Vehicle Safety Inspection

Delaware performs a safety inspection of your vehicle to ensure that your vehicle’s safety equipment is in working condition. The following is a brief outline of some of the items that will be inspected:

• All lights must be clean, in working order and properly aimed. This includes stoplights, turn signals, license plate lights, parking lights and headlights
• Brakes must stop the vehicle within required distance
• Glass in windows must have no holes, breaks or cracks
• Mirrors must be clean and unbroken
• Windshield wipers must be fully operative (the rubber blades must be in good condition)
• Hood and trunk latches must hold hood and trunk fully closed
• Tires must have no bulges, no fabric showing, no bald areas and no cuts. Tread depth must be at least 2/32 inch measured in two adjacent treads
• Doorknobs or equivalent must be present and in working condition
• There must be no damaged or dislocated parts projecting from the vehicle that could present a safety hazard
• Horn must be in operating condition
• Muffler must effectively reduce sound of engine exhaust. No leaks in exhaust system. Catalytic converter must be installed if originally equipped from manufacturer
• There must be no gasoline leaks
• Bumper height on passenger cars must not exceed 22 inches from the ground to the bottom of the bumper
• No tinting or sun screening device can be applied to the front windshield or to the front side windows
• No air scoops shall be mounted on a vehicle hood that exceeds 3 inches
• Windshield must have no cracks that interfere with vision. Any cracks over 5 inches on any window are mandatory failure items. Minimum height of visibility in windshield is 10 inches