The Commissioner may authorize the acceptance in this State of a certificate of inspection and approval issued in another state or province having inspection requirements similar to the requirements in effect in this State. He or she may extend the time within which a certification of inspection shall be obtained in this State by the owner of a motor vehicle registered in this State and so inspected which was not in this State during the time an inspection was required. (Added 1969, No. 299 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. Jan. 1, 1971.)