State Vehicle Inspections Still On Hold to At Least Saturday
Updating the story, we posted on Monday, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles does not expect inspection stations to be able to process vehicle inspections again until at least Saturday. A statement released by the RMV said the delay of inspections will last at least through Friday. The inspection shutdown is a result of a malware attack on the out-of-state company that provides the software and services to the state's inspection machines. The RMV also announced a grace period for those motorists in limbo needing an April vehicle inspection sticker.
If your vehicle’s inspection sticker expired in March, you will have until the end of April to get inspected once the system is back in service. If you recently purchased or registered a vehicle after March 23rd you will also have until April 30 to get a valid sticker. If your vehicle inspection was rejected, your 60-day retest window will increase by a day for everyday that the state’s system is down.
Background post from Monday April 5th…
If your vehicle inspection expires at the end of April, or has already expired, delay your tip this week to a vehicle inspection station. According to an article posted to MassLive.com, a malware attack on a Wisconsin-based vendor that provides aid to the inspection sticker program in Massachusetts. From reports in the MassLive.com article the Mass Registry of Motor Vehicles announced the malware attack today. According to the RMV the attack began last Tuesday March 30th.
The malware attack at Applus Technologies in Wisconsin not only caused Massachusetts to shutdown vehicle inspections but also a number of other states that also utilize Applus Technologies system. According to MassLive.com, Applus anticipated that they will have the program back online sometime this week. The Registry of Motor Vehicles said it is pressing Applus on a timeline for the program to once again be back in service. No timeline exact timeline was given.
The system was locked down when the issue was discovered. Law enforcement was notified by the RMV of the issue so they were aware of the issue and could use discretion before issuing a citation for an expired sticker. The possibility of an expired sticker-stop by police at the end of the month, when the malware attack happened, is certainly greater than in the middle of a month.
The article on MassLive.com goes on to state that according to Applus, the program used in Massachusetts for their inspection program is one of the most advanced and innovative in the country. Because of the sophistication of the software program, it needs to be completely free of malware before they can bring it back online.
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