New Law Eliminates Most Vehicle Inspections
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
AUSTIN, TEXAS (News Release) – 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)
