What is the minimum age of a vehicle that requires a safety inspection in North Carolina?

In North Carolina, the requirement for a vehicle to undergo a safety inspection applies once it is within the model year plus 35 years. This means that any vehicle manufactured in the current model year must be inspected from the point of its initial registration and continuing through a 35-year span from that model year. This regulation helps ensure that both older and newer vehicles are maintained in a safe operational condition, as it recognizes that both new and classic vehicles can pose safety risks if not properly inspected.

Vehicles that are under the specified age or outside the 35-year range do not require this inspection, which allows for a more focused approach to vehicle safety management based on the vehicle's age and the general standards of safety associated with newer models versus older ones. This regulation reflects a balance between ensuring road safety while accommodating the prevalence of older vehicles on the road, particularly classic models that may still be in use.