The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) has recently announced that beginning Jan. 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, which is the 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 requires vehicle emissions inspections in 17 counties prior to vehicle inspection which include 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, and Williamson County.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles registers and titles motor vehicles, license 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.
For further details, visit www.TxDMV.gov.