CHAPTER 246
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 46.1-315 and 46.1-820 of the Code of
Virginia, relating to motor vehicle official inspection stations and
exemptions under certain conditions from penalties for failure to have
inspections made

[S 49]

Approved March 14, 1962

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 46.1-315 and 46.1-320 of the Code of Virginia, be amended and
reenacted as follows:

§ 46.1-315. (a) The superintendent may at any time compel, by proc-
lamation of the Governor or otherwise, the owner or operator of any motor
vehicle, trailer or semitrailer operated upon a highway within this Common-
wealth to submit such vehicle to an inspection of its mechanism and equip-
ment by an official inspection station, designated for that purpose, and any
such owner or operator who fails to submit a motor vehicle, trailer or
semitrailer operated upon the highways of this State to such inspection or
who fails or refuses to correct or have corrected in accordance with the
requirements of this title any mechanical defects found by such inspection
to exist shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished in accord-
ance with the provisions of § 46.1-16 and each day upon which such motor
vehicle, trailer or semitrailer is operated over any highway of this State
after failure to comply with this law shall constitute a separate offense;
provided, that the penalty provided herein shall not be imposed upon any
owner or operator for operation of a motor vehicle, trailer or semitrailer
after the expiration of a period fixed for the inspection thereof, over
the most direct route between the place where such vehicle 1s kept or
garaged and an official inspection station, for the purpose of having the
same inspected pursuant to a prior appointment with such station for
such inspection.

(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any vehicle for
transporting well drilling machinery licensed under § 46.1-156.

§ 46.1-320. The Superintendent shall not authorize or designate any
person, firm or corporation as an official inspection station unless and until
such person, firm or corporation shall satisfy the Superintendent under
such regulations as the Superintendent shall prescribe that such person,
firm or corporation has met and will continue to conform with at least the
following standards:

(a) The station is equipped with sufficient mechanical equipment
and apparatus and is manned with skilled and competent automotive
mechanics to make a complete and thorough inspection in accordance with
the provisions of this article;

(b) Sufficient space, facilities or other adequate means are provided
by the station at the place where the official inspections are to be made for
testing the brakes, headlights and steering mechanism of motor vehicles
and to ascertain that motor vehicles inspected by the station shall meet
such safety standards as may be prescribed by the Superintendent under
the terms of this title;

(c) The person making the actual inspection for the station or under
whose immediate personal supervision such inspection is made shall have
not less than one year’s practical experience as an automotive mechanic:

(d) No person shall be designated by such station to make such in-
spections for it unless the person has been approved for that purpose by the
Department of State Police.