CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Beginning in November, the Massachusetts RMV will be making some changes in regards to getting a new inspection sticker for your vehicle.

Effective November 1, vehicles that pass the annual required inspections will get a new sticker with the month of your previous sticker’s expiration month. This means if you get a late sticker after the one year mark of your previous inspection sticker, the new sticker will no longer display the month you got the inspection in, but the month your last sticker expired on.

However, there are some exceptions. If a vehicle gets an inspection with an expired sticker from the previous year, the new sticker will be marked as January of the new year, no matter the month the previous sticker was expired.

“Safety of the Commonwealth’s roadways is the most important reason for motor vehicle inspections.  Vehicle inspections check tire treads, ensure all light signals are working and even check the front ball joints. It is the law that motor vehicles are inspected every year,” said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie. “Vehicle owners are required to have the inspection done one year from the month the last inspection was done. We are asking all vehicle owners to place safety first and make sure to check your inspection date, and don’t be late.”

“Light-duty cars and trucks are equipped with emission control systems that reduce pollution to protect public health and the environment. It is important that these systems are tested annually to ensure proper emissions controls,” said Commissioner Martin Suuberg of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP). “The change being implemented by the RMV will help ensure that all vehicles are inspected every year.”

All newly purchased vehicles must be inspected within seven days of the vehicle registration date and will receive a sticker of the month in which it was inspected in.

If you are a vehicle owner that gets their vehicle inspected on time or before the due date, you will not see any changes.

The RMV is also letting residents know that beginning October 1, vehicle owners will no longer receive a printed inspection report when a vehicle passes inspection, in an effort to reduce paper waste. Reports will be made available online by using a cell phone and scanning the QR code on posters displayed at inspection sites. There are more than 1,800 inspection stations across the state.