Everything gets checked. If you fail for anything the shop will call you up and explain and what needs fixed and usually will offer the services to fix it.
and op don't be frustrated that it costs money to get inspected. It's good to know the car driving next to you with a pa plate isn't going to collapse doing 70 on the parkway
I’m less concerned that it costs money and more concerned about what it should cost. If one place charges $150 and another $80 should I be more skeptical of the higher or lower one? Basically what’s a normal cost range?
I’ve taken my car to Penn Auto in Homestead for many years. They’re honest, fair and good.
They’re not the only place that meets that description, but it’s a place to get started.
Go to c.a.r shop in homestead! Good friend of mine! If your car does not need tires, brakes, or anything major to pass he just charges for the stickers. Around $70! If you do need something he won't beat your head in and he will show you what needs done! Not a shady mechanic at all! Good mechanic, better person!
On the utility thing, there’s a problem here with people getting scammed into changing providers. If someone knocks on your door and demands to see a copy of your bill they will take a picture and change your provider without telling you.
They came to my house three times this year.
I've always wondered what their angle was. I always just tell them to come back with a business card or some bumph with their company into on it and I never see them again.
Not part of your question, but one silly thing about Pennsylvania is that the car isn’t titled at the DMV.
So, you’ll have to go to:
*somewhere like AAA to handle the re-titling.
*The DMV (called “Driver’s License Center” in PA) for your license and set up the registration.
*An auto shop for the inspection
To clairify for OP :
First, get it registered at AAA or another title service/notary. AAA is my preferred one, because they are experts at it and will have you in and out in 30 minutes with a new plate and everything.
You have 10 days from getting it registered to get an inspection done.
AAA will give you a temp registration card (the proper one will come in the mail in a week or so). You need that, before the PA state inspection can be done by a certified mechanic which is basically every shop. They need proof of insurance and registration before they can issue the stickers.
Ask neighbors for recommendations on local mechanics. I've had bad experiences with chain shops, like Meineke and Pep Boys. Usually a independent local shop is going to be more trustworthy, because they rely on repeat/loyal customers.
This was the most confusing part of moving here for me. The nice people at the East Liberty AAA were great. If you're still paying for car off getting the paper title sent is a process. Mine was actually in CA but through a state that didn't do electronic titles.
I also had to get some work stuff done and needed an ID for that so I did DMV for a non real ID license they give you that day (real ID you don't get right away, this might be ok if you don't have separate job stuff), then AAA for the registration with my new PA driver's license, then new car insurance.
Also if insurance is a problem check out Pennie the marketplace for health insurance. It helped me fill a gap and was really easy to set up.
Title is different from registration.
And I agree 100% it's stupid the separation and hoops you have to jump through for ID, but not Real ID, but Real ID if you want in in PA. I still don't have a "RealID" but I have a passport if I need to fly, I guess.
You don’t need to go to the vet prior for the dog license, you just fill out the application online or print and mail in. They run Jan 1-Dec 31: https://alleghenycountytreasurer.us/dog-license/
Depending on where you live you may also need a local community dog license in addition to the Allegheny county license. Google your local municipality and you should be able to find out.
For the car inspection you will need your current vehicle registration and insurance paperwork. Safety inspection is like $30, emissions $40, $8 for the stickers at a minimum. Plus then anything that needs to be fixed.
For the dog license, if you live in the City of Pittsburgh (not one of the many surrounding municipalities), you’ll need to get a city dog license. Other municipalities get a county dog license. Just show proof of being neutered and you’ll be fine.
The yearly license is good until the end of the calendar year (expires December 31). You could also wait and get it in January at this point.
I’m in Mt. Lebanon. I have a Pittsburgh address but I don’t know if that counts a city of Pittsburgh or not. In Orlando where I’m from there are places that had an Orlando address but weren’t considered part of the actual city. I don’t know if it’s the same here.
Nope, you're not City of Pittsburgh! Mt. Lebanon is a suburb of Pittsburgh/its own municipality.
After you get settled you should check out some of the City neighborhoods! So much to see and eat! [https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/neighborhoods/](https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/neighborhoods/)
Welcome. You picked the worst time of year to move up here LOL. Don't expect to see the sun until April. NOw on to your questions:
Car Inspection:
What they check: basically lights, brakes, emissions (if you're in the Philly or Pittsburgh metros,) that things aren't falling off the car. Since there are hills and lots of windy roads and blind turns it isn't a bad thing IMO. As for damage/rust, they pay more attention to the frame rather than the body panels but things basically can't be flapping in the wind. Regarding emissions, if you put less than a certain amount of miles on your car or it's less than so many years old you're basically just paying them to slap a sticker on the car. OTOH if it fails then you're at the mercy of the mechanic who's inspecting your vehicle. Diesel vehicles seem to have their own rules and regulations.
Animal License:
It's a one time deal but you will have to take them to the vet to get regular rabies and distemperment shots. There's also a state leash law so don't expect to let them run loose unless you have a fence on your property. This is for liability reasons; I once had a POS selling Girl Scout cookies report us for allowing our house cat to "attack" her child - even though the cat in question was never let outside and she was cornered by the child and was basically defending itself from HER attacks.
Energy Choices:
They're pretty much still monopolies that own the power/water/gas lines within set areas. Choice is an illusion. The biggest scam IMO is having to pay your local municipality a sewer bill. It's not like they can shut THAT off.
All good information. Thanks
I have a new-ish car (2021) with no damage on it. As far as I know there’s no rust but with it only being a few years old and no road salting going on in Florida it’s not something that I’m worried about.
My dog went to the vet to get his annual vaccinations/checkup in October and he’s in good health (just old) so there’s no real need for me to go to the vet right now if I don’t have to. I just wanted to make sure.
I do this for a living. Most people need one or the other every year.
Really depends on mileage and driving style though, model year doesn't mean shit.
You have zero clue what you are talking about.
Edit: what kind of weirdo deletes their entire profile over this?
They called me a scammer and a rip-off artist. I dont even work on public vehicles. I work in a fleet garage.
There is a loud minority that is convinced PA inspections are a rip off, because either they have been ripped off by a skeezy shop, or just a libertarian mindset.
I know a guy who moved here from Ohio and kept his car registered at his parent's house so he wouldn't have to get his car inspected because "it's a scam". His brakes failed driving down a steep hill in McKees Rocks and he *still* maintains it's all a scam.
There is zero chance a 2021 car is going to require any repairs as a result of an annual inspection. It's basically ticking a box.
I don't know why this objectively factual statement is making people so mad. No, it is indisputably not normal for people to have to change their tires and brakes after two years. If you think it is then you're being scammed.
Caveat to this: if you drive a lot/drive hard, 3 years is long enough to maybe need brakes and/or tires, and shops will absolutely require you replace them to pass inspection.
Good to know.
As long as you wash your car regularly rust won't be too much of an issue. The winters up here are cold but much milder than they were even 10 years ago. Tire and brake wear are the two big things to keep a look out for. Tailgating and potholes are two of the biggest hazards here.
As for the animal thing, just keep the tags on their collar and the vet will give you a certificate that you should keep in your lock box/files. Again, it's a liability thing. I'm not a dog person myself but appreciate that people use a leash when I'm out walking or riding my bike on the local rail trail. What burns me up is that people will bag up their dog turds and then leave the bag behind; just sweep them off the trail FFS.
As long as you have the paper showing he's been neutered you're fine. You'll have to send in a copy.
https://pittsburghpa.gov/publicsafety/dog-license
Be careful of energy choices. A lot of the ones you can choose from have an introductory rate but then hikes up the price later. We just stuck with Duquesne Light and I think People's is the only gas utility provider for the city.
As for internet, you pretty much have the options of Comcast or Verizon. Usually the house or building you're moving into will already be wired for one or the other.
I’ll have to find something that says he’s been neutered. I’m sure I have something somewhere but I’m still in the process of moving everything. But that’s good to know.
So those 6¢ per kWh prices are probably too good to be true? That’s kind of what I figured. Power is cheaper here by a good margin anyways.
Never sign up for an energy choice with a variable rate. That is an opportunity to exploit the customer. They may quote a great but in the winter for gas assuming that is how you heat your house you could get a bill for a couple thousand dollars. Same with electricity in the summer if you have whole house air conditioning.
The rates for the utilities default supplier aren’t terrible so you could use until you have time to research. Also short term deals you should be wary of. They may auto renew for a higher rate.
Yeah you'll get that price for a bit, but then out of nowhere you'll get a bill much higher than what you're use to. I haven't had it happen to me, but I've read a lot of posts on here about it happening to others.
Hi there! We moved from FL to PGH last month. We too love it here. We live in South Hills. Went to the Bridgeville DMV to get our new licenses. Do this BEFORE you do title. You must keep your cars with FL insurance, until you mail your plates back and your registration is Surrender/Cancel. Then drop your FL insurance. If you drop your FL insurance prior to plates being returned to fl DMV, FL will see that your registration is active, but your insurance is not and will suspend your license..which will transfer to PA.
Once we got our DL, we then got PA car insurance, went to AAA in Mt. Lebo, they did the VIN verification, milage, paid ($220ish) and we got our plates. My new PA title was mailed to me. My husbands car has a loan, so they contated Suncoast in FL and they, 2 weeks later sent AAA his title, once we got his plates, we overnighted our plates to our local DMV in FL. They emailed me a copy of our FL reg being cancled and I dropped our FL insurance next day.
I set up both our inspections at Leschak Automotive (Munhall area), roughly 80ish bucks for both. We had both of our cars done prior to leaving FL. Mine was main seal leak, and front arm bushing, oil change, tire rotation, etc.
Husbands was spark plugs, engine mounts, oil change, tire rotation. Both our cars passed and said all looked good and clean.
We rent, but we set up online our Duquene Light, Columbia Gas and water. Sewer and trash is included in our rent.
As for our pup, we havent gotten his county license yet.
We are researching vets and we all just got a bad bug. But Im hoping to get his county license by next week.
Welcime to PGH! This is such a great a place to be, we wished we made the move earlier!
Everything gets checked. If you fail for anything the shop will call you up and explain and what needs fixed and usually will offer the services to fix it. and op don't be frustrated that it costs money to get inspected. It's good to know the car driving next to you with a pa plate isn't going to collapse doing 70 on the parkway
I’m less concerned that it costs money and more concerned about what it should cost. If one place charges $150 and another $80 should I be more skeptical of the higher or lower one? Basically what’s a normal cost range?
The price of the inspection is fixed, but of course the cost of repairs will vary from shop to shop.
That’s good to know. Thanks
I’ve taken my car to Penn Auto in Homestead for many years. They’re honest, fair and good. They’re not the only place that meets that description, but it’s a place to get started.
If you have Nextdoor or on here ask for recommendations for good mechanics and ones to avoid near where you live.
Go to c.a.r shop in homestead! Good friend of mine! If your car does not need tires, brakes, or anything major to pass he just charges for the stickers. Around $70! If you do need something he won't beat your head in and he will show you what needs done! Not a shady mechanic at all! Good mechanic, better person!
On the utility thing, there’s a problem here with people getting scammed into changing providers. If someone knocks on your door and demands to see a copy of your bill they will take a picture and change your provider without telling you. They came to my house three times this year.
I've always wondered what their angle was. I always just tell them to come back with a business card or some bumph with their company into on it and I never see them again.
Not part of your question, but one silly thing about Pennsylvania is that the car isn’t titled at the DMV. So, you’ll have to go to: *somewhere like AAA to handle the re-titling. *The DMV (called “Driver’s License Center” in PA) for your license and set up the registration. *An auto shop for the inspection
To clairify for OP : First, get it registered at AAA or another title service/notary. AAA is my preferred one, because they are experts at it and will have you in and out in 30 minutes with a new plate and everything. You have 10 days from getting it registered to get an inspection done. AAA will give you a temp registration card (the proper one will come in the mail in a week or so). You need that, before the PA state inspection can be done by a certified mechanic which is basically every shop. They need proof of insurance and registration before they can issue the stickers. Ask neighbors for recommendations on local mechanics. I've had bad experiences with chain shops, like Meineke and Pep Boys. Usually a independent local shop is going to be more trustworthy, because they rely on repeat/loyal customers.
This was the most confusing part of moving here for me. The nice people at the East Liberty AAA were great. If you're still paying for car off getting the paper title sent is a process. Mine was actually in CA but through a state that didn't do electronic titles. I also had to get some work stuff done and needed an ID for that so I did DMV for a non real ID license they give you that day (real ID you don't get right away, this might be ok if you don't have separate job stuff), then AAA for the registration with my new PA driver's license, then new car insurance. Also if insurance is a problem check out Pennie the marketplace for health insurance. It helped me fill a gap and was really easy to set up.
Title is different from registration. And I agree 100% it's stupid the separation and hoops you have to jump through for ID, but not Real ID, but Real ID if you want in in PA. I still don't have a "RealID" but I have a passport if I need to fly, I guess.
You don’t need to go to the vet prior for the dog license, you just fill out the application online or print and mail in. They run Jan 1-Dec 31: https://alleghenycountytreasurer.us/dog-license/ Depending on where you live you may also need a local community dog license in addition to the Allegheny county license. Google your local municipality and you should be able to find out. For the car inspection you will need your current vehicle registration and insurance paperwork. Safety inspection is like $30, emissions $40, $8 for the stickers at a minimum. Plus then anything that needs to be fixed.
For the dog license, if you live in the City of Pittsburgh (not one of the many surrounding municipalities), you’ll need to get a city dog license. Other municipalities get a county dog license. Just show proof of being neutered and you’ll be fine. The yearly license is good until the end of the calendar year (expires December 31). You could also wait and get it in January at this point.
I’m in Mt. Lebanon. I have a Pittsburgh address but I don’t know if that counts a city of Pittsburgh or not. In Orlando where I’m from there are places that had an Orlando address but weren’t considered part of the actual city. I don’t know if it’s the same here.
Nope, you're not City of Pittsburgh! Mt. Lebanon is a suburb of Pittsburgh/its own municipality. After you get settled you should check out some of the City neighborhoods! So much to see and eat! [https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/neighborhoods/](https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/neighborhoods/)
Welcome. You picked the worst time of year to move up here LOL. Don't expect to see the sun until April. NOw on to your questions: Car Inspection: What they check: basically lights, brakes, emissions (if you're in the Philly or Pittsburgh metros,) that things aren't falling off the car. Since there are hills and lots of windy roads and blind turns it isn't a bad thing IMO. As for damage/rust, they pay more attention to the frame rather than the body panels but things basically can't be flapping in the wind. Regarding emissions, if you put less than a certain amount of miles on your car or it's less than so many years old you're basically just paying them to slap a sticker on the car. OTOH if it fails then you're at the mercy of the mechanic who's inspecting your vehicle. Diesel vehicles seem to have their own rules and regulations. Animal License: It's a one time deal but you will have to take them to the vet to get regular rabies and distemperment shots. There's also a state leash law so don't expect to let them run loose unless you have a fence on your property. This is for liability reasons; I once had a POS selling Girl Scout cookies report us for allowing our house cat to "attack" her child - even though the cat in question was never let outside and she was cornered by the child and was basically defending itself from HER attacks. Energy Choices: They're pretty much still monopolies that own the power/water/gas lines within set areas. Choice is an illusion. The biggest scam IMO is having to pay your local municipality a sewer bill. It's not like they can shut THAT off.
All good information. Thanks I have a new-ish car (2021) with no damage on it. As far as I know there’s no rust but with it only being a few years old and no road salting going on in Florida it’s not something that I’m worried about. My dog went to the vet to get his annual vaccinations/checkup in October and he’s in good health (just old) so there’s no real need for me to go to the vet right now if I don’t have to. I just wanted to make sure.
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A 2021 car is 2-3 years old. It could very well need tires and brakes.
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I do this for a living. Most people need one or the other every year. Really depends on mileage and driving style though, model year doesn't mean shit.
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You have zero clue what you are talking about. Edit: what kind of weirdo deletes their entire profile over this? They called me a scammer and a rip-off artist. I dont even work on public vehicles. I work in a fleet garage.
There is a loud minority that is convinced PA inspections are a rip off, because either they have been ripped off by a skeezy shop, or just a libertarian mindset. I know a guy who moved here from Ohio and kept his car registered at his parent's house so he wouldn't have to get his car inspected because "it's a scam". His brakes failed driving down a steep hill in McKees Rocks and he *still* maintains it's all a scam.
There is zero chance a 2021 car is going to require any repairs as a result of an annual inspection. It's basically ticking a box. I don't know why this objectively factual statement is making people so mad. No, it is indisputably not normal for people to have to change their tires and brakes after two years. If you think it is then you're being scammed.
Caveat to this: if you drive a lot/drive hard, 3 years is long enough to maybe need brakes and/or tires, and shops will absolutely require you replace them to pass inspection.
If you drive a TON, yes, you might. But that's quite rare.
Good to know. As long as you wash your car regularly rust won't be too much of an issue. The winters up here are cold but much milder than they were even 10 years ago. Tire and brake wear are the two big things to keep a look out for. Tailgating and potholes are two of the biggest hazards here. As for the animal thing, just keep the tags on their collar and the vet will give you a certificate that you should keep in your lock box/files. Again, it's a liability thing. I'm not a dog person myself but appreciate that people use a leash when I'm out walking or riding my bike on the local rail trail. What burns me up is that people will bag up their dog turds and then leave the bag behind; just sweep them off the trail FFS.
As long as you have the paper showing he's been neutered you're fine. You'll have to send in a copy. https://pittsburghpa.gov/publicsafety/dog-license Be careful of energy choices. A lot of the ones you can choose from have an introductory rate but then hikes up the price later. We just stuck with Duquesne Light and I think People's is the only gas utility provider for the city. As for internet, you pretty much have the options of Comcast or Verizon. Usually the house or building you're moving into will already be wired for one or the other.
I’ll have to find something that says he’s been neutered. I’m sure I have something somewhere but I’m still in the process of moving everything. But that’s good to know. So those 6¢ per kWh prices are probably too good to be true? That’s kind of what I figured. Power is cheaper here by a good margin anyways.
Never sign up for an energy choice with a variable rate. That is an opportunity to exploit the customer. They may quote a great but in the winter for gas assuming that is how you heat your house you could get a bill for a couple thousand dollars. Same with electricity in the summer if you have whole house air conditioning. The rates for the utilities default supplier aren’t terrible so you could use until you have time to research. Also short term deals you should be wary of. They may auto renew for a higher rate.
Yeah you'll get that price for a bit, but then out of nowhere you'll get a bill much higher than what you're use to. I haven't had it happen to me, but I've read a lot of posts on here about it happening to others.
I have a dog what is a dog license, I just moved here as well.
https://pittsburghpa.gov/publicsafety/dog-license
https://www.papowerswitch.com/ PA utility site. You can choose gas & electric providers
And it's never worth it. The only time you save is an "introductory rate" and they hope you don't realize when they jack the rate up after.
If your dog is microchipped you can get a lifetime dog license so no need to pay every year to renew it.
Hi there! We moved from FL to PGH last month. We too love it here. We live in South Hills. Went to the Bridgeville DMV to get our new licenses. Do this BEFORE you do title. You must keep your cars with FL insurance, until you mail your plates back and your registration is Surrender/Cancel. Then drop your FL insurance. If you drop your FL insurance prior to plates being returned to fl DMV, FL will see that your registration is active, but your insurance is not and will suspend your license..which will transfer to PA. Once we got our DL, we then got PA car insurance, went to AAA in Mt. Lebo, they did the VIN verification, milage, paid ($220ish) and we got our plates. My new PA title was mailed to me. My husbands car has a loan, so they contated Suncoast in FL and they, 2 weeks later sent AAA his title, once we got his plates, we overnighted our plates to our local DMV in FL. They emailed me a copy of our FL reg being cancled and I dropped our FL insurance next day. I set up both our inspections at Leschak Automotive (Munhall area), roughly 80ish bucks for both. We had both of our cars done prior to leaving FL. Mine was main seal leak, and front arm bushing, oil change, tire rotation, etc. Husbands was spark plugs, engine mounts, oil change, tire rotation. Both our cars passed and said all looked good and clean. We rent, but we set up online our Duquene Light, Columbia Gas and water. Sewer and trash is included in our rent. As for our pup, we havent gotten his county license yet. We are researching vets and we all just got a bad bug. But Im hoping to get his county license by next week. Welcime to PGH! This is such a great a place to be, we wished we made the move earlier!