I purchased a used 1988 Ford pickup truck over the summer and since then the inspection sticker has expired. The RMV told me I have seven days to get a fresh inspection, but my turn signal actuator needs repair (plus a few others) and I've yet to get them fixed. Yes, I'm avoiding the registration sticker.

Old Loophole Closed With Mass. Inspection Sticker Law

The month of the old sticker mattered before

My old sticker expired in July of 2024, with the old rule, whenever I got the new sticker it was valid for one year from the date I obtained the new sticker. The updated law (11/1/22) states that the new sticker would be valid from the date of the expiration on the old sticker.

Motor vehicles passing required inspections will get a new sticker with the month the last sticker expired, valid for one year.  Any vehicle owner late in getting a vehicle inspected, beyond one year from the last inspection, will no longer get a sticker displaying the month the new inspection occurred. -mass.gov

Basically, the state is not going to lose out on the $35.00 fee if you decide to chance getting pulled over while you're driving around skipping a year of inspection, or for whatever reason you're not pulling into the inspection bay every year.

The penalty for driving vehicles with an expired sticker, or driving an uninspected vehicle, may result in a moving violation and lead to additional fines, or suspension if unpaid, and even a surchargeable incident which increases the vehicle owner’s insurance costs.