One label on the driver-side door jamb controls your tint
destiny. “Passenger Car” means every side window must clear 70 percent.
“Multipurpose Vehicle” lets everything behind the front seats go limo-dark—as
long as both mirrors work. Skip this five-second check and you could pay
hundreds to strip illegal film after inspection.
The 2024 Auto Insurance Consumer Relief Act made pre-policy photos optional,
but it didn’t touch the DMV test that keeps your plates valid. Licensed
stations still clamp a calibrated two-piece meter on the glass. Score low and
your renewal dies on the spot, with the failure logged in the state system
before you even drive away.
Waivers and Fines: 2025’s Expensive Waiting Game
Medical exemptions exist through Form MV-80W, yet Albany quotes a
four-to-six-week turnaround and tethers each waiver to one person and
one vehicle. Meanwhile, roadside officers can meter you at any stop: up to $150
the first time, $500 the second. If Assembly Bill A4026 passes, a third strike
could suspend your registration outright.
Skip the myths—learn the exact steps to stay legal this
year.
