“I can’t go back to Rosenthal Mazda for assistance now because they closed the dealership”

“Dear PoPville,

In March 2016, I leased a new vehicle from Rosenthal Mazda in Arlington, VA. I am a DC resident, and it was the first time I had a new vehicle in DC. The dealership took care of securing the registration and DC tags since it was a new, leased vehicle. I have the registration sticker on the driver side front windshield.

There was no inspection sticker placed on the passenger side front windshield. I assumed because the vehicle was brand new, it did not require a sticker, and I’d need to get one upon my registration renewal in 2017. I had the vehicle for six months when I was suddenly ticketed this week for not displaying an inspection sticker. The ticket was $50.

Per the DMV website, “New cars will automatically get a sticker for the vehicle.” I assume the dealership should have been responsible or this, but I could be mistaken. I can’t go back to Rosenthal Mazda for assistance now because they closed the dealership in April 2016. I have contacted another dealership associated with Rosenthal, but they have not been helpful. The manager on duty at the other dealership seemed to think an inspection sticker was not needed on new, DC-registered vehicles. Per the DMV website, and as evidenced by the ticket this week, apparently a sticker is needed.

Has anyone in PoPville dealt with this situation or know what should be done?

PS – In the interim, I went to the inspection station in SW this week to get my own sticker to avoid future tickets. The inspection station would not let my vehicle go through the testing though. They directed me to the DMV office next door where I had to pay $10 to get a “duplicate inspection sticker”!”