Don’t look now, the ink on your 2013 inspection sticker may be fading.

Virginia State Police recently issued a caution to authorities around the state, informing them of the possibility of stickers fading when exposed to sunlight. Some inspection stickers may fade so much that all printing completely disappears. This obviously can cause confusion and problems for drivers as well as police.

So what happened? The company made the stickers using a pigment unable to endure intense sun exposure. The pigment has now been changed, and new stickers are already being issued during inspections.

If you think you have a fading sticker, you can contact your nearest state police safety division to get the sticker replaced, without an additional inspection. If you don’t have the sticker replaced, you can also save your official inspection receipt to present to authorities if the validity of your sticker is questioned.