How to Complete the Delaware Out-of-State Vehicle Inspection Report (MV210A)

Delaware’s MV210A form lets you renew a Delaware vehicle registration while your car is out of state, by having a qualified inspector in your current location perform the required safety and emissions inspection and document the results. You then mail the completed form back to the Dover DMV with your insurance card and payment. The form is only available if your vehicle is more than 200 miles from the nearest Delaware DMV inspection lane.¹

When You Can Use the MV210A

The 200-mile rule is the gate. If your Delaware-registered vehicle sits farther than 200 miles from the closest Delaware DMV inspection lane when you need to renew, you qualify.¹ That generally covers military members stationed elsewhere, students at out-of-state colleges, and seasonal residents who keep a Delaware vehicle in another state for months at a time. Anyone inside the 200-mile radius has to bring the vehicle to a Delaware DMV facility for the standard in-state inspection.

Who Can Perform the Inspection

The inspection has to be done at a state-operated inspection lane in whatever state your vehicle is located. If that state doesn’t run government inspection facilities, a licensed repair shop or dealership can do it instead.¹ Call the facility before you drive over. Not every shop is willing to complete a Delaware-specific form, and the inspector — not you — signs and fills in the vehicle inspection report, including their printed name and contact information.

Any inspection fee the facility charges is yours to pay. Delaware does not reimburse out-of-state inspection costs.²

What Gets Inspected

The out-of-state inspection mirrors the Delaware lane inspection and covers both safety and emissions. On safety, the inspector looks at brakes, tires, exterior lighting, mirrors, windshield and glass, the exhaust system, seat belts, and the horn, among other items.³ For emissions, the inspector connects a scan tool to the OBD II port and tests the fuel cap for vapor leakage.⁴ Both have to pass independently for the vehicle to clear the emissions portion. The emissions program applies to light-duty vehicles up to 14,000 pounds.⁵

If the state your vehicle is in doesn’t offer emissions testing, you don’t need to track down a private facility to run one. Page four of the MV210A has a waiver block the inspector completes to document that emissions testing is unavailable in that location.¹

A few safety items cause most failures and are worth checking before the appointment:

Tires: tread depth of at least 2/32 inch measured in two adjacent treads, with no bulges, exposed fabric, bald spots, or cuts.⁶
Mirrors: all mirrors clean and unbroken.⁶
Seat belts: front-seat belts required on passenger cars built after January 1, 1968, and on trucks and buses built after July 1, 1971.³
Windshield and glass: no cracks, unauthorized tint, or obstructions that impair the driver’s view.³
Airbag indicator: the dashboard light must come on briefly at ignition and then go out.³

Filling Out the Form

You complete your side of the form: personal information and vehicle details, including the VIN, make, model, year, and odometer reading. The inspector handles the vehicle inspection report section, records test results, and signs. If an OBD II or emissions test was performed, the inspector’s printout has to be attached to the form.¹

What to Mail and Where

Once the form is complete, mail the full package to the DMV. You need:

The completed MV210A with all sections filled in and signed by the inspector.
The emissions printout (OBD II or gas cap test), or the completed waiver block on page four if emissions testing was unavailable.
A copy of your valid Delaware liability insurance card showing your Delaware address.
Payment by check or money order payable to “Division of Motor Vehicles.”

Send everything to:

Division of Motor Vehicles
Correspondence Section
P.O. Box 698
Dover, Delaware 19903¹

Registration Fees

The standard annual renewal fee for a passenger vehicle is $40. Delaware also offers six-month and two-year renewals, prorated accordingly.⁷ Motorcycles renew at $15 per year.⁸ If your registration has already expired by the time you submit the MV210A, add a $20 late renewal fee to the standard registration cost.¹

What a Failed Inspection Means

A failed inspection blocks the renewal until the problems are fixed. The DMV can issue a 30-day temporary tag for $20 so the vehicle can be driven to a repair shop and back for a re-inspection.⁴ There are no waivers for safety failures. The vehicle has to actually pass the safety portion.

Emissions failures have a separate path. If your vehicle fails the emissions retest after you’ve spent at least the minimum required amount on qualifying repairs performed by a certified emission repair technician, you can apply for an emissions waiver. The repair cost threshold varies by county and adjusts periodically. For 1981 and newer vehicles, qualifying repairs have to be completed within 90 days of the initial test date, and any available warranty coverage must be used before out-of-pocket costs count toward the minimum.⁹ Repairs tied to tampering, like a removed catalytic converter, don’t count toward the threshold, and fuel system failures are never eligible for a waiver regardless of repair cost.⁴

When You Bring the Vehicle Back to Delaware

The MV210A is a temporary bridge, not a permanent substitute. Under Delaware law, you have 10 days from the date the vehicle returns to the state to bring it to a Delaware DMV inspection lane for a standard inspection.¹⁰ Missing that window can put your registration at risk, so plan the Delaware inspection as part of the trip home.

1
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Application for an Out-Of-State Inspection to Renew a Delaware Registered Vehicle
2
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Services Inspections
3
Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Inspection Lane Manual
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Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Delaware Vehicle Inspection Program Brochure
5
Delaware Regulations. 7 Delaware Administrative Code 1131 – Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program – Kent and New Castle Counties
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Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Services Inspections
7
Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 21 Chapter 21 – Section 2110 – Renewal of Registration
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Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code 21-2151 – Fee Schedule; Time of Payment
9
Legal Information Institute. 7 Delaware Administrative Code 1126-7.0 – Vehicle Emission Inspection Waivers
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Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code Title 21 Chapter 21 – Section 2143 – Inspection of Motor Vehicle Before Registration