Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3297 last June, eliminating the requirement for Texas drivers to have a mechanic inspect their vehicles annually, starting in 2025. Here’s what you need to know about how the law affects you.
Even if you live in a more populous county like Dallas or Tarrant, you’ll still need to get an annual emissions inspection.
Although safety inspections are no longer required, residents of the state’s 17 most populous counties, including Dallas, Collin, Tarrant and Denton counties, must still have their vehicles inspected annually for emissions tests.
Emissions testing is not a new requirement, but an extension of the emissions testing that has been done for many years alongside safety inspections, which check things like seat belts, brakes, and tires to make sure the car is safe to drive.
Residents of Brazoria, Ellis, El Paso, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Travis and Williamson counties are also still subject to emissions testing.
Certain model years of vehicles may be exempt from emissions testing
Regardless of where you live, if your vehicle was manufactured within the last two years or is more than 24 years old, you don’t have to have it inspected for emissions.
There is an annual fee
Texans will continue to pay a $7.50 annual testing fee, but it will now be called the “Testing Program Replacement Fee.” The money will go to the Texas Mobility Fund, the Clean Air Fund and the state’s general revenue.
Drivers can pay the fee when they register, regardless of whether they are required to take an emissions test.
Texas joins the majority of states that do not require annual safety inspections.
Texas is one of just 13 states that require annual vehicle inspections. Supporters of the bill, including Continental Automotive Group, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Texas Conservative Coalition and Tesla, said the law is unnecessary and a waste of residents’ time. Opponents, including the Dallas Police Association and the Texas Sheriffs’ Association, argued that eliminating annual safety inspections would make roads more dangerous.
