Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill that will eliminate the annual vehicle inspection requirement for most vehicles in Texas.
Texas lawmakers passed House Bill 3297 earlier this month, eliminating the safety inspections for vehicles unless cars are located in the 17 counties requiring emissions inspections.
Counties requiring emissions inspections include those surrounding the major metro areas other than San Antonio. Those counties are Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery, Galveston, Williamson, Travis, Dallas, Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson, Parker, and El Paso.
In 2025, vehicle safety inspections will be replaced by an annual $7.50 fee — the same as the current inspection fee, but without the need to take a vehicle into the shop.
Drivers in new vehicles that have not previously been registered will pay $16.75 upon registration. That money will benefit the Texas mobility fund, the clean air fund and the state’s general revenue.
Several law enforcement officials and agencies opposed the bill during public testimony in the Texas Senate, saying it undermines the safety of the vehicle.