Kait ScirriShort Answer
Most Walmart Auto Care Centers (including 90% of the locations we checked) do not do car inspections due to state certification requirements. Walmart does not generally require its mechanics to be certified outside of its own training program, making it ineligible as an inspection station under most state programs. For more information on Walmart’s Auto Care Centers and car inspections, see below.
Does Walmart Do Car Inspections?
Some Walmart Supercenters have Auto Care Centers that offer basic car service and maintenance, such as oil changes and tire balancing and mounting (as previously reported). However, the majority of Walmart Auto Care Centers — including 90% of those we contacted — do not offer car safety inspections.
We reached out to Walmart Auto Care Centers in Louisiana, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Most of the Auto Care representatives we spoke to said they do not perform safety inspections, with the exception of one location in Missouri.
We then reached out to Walmart’s corporate customer service department. Two different corporate representatives advised us that Walmart Auto Care Centers do not typically do car inspections because Walmart mechanics are not required to be certified outside of Walmart’s own certification and training program.
Some states require car inspections annually as a safety precaution, and others require them when a car is sold or registered in the state. Additionally, car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft sometimes require vehicle safety inspections depending on where you will be driving. To perform inspections, mechanics must have an outside certification that allows them to determine a vehicle’s level of safety according to the standards set by the city or state. While some Walmart mechanics may have obtained this certification prior to working at Walmart, it is not a requirement of Walmart mechanics.
Finding a Car Inspection Location
Not all Walmart Supercenters have Auto Care Centers. To find an Auto Care Center near you, you can use the Walmart store locator. Since few Walmart Auto Care Centers conduct inspections, it is best to contact your local Auto Care Center before visiting. You can also check with your state’s Highway Patrol, Department of Public Safety, or Department of Motor Vehicles for a list of qualified inspection stations in your area.
Find out more about where to get a state inspection in our related articles about inspection services at Valvoline and Midas.
Cathy Desmet
Loren Eaton
Lindsey Desmet
Caitlin Troutt
Ashley Derrington
William Lipovsky
Erika Crawford
Joseph Cho
Maria R. Riegger, Esq.
Our local Walmart is listed on the state Highway Patrol Site and our DMV directed me there for a state inspection.
Hello, LB! Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We contacted Walmart and were again told that it does not do car inspections. However, since inspection regulations do vary by state, we would like to confirm the information you’ve provided and update our article accordingly. If you don’t mind sharing, which state do you live in?
I live in Missouri. I just called our Walmart and it does inspections. Even Sundays. Not sure what state you are in, but it would be worth adding the state and then adding to check the State Highway Patrol sites for a complete list of all current inspection sites.
Hello, LB! We were able to confirm that Missouri does allow Walmart to conduct inspections at select locations. We have updated our article to reflect that inspections are available at some Auto Care Centers. We have also added a note about finding inspection locations through your state agency. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention!