The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) says that if you are going to be out of state when your inspection sticker expires you first should contact the motor vehicle authorities in that state. You do this to determine if an expired out-of-state inspection is a violation of motor vehicle law in that state. Ask the authorities if a NYS inspection extension sticker prevents a ticket for the violation. A NYS inspection extension allows you 10 days from the date the vehicle returns to NYS to get a NYS inspection done.

To the best of our knowledge you should be able to drive in Florida with an expired NYS emissions inspection sticker since as of June 29, 2000, Florida no longer requires emissions testing. You should however check with the FL Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV) to be certain that you cannot be ticketed for not having an up-to-date New York State inspection sticker on your NYS registered vehicle while living in Florida for 5 months.

As for your requirements for New York, you must request the inspection extension sticker from the NYS DMV and allow 14 days for the DMV to process and mail your extension sticker. You need to receive the extension sticker before you return your vehicle to New York so that when you go back you will have time to get your car inspected.

To receive an inspection extension you need to send certain information to the NYS DMV Inspection Extension in Albany. The NYS DMV site lists this information you need to send which is basically your name and out of state mailing address, year and make of your vehicle, your NYS license plate number and your current inspection sticker number and expiration date.

The NYS DMV notes that when you receive your extension sticker:

• Do not put the extension sticker on your while your vehicle’s windshield is out of state.
• Keep the sticker and the instructions in your vehicle to show an out of state police officer.
• The sticker is not a guarantee that a police officer will not issue a traffic ticket.

There will be no record of an inspection on the NYS DMV computerized registration files. You cannot renew the registration if there is no DMV computer record of an inspection within the last 12 months. If you must renew your registration before you get back to New York State they advise you call 518-402-2111 for help and information on what to do.

• After you return to New York with your vehicle you will need to:
• Write the date the vehicle returned on the extension sticker.
• Attach the sticker than to your windshield.
• Get a NYS inspection on your vehicle within 10 days.

There are penalties if you do not get the vehicle inspection done in New York in the 10 days given by the extension sticker. For example you cannot renew your registration on your vehicle. Inspection stations electronically send a record of all emissions inspections to the DMV. The DMV must have a record that your vehicle passed an emissions inspection during the previous year. The DMV advises that you keep the receipt of your inspection sticker to prove that your vehicle was inspected.

In New York you can receive a fine if your inspection sticker has expired in the past 60 days. The fine is between $25 and $50. If the inspection sticker is expired more than 60 days the fine is then between $50 and $100. If there is no inspection sticker on your vehicle at all the fine is between $50 and $100. That is the base fine amount and then mandatory NY state surcharges of up to $55 are then added to the fine.

You can receive a parking ticket in NYS if the police find your parked vehicle without an inspection sticker or with an expired sticker.

Keep in mind that when you are living in Florida for the 5 months of the year that FL laws require you to carry certain insurance coverages. The FL HSMV notes that any person who has a vehicle in Florida for more than 90 days during a 365-day period must purchase Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability insurance coverage. The 90 days do not have to be consecutive. Your NYS car insurance coverages may be enough however you can also check with the FL HSMV to make sure you have what is legally needed to keep and drive your car in Florida for 5 months of the year.