Texas drivers are about to experience a significant change in their car registration rules. Starting Wednesday, January 1, 2025that is, in just under four months, annual state inspections for noncommercial vehicles will no longer be required. House Bill 3291, enacted in 2023, eliminates state safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles. However, while drivers will no longer be required to undergo these annual inspections, they will see a slight increase in the registration fee of $7.50. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), this new cost, called the “inspection program replacement fee,” will be collected at the time of vehicle registration. Despite the elimination of safety inspections, drivers in certain areas of Texas will still be required to comply with annual emissions testing. These will remain mandatory in the state’s major metropolitan centers, including Austin, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and El Paso, as well as several surrounding counties including: Travis, Williamson, Harris, Fort Bend, Galveston, Montgomery, Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant. Bexar County, which covers San Antonio, will be added in 2026.
Commercial vehicles will continue to be subject to safety inspections statewide. This measure remains in place to ensure that larger vehicles, such as trucks and buses, continue to operate safely on Texas roads.
