Texas Vehicle Inspection Changes Coming Soon

December 17, 2024

New law eliminates most vehicle safety inspections

 Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer need to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration. House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, eliminates the safety inspection program for non-commercial vehicles.

The new law maintains the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee collected at the time of vehicle registration. Texans will see this fee labeled as the Inspection Program Replacement Fee on their registration renewal notice. Owners registering a new vehicle will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years of registration.

State law will still require obtaining a passing vehicle emissions inspection in the following 17 counties prior to vehicle registration:

  • Brazoria County
  • Collin County
  • Dallas County
  • Denton County
  • El Paso County
  • Ellis County
  • Fort Bend County
  • Galveston County
  • Harris County
  • Johnson County
  • Kaufman County
  • Montgomery County
  • Parker County
  • Rockwall County
  • Tarrant County
  • Travis County
  • Williamson County

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