Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

If anyone is from Pennsylvania or knows about their registration for motor vehicles maybe you can help. I have come across many people with fake PA registrations. It seems like they can easily be tampered with to look legit. Does the PA reg sticker on the windshield have the month as the first number or is it supposed to be the year? Ex. --07/10--Instead of it expiring in 07 (year) of 10 (October) they switch the numbers so it looks like it will expire in 07 (July) of 10 (year)

Click HERE (http://www.bufs-plates.com/windshield/pennsylvania/pa-ws-01-present.html).

It is a little confusing if you don't deal with it everyday.

The window stickers are not a registration thing. They are safety inspection stickers. Some counties require emissions testing as well, and issue a sticker very similar but a different color than the inspection sticker. Both inspection and emission stickers colors change from year to year. To make a long story short. The white inserted number with the black writing is the month that expires.

Keep in mind, that the white sticker with the black background is an INSERT... meaning people use heat guns and try to insert different numbers to buy a little time. The month of expiration will be written on the back side of the sticker.

Also, with safety inspection stickers, PA issues a sticker with both an even year displayed on the left and an odd year being on the right. So the month of expiration may be on the left or right, the trick for you is to identify the white insert, that is the month of expiration.

Does this help???

The window stickers are not a registration thing.

Very helpful guys, thanks!

One question, PA requires an inspection sicker on the windshield, right?

Yes, EVERY vehicle in PA requires an inspection except antiques and farm machinery, etc....

What helps the states determine where the stickers will go? Ours when we do get cars inspected go on the lower right corner of the windscreen. While I've seen VA in the center. :confused:

PA requires all inspection stickers to go in the lower left hand corner of the windshield.

The " extra" sticker is for emissions and some counties require it while others don't. It will say so on the registration card.

The fraudulent altering of a PA inspection sticker is a Misd 1st here , a significant charge. It isn't that uncommon to see an altered sticker though.