They will ticket you for an expired registration. But if you are out of state (with out of state tags) then you will not get a ticket for not having a current inspection sticker from your home state.
My home address is in TX, but my DH and I have been working in PA for the last 2 years. We bought a new Tahoe in NY state and my dad went and got our tags and registration (from TX) and mailed them to us. TX has state inspections (stickers), but we will not be responsible for getting inspected until we drive into TX. But we still could get out of an inspection ticket by telling the officer that the vehicle was purchased out of state, and that this is the first time it has been to TX. As long as we got an inspection within the first week back, we should be fine.
DH and I have also worked in NM and CO for long periods of time as well and purchased vehicles in those states, and the same applies there too.
And just in case you were wondering....
When you buy a vehicle out of state, you will pay your states taxes (at your home state rates) as if you had purchased the car in your home state.
Also, we were unable to establish residency in these states because we live in corprate housing, and you need bills and a lease or morgage in your name to prove you "live" in that state.