New law eliminates most vehicle safety inspections
(AUSTIN, Texas – December 17, 2024) 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 | 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)