Could I use this loophole to avoid paying the repair bills for my anual vehicle inspection?

I own a 1993 Ford Mustang, but in good condition and low miles for it's age. That makes it 25 years old.

I just took it in for anual inspection, and it has failed the smog test, and the repair cost for it to pass inspection is $1600 dollars.

The State is Virginia, and if you look at the DMV website youll see the wording is contradictory in some places, but I have actually contacted the DMV and they have confirmed what my mechanic told me:

Cars OLDER than 25 years are exempt from the smog test, meaning 26 years old or older, but it still has to be tested AT 25 years old. Remember that despite the confusion on the website, two DMV supervisors and my mechanic confirmed this for me.

However, in Virginia, you can pay $50 and receive antique license plates for a vehicle that is AT LEAST 25 years old, meaning my car qualifies for antique plates THIS year but is not excempt from the smog test until NEXT year.

In Virginia, antique plates exempts the vehicle from anual inspection, but only allows the vehicle to be driven in parades, to and from car shows, and, here's the kicker, "For occasional pleasure driving not more than 250 miles from your home."

You must still maintain insurance, but this program does not allow you to drive it as your daily driver.

But what if I went and got antique plates, exempting me from the inspection, thus saving me from paying $1600 dollars?

Is there any way the "not your daily driver" rule can be enforced?

Added (1). Unless cops pull over every single vehicle they see with antique plates, grill the driver about where they are going a d then debate whether or not it counts as "occasional" or a "pleasure drive," then I fail to see how this rule can be enforced.

I don't drive more tha 250 miles away very often at all, so could I get away with doing this and using it as my daily driver?

Why are you driving a junk wagon that needs $1,600 in repairs? Fix your car or maybe it will be (FORD) Found On Road Dead

Sounds like a pain to me.

I paid a friend to make mine pass. I still don't know how he did it since he never even checked emissions.

The rule can be enforced and you will not avoid the repair bills. Some of the many ways that it can be enforced include checking the odometer (to see how many miles you drive) and seeing where you are going when you are pulled over for traffic violations. (Pleasure driving typically occurs on the weekend. If you are driving to or from work on a workday, that's a clue that you are using it as a daily driver.)

You will be fined and required to meet the rules once a copy realizes you are driving the car more regularly than the antique plates allow. If you are required to have the inspection at 25 years, then you are required to get the repairs done to get it up to code. It is still less expensive than buying a new car.

Pay the antique plate fee and get on with your life

It is unlikely you can use this loophole OR if you can it will save you money.
If you have an antique license plate on your car, your regular insurance will not work. You will need classic/antique car insurance. This is likely more expensive than regular insurance and usually has a 5000 mile per year limit.
- but NONE OF THIS MATTERS

It does not matter what mechanics have told you. The VA DMV website says:

"Motor vehicles exempted from emissions inspections include:"
"Gasoline powered passenger or property carrying vehicles with a model year that is more than 25 years old before January 1 of the current calendar year."

It says "exempted from emissions inspections" meaning it does not have to be inspected.
Then you read the detailed examples: "As an example, vehicles with a model year of 1984 are exempt from emissions on or after January 1, 2009"

Your car is a model year of 1993 and are exempt from emissions on or after January 1, 2018.
You DO NOT need a emissions test. You need to pay $2 for the emissions registration.

Note: this information was not hidden. It took 3 seconds to find in a google search. I did it because it was interesting to me to find out what really happened.
- But you should have done your own research. It's not hard!

Well (cars more than 25 years old) don't need the smog test. Yours is not more than 25 its 25 so drive around in a car with a rejection sticker till it hits 26. In the meantime get the antique plates

You will need another vehicle registered to avoid the daily driver thing.

You have a very good future as a lawyer. But you really need to fix the car. Be kind to our environment. OUR children will be breathing and living on it.

If you have another vehicle that you could claim was your daily driver, it sounds like you have a plan. Otherwise, it sounds like you would be committing fraud and might get to spend some time in jail. Another option would be to move to a free state.