Can I drive with an expired vehicle inspection?
No — and there is no on-the-spot fine for it. Anyone driving a vehicle they know or could know does not comply with the rules risks a fine of up to CHF 20,000 (SVG Art. 88 para. 2). There is nothing here you can settle with a payment slip: the fine catalogue contains no item at all for an overdue periodic inspection — it goes straight into criminal proceedings. The intervals: cars are inspected first 4 years after entry into service, then every 2 years (VTS Art. 33 para. 2 lit. b). The Swiss «4 – 3 – 2» pattern does not apply here. And the Office of Motor Vehicles summons you — you do not have to track the date yourself.
📋 The rules
- Cars, motorcycles, vans, motorhomes: first inspection 4 years after first entry into service, then every 2 years (VTS Art. 33 para. 2 lit. b).
- Annually, first after 1 year: commercial passenger transport, coaches, minibuses, lorries, ambulances, articulated lorries over 3.5 t and dangerous-goods vehicles (lit. a).
- First after 5 years, then every 3: commercial tractors up to 40 km/h, working machines, trailers over 0.75 t (lit. c). First after 5, then every 5 years: motorised carts, agricultural and forestry vehicles, single-axle tractors, snowmobiles (lit. d).
- The Office of Motor Vehicles summons owners for the inspection (VTS Art. 33 para. 1) — the appointment comes to you; you do not have to calculate it.
- Scope and inspection certificate follow Annexes I and II of Directive 2014/45/EU (VTS Art. 33 paras. 3a and 8): the inspection duty is EEA law, not Swiss law. The intervals quoted here are from the ordinance version in force since 1 July 2026.
🔓 Exceptions
- Diplomats: vehicles of owners with diplomatic or consular privileges are exempt from the periodic inspection duty (VTS Art. 33 para. 5).
- Extraordinary inspections (VTS Art. 34): regardless of the interval, vehicles must be re-inspected if they suffered heavy damage in an accident or showed significant defects at a roadside check — as must modified vehicles before further use.
- Driving abroad: owners of lorries, articulated lorries over 3.5 t and heavy trailers must arrange the inspection themselves in good time when driving abroad (VTS Art. 33 para. 2a) — here «I was waiting for the summons» is no excuse.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
No fixed fine — straight into criminal proceedings. Driving a vehicle you know or could know does not comply with the rules: a fine of up to CHF 20,000, or up to 3 months of imprisonment in default (SVG Art. 88 para. 2). Impairing operational safety so that a risk of accident arises: up to CHF 50,000 (Art. 88 para. 1). The immediate consequence: if the condition of the vehicle endangers traffic, the police stop you going any further, may seize the vehicle registration document and impound the car (Art. 50 para. 2). And the item nobody counts on: your liability insurer's right of recourse (Art. 61 para. 3).
📎 Official sources
- Gesetze.li · VTS (LR 741.41), Art. 33 and 34 — consolidated version →
- Gesetze.li · SVG (LR 741.01), Art. 50, 61 and 88 →
- National Administration · Office of Motor Vehicles, vehicles (home) →
❓ Frequently asked
How often does my car have to be inspected?
First four years after it entered service, then every two years (VTS Art. 33 para. 2 lit. b). There is no intermediate three-year step of the kind Switzerland uses — that pattern simply does not exist here.
Do I have to keep track of the date myself?
No — the Office of Motor Vehicles summons owners for the inspection (VTS Art. 33 para. 1). The exception is lorries and heavy trailers used abroad: there you must arrange the inspection yourself.
What does it cost if the inspection has expired?
There is no on-the-spot fine for it at all. If you drive anyway, SVG Art. 88 para. 2 provides for a fine of up to CHF 20,000 — that is criminal proceedings, not a payment slip.
Can the police leave my car by the roadside?
Yes. If the condition of the vehicle endangers traffic, the police stop you driving on, may seize the registration document and may impound the vehicle (SVG Art. 50 para. 2).
Is this Swiss law or EEA law?
The Liechtenstein ordinance implements EU Directive 2014/45/EU, and the scope and certificate follow its annexes. The Swiss inspection pattern expressly does not apply here.
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