Q for the PA folks - temp/in transit tag with expired inspection?

I'm about to pick up another vehicle (another motorcycle) in PA on the weekend, and I'm about 51% sure it's got an expired inspection. I know I should be able to get an in-transit temp tag for it at the notary but I was wondering what the legalities of riding it with a temp tag and expired inspection are when I try to take it out of state.

Asking the seller to get it inspected is a non-starter as the reason he's selling the bike is he can't ride it for health reasons, and wouldn't be selling it in the first place if he could still ride it.

I had this vision of riding it back home via US30 and enjoying the Laurel Highlands that way, although I suspect I'd be cursing the whole way anyway because the bike hasn't been on the road for a few years.

The sensible approach would be to get a U-haul trailer, which I'd probably do if they somewhat grim weather guesstimates for the weekend materialize, but sensible don't get you YouTube views .

Is there a motorcycle shop nearby that you can call and have them pick it up for you? Maybe they can do a once over/inspection? No idea who does these inspections but I assume a motorcycle shop. 

BoxheadTim said:

I'm about to pick up another vehicle (another motorcycle) in PA on the weekend, and I'm about 51% sure it's got an expired inspection. I know I should be able to get an in-transit temp tag for it at the notary but I was wondering what the legalities of riding it with a temp tag and expired inspection are when I try to take it out of state.

Asking the seller to get it inspected is a non-starter as the reason he's selling the bike is he can't ride it for health reasons, and wouldn't be selling it in the first place if he could still ride it.

I had this vision of riding it back home via US30 and enjoying the Laurel Highlands that way, although I suspect I'd be cursing the whole way anyway because the bike hasn't been on the road for a few years.

The sensible approach would be to get a U-haul trailer, which I'd probably do if they somewhat grim weather guesstimates for the weekend materialize, but sensible don't get you YouTube views .

The other states shouldn't care.  

Us30 through the laurel highlands is very pretty.  

I'd just call the non emergency state police number and tell them what you are trying to do.  See what they say.

Sorry, should've clarified this a bit - ideally I'd like to avoid having to deal with a PA inspection as I'm taking the bike out of state and will then almost immediately need a WV inspection anyway. For that reason it would be a potentially unnecessary hassle to try and get it inspected (and potentially fail inspection as I have no idea what's required in PA) just so I can ride it back home and slap a WV plate on it.

Nobody is going to notice or care.  I don't think I ever had any of my motorcycles inspected here and never had a problem, and have gone for months without or with overdue inspection on the cars and only once did I get a notice to fix it (after 15 years here).   In the odd event you do have a discussion with law enforcement it is pretty obvious what you are doing to try to get the bike home, and the fact that you will have a temp tag shows you are trying to do the right thing. 

Don't even worry about it. Unless you plan on lane splitting and joy riding, nobody will notice let alone care. Out of state license and temp tag will take care of it.

Non issue on a temp tag to my understanding 

Who gets motorcycles inspected? 

AWSX1686 (Forum Supporter) said:

Who gets motorcycles inspected? 

The dude who's (still) not a citizen and thus prefers to stay off the radar of "T3h Authoritease" . Making sure my record is as clean as a whistle as I'm planning to apply for naturalization next year.

Thanks for all the info - that'll come in handy sooner or later.

In the end I decided that I'll trailer the bike home - there is a very good chance that it hasn't been on the road for six years until I took it for a brief test ride last weekend, and the weather forecast suggests that a boat might be the more appropriate mode of transportation anyway.

That's assuming that U-Haul hands me the trailer I actually booked on Thursday, otherwise there might be a very quick change of plans and I might have to ride the bike back.

For future reference, PA allows 10 days (I think) to get a new purchase inspected.

As for motorcycles in PA...when I bought my first bike I asked the seller about the expired inspection sticker. He just laughed. Told me he has never had a bike inspected because "no one checks". I have tested this theory ever since. None of my three bikes have ever received an inspection sticker. 

Eventually I may get burned, sure. But I'm a grey haired 58 year old dude who doesn't stunt on the highway, so my chances of getting stopped are pretty low. I'll just pay the fine when it happens, assuming I can't talk my way out of a ticket.

I've been driving my 3 cars without inspections since covid happened.  Yet to have an issue.

Thanks, so it's similar to WV in that regard. I'll keep that in mind as most of the interesting vehicles I spot that aren't on the wrong coast seem to be in PA.

Furthermore, the fine for no inspection is less than the actual inspection at this point.

ddavidv said:

For future reference, PA allows 10 days (I think) to get a new purchase inspected.

This all the way.  You're legally fine, on top of everything else said about no one noticing anyway and the fine being low to boot.  Enjoy the trip home!

camopaint0707 said:

Furthermore, the fine for no inspection is less than the actual inspection at this point.

That makes me curious, how much is the actual inspection?

In reply to BoxheadTim :

Cars and trucks are $80 now. I've never known anyone who got a motorcycle inspected, but there aren't any different signage at the shops. 

30 days to get something inspected after purchase, but you're leaving the state with it so nonissue. 

Unless they want to be major dicks, you'd get a fix it ticket with an expired vehicle, which usually is 2 weeks to get whatever fixed and signed off at the State police barracks with no issues. If they're being dicks, and other things than just expired inductions are wrong, the fine is $25, the court costs are $150 or so, or were 14 years ago.

If it's driveable, you should be more concerned with it being insured than inspected.

In reply to RevRico :

Yowza. That's more than I expected it to be.

Inspections are around $15 here in WV so they're not that big a deal financially.

In reply to BoxheadTim :

Cheaper in counties that don't require emissions, think just an inspection is $50. 

We keep giving all the gas tax and toll road money to the state police slush fund, gotta pay for our minefield roads somehow. 

YYou mentioned leaving on 30 through the highlands, where abouts are you picking up? If you're taking I70 to get there feel free to stop by the house, I'm just off the Smithton exit.

Inspection costs are not fixed. The physical sticker is now $11 from PennDot, electronic recordkeeping something like $2/ transmission/car. Expect .5-1hr of skilled labor or a sales pitch. 

You're going to leave a $19.95 inspection place with more recommendations/required work than the shop charging $100 

Safety inspection at the shop I ran was $52.00, Emissions testing if required $48.00. 

At the dealership I now work for Safety and Emissions $95.63

Well, given the weather I did trailer the bike back, and have a transit tag for it. But I'm guessing by the time the weather her clears up, it'll probably have a WV plate already.

ddavidv said:

For future reference, PA allows 10 days (I think) to get a new purchase inspected.

As for motorcycles in PA...when I bought my first bike I asked the seller about the expired inspection sticker. He just laughed. Told me he has never had a bike inspected because "no one checks". I have tested this theory ever since. None of my three bikes have ever received an inspection sticker. 

Eventually I may get burned, sure. But I'm a grey haired 58 year old dude who doesn't stunt on the highway, so my chances of getting stopped are pretty low. I'll just pay the fine when it happens, assuming I can't talk my way out of a ticket.

I thought it was 30 days, but you're right... there is a grace period.  This happens to me almost every summer.  My inspection is due in July, but I'm in Canada for July and August.

Temp tags are a weird bird in PA.  Temp registration is only for situations where a plate isn't readily available.  If the notary runs out of plates, doesn't have a plate that matches the vehicle class (e.g. a buying a truck or van and they're out of truck plates), or a dealer who doesn't stock any plates... those get temp tags.  But you can't just go into a DMV notary and get a temp tag for anything you want.  You have to do the whole thing if you want it done.

Fortunately, PA doesn't require the inspection from an out of state vehicle.  I trailered my van in from NC, stopped at the Notary, got plates, title, and registration, then I had X days to get it inspected.

Also, as has been mentioned, I've been riding motorcycles for 34 years and got a PA inspection exactly once... and that was because I wanted a questionable bike checked over for safety reasons.

In reply to BoxheadTim :

Over $80 if you need absolutely nothing done.  The fine is $70

Agreed usually it's over $80 but free to reinspect within a month so you can DIY all your fixes and really piss the garage off. I use the same shop for my alignments so they get my money somehow. 

I got a $100 ticket in Timmonsville, SC by a town cop who noticed the expired date as I met him while passing through town.  It was just a money maker scheme that they finally dropped.