The New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association (NHADA), joined at times by other roadway safety advocates, worked tirelessly this legislative session to preserve the state’s longstanding vehicle safety inspection program — an effort that was met with persistent resistance by the Republican majority in the House and ultimately undone in the final hours by the Republican majority members of the Senate.

Recognizing that modernization of the inspection law was possible without sacrificing public safety, NHADA crafted a thoughtful, compromise amendment to House Bill 649 that sought to eliminate the safety inspection program. Our proposal was built around a simple premise: Protect consumers, maintain essential safety checks and address legitimate concerns with common-sense reform. What resulted was a complete overhaul of the way inspections would be conducted — cutting failure items by nearly 50% and designating remaining non-safety-related defects as advisory only. These would be noted during an inspection but would not serve as grounds for failure.

This plan was the result of months of diligent dialogue with legislators, the Senate Finance Committee, state police, the governor’s office and other stakeholders. Among our key proposals, in addition to the previously mentioned:

• Extending the inspection grace period from 10 to 30 days.
• Increasing the emissions repair waiver from 60 to 180 days.
• Creating a new consumer appeals process for inspection disputes.

Each element was designed to provide more fairness and flexibility to consumers while retaining the integrity of a safety program that has served New Hampshire for nearly a century, and certainly contributed to New Hampshire’s prize ranking as the safest state in the nation.

Members of the Senate initially expressed appreciation for NHADA’s efforts and adopted nearly all of our ideas in their own amendment. However, they introduced a new car exemption — originally seeking to exempt the first five model years from inspection. NHADA provided data that demonstrated a sharp increase in safety-related failures beyond the second year of a vehicle’s life and pushed back firmly. Through further negotiation, we compromised at three model years, a number we believed would protect public safety while acknowledging the reliability of newer vehicles.

Thanks to a unified push from our membership, HB 649 was sent back to the committee for further review this fall.

But the fight was far from over. The same language contained in HB 649 was placed in HB 2, one of the state’s budget bills. This was a calculated end-run by the House Republican Majority. Using political maneuvering to force through the repeal outside the public eye. Despite the agreement reached in good faith through the budget negotiation Committee of Conference — one that met the governor’s direct request to NHADA for a “compromised” solution with “nothing crazy” — the Senate’s own leaders, Senate President Carson, Sen. Birdsell and Sen. Gray, reversed course in the final hours. They agreed to a full repeal of the inspection program as a last-minute bargaining chip in the state budget negotiations (HB 2).

This betrayal went against not only the Committee’s compromise but also the expressed position of the Senate one day earlier. While Gov. Ayotte at one point mentioned vetoing the budget, which forced further compromise, repeal of the inspection program was not mentioned or made a priority.

Republican Majority Leader Jason Osborne led the charge in the House, driving its refusal to compromise and ensuring the repeal was embraced without hesitation. In doing so, lawmakers dismantled a proven safety mechanism that has protected New Hampshire’s roads for generations.

NHADA worked in good faith. We engaged stakeholders, developed meaningful reforms and fought for a balanced outcome that served both consumer interests and public safety. What we witnessed instead was a breakdown in negotiation, led by elected officials who disregarded facts and data and chose political ideology over responsibility.

The decision to eliminate the vehicle inspection program — driven by backroom politics in the final moments — was not rooted in data, safety or compromise. It was a betrayal of public trust and a dangerous gamble with lives on the road.

The change takes effect in 2026. As we learn more and assess how this may impact your operations, rest assured, we will work closely with our partners to provide clear guidance every step of the way.