Only in LOS

Down Under here in Oz its a hip $$$ pocket imposition. Where the vehicle is more than four years old, we require a safety and compliance inspection (used to be called 'Pink Slip') annually which is linked electronically to the DMT however, to validate the rego, also need a compulsory Third Party Insurance Certificate (no fault injury/hospitalization and medical policy), bit pricey around $700 per annum, also linked to the DMT and we call this a 'Green Slip'. You need both to renew. 0ther than inspections, all other transactions are done on-line.

And then of course there's your ride or vehicle comprehensive insurance on top of that if you so choose, another $1000+ if it's unencumbered by finance.

There's a 'Blue Slip' which comes into play if your registration/license has lapsed for more than 3-months, not unlike a loss of title requiring the surrendering of plates. Blue Slip inspections to reactivate are a bit more stringent in their application compared to Pink Slips. That's when you slip the db killer into the silencer for sure, and hope any other performance mods haven't impacted on EPA emissions.

If you have a garage full of classics more than 30 years old, providing you join an accredited and DMT authorized club, one can obtain an Historical Vehicle Registration for $54 a year flat rate, but there are some limitations on distance and use. You can attend weekend rallies etc, go on club outings or social activities and need to keep a log book. Machine has to be inspected and criteria certified by the nominated Safety Officer/ Club Official.

We haven't used decals or tags or discs for 10 years at least, no need as 90+% of police mobile cruisers have license plate recognition cameras on their dash, some having the technology to scan across 6 lanes in heart beat.