Vehicle Inspection by State

Some states require a safety inspection, others require emissions only, and several require neither for private sales. Whether the seller must provide a certificate — and who pays for it — depends entirely on where you are selling. Select your state below.

Featured States

California Texas Florida New York Ohio

Find Your State

What Every Vehicle Inspection State Page Covers

Whether a safety inspection is required for private sales
Emissions or smog certificate requirements and covered counties
Seller's specific obligation — what you must provide
Inspection cost and where to get one
What a thorough pre-purchase inspection covers for buyers

Trusted by private vehicle sellers nationwide

45% faster sale

Vehicles whose listings include a history report spend ~45% less time on site before selling, and report-viewers are 5x more likely to become a lead.

Source: Experian / AutoCheck

$4,000 avg loss

NHTSA estimates 450,000+ vehicles per year are sold with rolled-back odometers — the average victim loses about $4,000 in downstream repair costs.

Source: NHTSA

17.5M private sales/yr

About 17.5 million private-party vehicle transactions happen in the U.S. each year — roughly 47% of the used market.

Source: Cox Automotive 2024

1 in 3 buyers

Roughly 1 in 3 used-car buyers say they suspect private sellers are hiding mechanical problems — documentation closes that trust gap.

Source: JW Surety Bonds (n=3,000)

$60–$85 mobile notary

Mobile notary visit minimums run $60–$85 — higher on weekends, plus per-mile travel fees. State-formatted documents skip the trip.

Source: Thumbtack / NNA