BTW, I have done renewals for ANY number of months I wanted to pay for in the past. Once it was 4 months and then the vehicle was sold. The next time it was 7 months before I was to transfer the vehicle to a new owner arriving for work on a work permit in the month for which I paid through. In one case, I paid 1 months “Back Tax” and TWO additional months before the vehicle was scheduled to to be sold.
In my lifetime of vehicle ownership here, I have always been allowed to license through the month of expiry of the inspection – until August 2016. What, if anything has changed?
Inspection is free, so you weren’t cheated out of anything.
Yes, it takes some time and can be inconvenient, but to have your car inspected you just need to bring it to DVDL or drop it to a licensed dealer who can do inspections and then collect it later that day.
No one charges to inspect vehicles in Cayman. Dealers do it for free hoping to get the business if something needs to be fixed in order to pass.
It’s not free. Dealers do it because they get paid by the DVDL, who collect your money when you pay for your coupon.
From http://www.dvdl.gov.ky/
On completion of the inspection process, you will be issued a Certificate of Road Worthiness (pass) or a Certificate of defects (fail). Each inspection will incur a CI$35.00 fee; for Cars, trucks (not exceeding 4000 lbs), vans (not exceeding 15 seats), and trailers not exceeding 2000 lbs.
Trucks (4001 to 33,000 lbs), vans (16 to 40 seats), public transport vehicles and buses (16 to 40 seats) rental vehicles, taxis, limousines, and special vehicles (not exceeding 10,000 lbs) will incur a fee of CI$40.00.
Public transport vehicles and buses (over 40 seats), truck (exceeding 10,000 lbs), and special vehicles (exceeding 10,000 lbs) will incur a fee of CI$50.00.
A fee of CI$30.00 will be charged for the inspection of a motor cycle.