Starting January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer need to obtain a safety inspection before registering their vehicles.
House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, eliminates the vehicle safety inspection program for regular cars and trucks. However, the Department of Motor Vehicles notes that commercial vehicles will still require safety inspections.
With this change, Texas joins 36 other states in the U.S. that do not mandate safety inspections. This shift places the responsibility on car and truck owners to ensure their vehicles are safe for everyone inside and outside the vehicle.
Texas State Senator Mayes Middleton expressed a common sentiment in May 2023, stating that “vehicle inspections are costly, time-consuming, and provide little benefit to public safety.”
Fees
Drivers will still need to pay the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee, now renamed the Inspection Program Replacement Fee, as part of the registration fee. Those registering a new car will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years.
Emissions
While safety inspections are being phased out, emissions inspections are not. Seventeen counties will still require emissions inspections before vehicle registration.
The counties requiring emissions inspection tests are:
– Houston-Galveston area: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties
– Dallas-Fort Worth area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties
– Austin area: Travis and Williamson counties
– El Paso County
Important Information
Staff Sgt. Rob Mallory with the Texas Highway Patrol advises that if your inspection is expiring soon, you still need to get your state inspection done to renew your vehicle registration for another year.
According to a DMV representative, you have five business days after your current sticker expires to get a new one, debunking common myths about having 10 days, 30 days, or even six months.
However, if your sticker expires in December (or November for the real procrastinators) and you don’t renew your registration until January, you might avoid needing an inspection. They won’t make the safety inspection retroactive.
For those who stay on top of things: Ensure your vehicle has passed an inspection no earlier than 90 days before renewal, and include a copy of the passing Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) if it cannot be electronically verified, along with current proof of insurance.
Source: Dallas Culture Map
