PA Inspection Sticker Color System
Pennsylvania issues new inspection stickers each year in what PennDOT calls an annual sticker "campaign." Each new campaign uses a different color so police can spot expired stickers at a glance — but the color rotation is administrative, not codified in PA Code or PennDOT Publication 45.
How the Color Rotation Works
PennDOT does not publish a year-to-color table as a regulation. The Bureau of Motor Vehicles announces each new campaign via a Safety Inspection Bulletin referenced by year-pair (for example, the 2026–2027 campaign began October 1, 2025), but the bulletins do not specify the color. Stations and law enforcement learn the new color when stickers ship from PennDOT each fall.
For drivers, this means the color is not how you should track your own expiration. The printed month and year on your sticker are the only authoritative source for when your inspection expires — and the only way to be sure of the current campaign color is to look at your own current sticker.
How to Read Your Inspection Sticker
- Expiration Month: Large number in center (1-12)
- Expiration Year: Four digits at bottom
- Station Number: Inspection station certification number
- Inspection Type: "S" for safety only, "S/E" for safety and emissions
Where Stickers Must Be Placed
Under 67 Pa. Code § 175.41(e)(1), the safety inspection certificate must be affixed in an upright position to the extreme lower left-hand inside corner of the windshield (driver's side). If your vehicle is in an emissions-required county, the emissions sticker is placed immediately to the right of the safety sticker (still on the driver's side), per 67 Pa. Code § 177.291. Both stickers cluster in the lower-left area; neither belongs on the passenger side.
Understanding Expiration Dates
Your sticker expires at the end of the month shown. If it shows "3" and "2026," it expires March 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
No grace period: Pennsylvania does not provide a grace period for expired inspections.
Rejection Stickers
If your vehicle fails, you receive a white rejection sticker with red "R" designation, valid until the end of the following calendar month.
Lost or Damaged Stickers
Return to the original inspection station within 10 days for free replacement. After 10 days, you may need to pay a fee or get re-inspected.