The uncertain fate of New Hampshire’s vehicle inspection program has some residents scratching their heads.
The Attorney General on Friday paused the inspection program until further notice, despite a temporary court order to keep it going. The office previously said residents would have to get current with their inspection stickers by April 10.
The question of inspection has Granite Staters torn — some want to keep the practice for safety, while others think it’s too expensive and want to end it for good.
But no matter where they stand on the issue, many agree that the recent flip-flopping is just plain confusing.
“I’m so confused by it,” Ted Chaput of Richmond said on Saturday.
Chaput was supposed to get his vehicle inspected in November but he held off because he thought the program was ending.
Now he’s not sure if he should get his vehicle inspected or wait.
The program was slated to sunset on Jan. 31 after a change to state law. Gordon-Darby, the company that oversees New Hampshire’s inspection program, sued the state in U.S. District Court in Concord, alleging it would violate the federal Clean Air Act.
A temporary order from the court stopped the sunset process late last month. But on Friday, the program was paused again, as the state does not have an approved vendor to run the program, the office said in a news release.
Outside of Thai Garden in downtown Keene on Saturday, Alicia LaPointe said she’s tried to keep up with the status of the state’s inspection program.
“One day it’s one rule, then they change it the next day,” the Keene resident said.
LaPointe says annual inspections are expensive, and getting rid of them is a good thing.
Farther up the street, Alstead resident Ben Crawford said that while costs are a concern, he thinks inspections guarantee cars are in safe working condition.
“It just keeps everybody honest, as much as I don’t want to dole out any more money,” he said.
Drivers are still responsible for making sure their vehicles are safe to operate on New Hampshire roads, according to the AG’s office.
Recent Keene transplant Matt Kinns bought a new car a few weeks ago and experienced some sticker shock when he found out his vehicle registration was going to be $600.
While the car inspection program leaves intact the annual vehicle registration, many Granite Staters view them as intertwined because one follows the other.
Kinns said he isn’t a fan of the government making people do things — for him, that runs contrary to the state’s “Live Free or Die” motto — but he thinks vehicle inspections make sense.
The recent change to the status of inspection law is emblematic of the dysfunctional relationship between state and federal governments, especially in the last year, he said.
“I think the system is confused as to where it is and where it wants to go,” he said.
Outside The Colonial Theatre, Keene resident Anne Amlaw said she’s mainly thinking of safety. Vehicles can break or get damaged, and inspections can help find those issues, she said.
“I know nothing about cars, unless it’s how to drive them,” she said. “I just like safety first.”
Across the street, Rob Prohask, who also lives in Keene, was tying his bicycle to a lamp post near Art for Life Tattoo Studio. He’s pro-inspection, and worries about vehicle emissions if regulation disappears.
“It’s a good idea to keep the inspections — cars rust, brakes wear out,” he said.
Dave Hoitt, of Swanzey, who participated at the weekly protest on Central Square, said he wanted the state to at least do away with inspections for brand-new vehicles.
Hoitt recently bought an electric car and has an inspection scheduled for next month, he said.
“I hope they iron it out before the end of March,” he said. “It’s certainly confusing.”
Noah Diedrich can be reached at 603-355-8569, or ndiedrich@keenesentinel.com.
These articles are being shared by partners in the Granite State News Collaborative. Don’t just read this. Share it with one person who doesn’t usually follow local news — that’s how we make an impact. For more information, visit collaborativenh.org.
