September 9, 2024 - New law eliminates most vehicle safety inspections
Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer be required to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration. House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, abolishes the vehicle safety inspection program for non-commercial vehicles.
The new law maintains the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee under a new name: Inspection Program Replacement Fee. The state will collect the fee at the time of vehicle registration. Owners registering a new vehicle will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years.
State law will still require vehicle emissions inspections in the following 17 counties prior to vehicle registration:
• Brazoria County
• Fort Bend County
• Parker County
• Collin County
• Galveston County
• Rockwall County
• Dallas County
• Harris County
• Tarrant County
• Denton County
• Johnson County
• Travis County
• El Paso County
• Kaufman County
• Williamson County
• Ellis County
• Montgomery County
Informational Links
• Vehicle Registration (Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
• Vehicle Safety Inspection (Texas Department of Public Safety)
• Vehicle Emissions Inspection
• House Bill 3297 (88th Legislature)
