Media Contact: Customer Contact:
Media@TxDMV.gov AskDMV@TxDMV.gov
Texas vehicle inspection changes coming soon
New law eliminates most vehicle safety inspections
(AUSTIN, Texas – September 9, 2024) 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 (Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)
• House Bill 3297 (88th Legislature)
---
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles registers and titles motor vehicles, licenses motor vehicle dealers, credentials motor carriers, issues oversize/overweight permits, investigates complaints against dealers and motor carriers, and awards grants to law enforcement agencies to reduce vehicle burglaries and thefts. Learn more at www.TxDMV.gov.