No person shall operate or move on any highway any motor vehicle, moped, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer, or any combination thereof, unless the equipment upon any and every vehicle is in good working order and adjustment as required by law, and the vehicle is in such safe mechanical condition as not to endanger the operator or other occupant or any person upon the highway. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 431 § 10-18.1, 1965)

A. The director of finance shall at least once each year, but not more frequently than twice each year, require that every motor vehicle, moped, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer registered in the county be inspected and that an official certificate of inspection and approval be obtained for each vehicle. Such inspections shall be made and such certificates obtained with respect to the mechanism, brakes and equipment of every such vehicle as shall be designated by the director of finance. The director of finance is authorized to make necessary rules and regulations for the administration and enforcement of this subsection and to designate any period or periods of time during which owners of any vehicles, subject to this subsection, shall display upon such vehicles certificates of inspection and approval or shall produce the same upon demand of any officer of the police department.

B. The director of finance may authorize the acceptance in the county of a certificate of inspection and approval issued in another jurisdiction having an inspection law similar to this section and may extend the time within which a certificate shall be obtained by the resident owners of a vehicle which was not in the county during the time an inspection was required. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 431 § 10-18.4, 1965)

A. The chief of police or authorized officers of the police department may at any time upon reasonable cause to believe that a vehicle is unsafe or not equipped as required by law, or that its equipment is not in proper adjustment or repair, require the operator of such vehicle to stop and submit such vehicle to an inspection and such test with reference thereto as may be appropriate.

B. In the event that such vehicle is found to be in unsafe condition or any required part or equipment is not present or is not in proper repair and adjustment, the officer shall issue a citation to the owner or driver stating the reasons that the vehicle is deemed unsafe and shall require that a new certificate of inspection be obtained within five days or that the defect be corrected.

C. If upon inspection, the chief of police or any police officer determines that any vehicle is in such unsafe condition as to constitute a menace to the public and cannot reasonably be restored to a safe condition as required herein, the chief of police or police officer shall remove the sticker which signifies the certificate of inspection and inform the director of finance who shall forthwith suspend the registration of the vehicle and give notice of the suspension to its owner. Whenever the director of finance has suspended the registration of any vehicle under this section, the owner of the vehicle shall immediately surrender and forward to the director of finance the certificate of registration and the license plates as issued upon registration of the vehicle for the current year.

D. Any person aggrieved by this section shall have the right to a hearing before a district judge of the circuit in which the person is cited within five days. The judge shall determine whether the chief of police or police officer reasonably performed the chief of police’s or police officer’s duties hereunder and shall make any appropriate order. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 431 § 10-18.2, 1965)

A. Every owner or driver, upon receiving a citation as provided in section 10.16.030(B) shall comply therewith and shall within five days secure an official certificate of inspection or make the necessary corrections or repairs, or request a hearing as provided by section 10.16.030(D).

B. No person shall operate any vehicle after receiving a citation as provided in section 10.16.030(B), except that if the driver is authorized to do so by the police officer, the driver may return the vehicle to the driver’s residence or place of business or the residence or place of business of the owner of the vehicle, or to an automotive repair shop, if within a distance of twenty miles, until a certificate of inspection is obtained or the necessary corrections or repairs are made.

C. In any proceeding for violation of the inspection requirements described herein, the serial number displayed on the registration plate attached to the vehicle involved in such violation shall constitute prima facie evidence that the registered owner of the vehicle was responsible for the unsafe condition of the vehicle. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 413.40 § 1, 1971: Ord. 431 § 10-18.9, 1965)

A. The director of finance shall issue permits for and furnish instructions and all necessary forms to official inspection stations for the inspection and adjustment of brakes, wheel alignment, lighting equipment, steering mechanism, horns, mirrors, windshield wipers and other equipment of motor vehicles, mopeds, trailers and semitrailers.

B. Application for such permit shall be made upon an official form and shall be granted only when the director of finance is satisfied that the station is properly equipped and has competent personnel to make such inspections and adjustments and will be properly conducted.

C. The director of finance shall supervise and cause inspections to be made of such stations and shall revoke and require the surrender of the permit issued to a station which he finds is not properly equipped or is not properly conducting inspections. The director of finance shall maintain and post at the offices of the driver licensing section lists of all stations holding permits and those stations whose permits have been revoked. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 431 § 10-18.5, 1965)

A. No permit for an official station shall be assigned or transferred or used at any location other than therein designated, and every permit shall be posted in a conspicuous place at the location designated.

B. The person operating an official inspection station shall issue a certificate of inspection and approval upon an official form to the owner of a vehicle upon inspecting such vehicle and determining that its equipment is in good working condition and proper adjustment, otherwise no certificate shall be issued. When required by the director of finance, record and report shall be made of every inspection and every certificate issued therefor. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 1463 § 1 (part), 1985)

A. A certificate of inspection and approval may be issued free of charge or for a fee of not more than:

1. $8.75 for mopeds, motorcycles and trailers;

2. $10.75 for all other vehicles.

B. The director of finance shall charge a fee for each inspection form issued to an operator for an official inspection station in the amount set forth in the annual budget.

C. The director of finance shall charge every operator of an official inspection station a fee for each vehicle inspection sticker which designates the month of expiration, and each vehicle inspection decal which designates the year of expiration. The fee to be charged shall be in the amount set forth in the annual budget and be based upon the actual cost of producing the stickers and decals, plus the administrative and enforcement costs connected therewith. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 1463 § 1 (part), 1985: Ord. 413.142 § 1 (part), 1980; Ord. 413.81 § 1 (part), 1975; Ord. 413.27 § 1 (part), 1970; Ord. 413.15 § 1 (part), 1969; Ord. 413 § 10-18.6 (part), 1965)

A. No person shall in any manner represent any place as an official inspection station unless such place is operated by the department of finance or is operating under a valid permit issued by the director of finance.

B. No person other than a duly authorized officer of the department of finance or a person operating an inspection station under a valid permit shall issue a certificate of inspection and approval. (Ord. 413.239 § 1 (part), 1991: Ord. 413 § 10-18.7, 1965)

A. No person shall make, issue, or knowingly use any imitation or counterfeit of an official certificate of inspection and approval.

B. No person shall display or cause or permit to be displayed upon any vehicle any certificate of inspection and approval knowing the same to be fictitious or issued for another vehicle or issued without an inspection having been made. (Ord. 413 § 10-18.8, 1965)