01State Fee
Safety Only: $13.60
Counties without emissions requirements pay this for the annual safety inspection. Set by NC General Statute, identical at every station.
What an NC inspection actually costs.
Inspection fees in North Carolina are set by the state, not by the shop. Same number at every certified station. Here is the current breakdown, plus what it costs if you let your sticker lapse.
State-set fees, no add-ons.
Every NC inspection station charges the same fee. The state writes the rule, the station collects it. We do not pad the number.
02Greensboro
Safety + Emissions: $30
Combined fee in Guilford and the other 18 emissions counties. Includes the OBD-II scan, readiness check, and visual emissions hardware confirmation.
03
Cap on Combined Fee
The combined safety plus emissions fee is capped by state law at $30. No station can charge more than that for the inspection itself.
04
Re-Inspect at No Extra Inspection Fee
Fail the inspection, fix the issue within 60 days, return to the same station and the re-inspect is at no additional inspection fee. Repair costs are separate.
05
No Add-On Fees at M&K
No 'shop supplies' charge, no 'environmental fee', no 'OBD scan fee'. The number you pay is the number on the state schedule. Period.
06
Fee Increase Pending
NC legislators have discussed raising the safety inspection fee. As of this writing the long-standing $13.60 / $30 schedule is still in effect. We will update this page if and when the new fee becomes law.
What it costs if you wait too long.
The inspection fee is the cheap part. Letting it lapse is where it gets expensive. Here is what NC charges if you miss the deadline.
Up to $250 fine for expired inspection
Driving on an expired inspection sticker is a citation in NC. Officers have discretion on the dollar amount, but the maximum is $250 plus court costs.
Registration late fees: $15, $20, $25
NC DMV adds a $15 late fee if you renew under 1 month late, $20 between 1 and 2 months, $25 after 2 months. These are on top of the normal registration cost and they stack with any inspection citation.
$100+ citation for expired tags
Driving with expired registration (separate from the inspection sticker) is its own citation. Fines start at around $100 plus court fees. The two often happen together.
License points if cited
Some inspection-related citations carry license points. Points raise insurance premiums for years. Far more expensive than the original inspection.
Same-day repairs save the second trip
If you fail and we can repair it the same day (brakes, bulbs, wipers, tires, common sensors), one visit covers everything. Driving back across town for a re-inspect costs an hour you do not get back.
The 90-day rule saves nothing
You can inspect up to 90 days before your sticker expires without losing a day on the new one. Do it early. There is no penalty for being early and a real penalty for being late.
If your sticker is already expired, come in anyway. We can usually inspect the same day and you can renew your registration online the moment we close the pass.
Other parts of the cluster.
Checklist, passing tips, emissions specifics, and the overview hub.
01
What's Checked During NC Inspection
The full safety and emissions checklist. Every item an NC inspector looks at, in the order they look at it.
02
How to Pass NC Inspection
Common failure points and a 10-minute pre-check you can do at home. Lights, tires, brakes, wipers, OBD readiness, steering.
03
NC Emissions Inspection
Guilford County emissions rules, the OBD-II readiness drive cycle, new-vehicle exemption, and 2026 program changes.
04
NC State Inspection Overview
Annual requirement, the 90-day window, Guilford County rules, walk-in hours. Start here.
Frequently asked.
Safety-only inspection is $13.60. Combined safety plus emissions inspection (required in Guilford and 18 other counties) is $30. These are state-set fees that are the same at every certified inspection station.
Because the fee is set by NC General Statute, not by the shop. Any station charging more than the state fee for the inspection itself is breaking the rule. Repair costs after a fail are separate and do vary by shop.
Not at M&K. The $30 combined fee covers safety plus the OBD-II emissions scan in one transaction. We do not bill the scan separately.
If you return to the same station within 60 days, the re-inspect is at no additional inspection fee. Repair work is billed separately. If we did the repair, we re-inspect on the spot.
Up to $250 plus court costs, and the citation can carry license points depending on the situation. NC DMV will also block your registration renewal until the inspection is current.
$15 if you renew less than 1 month after the expiration date, $20 between 1 and 2 months, $25 after 2 months. These are on top of the normal registration cost and add up fast.
Yes. We submit the inspection result electronically to NC DMV the moment we close it. You can renew online or by mail right after you leave. No paper sticker, no extra trip.
Up to 90 days before. The new inspection runs for one full year from your existing expiration date, so there is no benefit to waiting and a real cost to being late. Earlier is better.
No. The state inspection fee is separate from the DMV registration renewal fee and from any property tax owed on the vehicle. Inspection covers the sticker. Registration covers the plate. Two different bills.
Legislation has been discussed that would raise the inspection fee significantly. As of this writing, the $13.60 / $30 schedule is still the law. We will update this page when and if the new fee is signed and in effect.
Most inspections take 20 to 40 minutes once the car is on the lift. Walk in to our Greensboro shop and you are usually back on the road inside an hour, traffic and bay availability permitting.
On the $30 combined inspection, the station keeps $23.75 to cover labor and equipment. The other $6.25 goes to the state for the emissions program, the highway trust fund, and air quality oversight. The split is set by NC statute.
$30 for the combined safety plus emissions inspection, $13.60 for safety only. Those are statutory caps. If a shop quotes more for the inspection itself, that is not legal under NC General Statute 20-183.7.
There is no separate emissions price. Guilford requires the combined safety plus emissions inspection, which is $30 total. The OBD-II scan and readiness check are bundled into that one fee.
Beat the late fee.
Walk in any business day. State-set fee, no surprise add-ons, electronic result on file before you leave.
1605 W Gate City Blvd
Greensboro, NC 27403
Mon–Fri · 9 AM – 6 PM
Sat · 9 AM – 3 PM
(336) 370-6710
Walk-ins welcome