Beginning January 1, 2025, vehicle owners in Texas will no longer need to obtain a safety inspection before registering their vehicles. This change comes as part of House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, which eliminates the safety inspection program for non-commercial vehicles.
Key Changes for Texans
Although the safety inspection requirement will be removed, vehicle owners will still be charged an annual $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee, which will appear on their registration renewal notices. For new vehicle registrations, owners will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee**, covering the first two years of registration.
The new law aims to simplify the vehicle registration process while maintaining the state’s revenue stream previously generated by the safety inspection program.
Emissions Inspections Still Required in Certain Counties
Despite the elimination of the safety inspection requirement, emissions inspections will still be mandatory in 17 counties across Texas to ensure environmental compliance. Residents in these counties must obtain a passing emissions inspection before registering their vehicles:
- 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
Texans outside of these areas will not need emissions inspections for vehicle registration under the new law.