Texas · TX · Vehicles
Texas: Is there an annual vehicle safety inspection?
No safety inspection
Texas ended safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025; owners now pay a replacement fee instead.
A 2023 law, House Bill 3297, ended the safety inspection that non-commercial vehicles used to need before registration. Owners pay a $7.50 inspection program replacement fee at registration, or $16.75 covering two years for a new vehicle never registered before. Vehicles registered in emissions counties still need emissions tests, and commercial vehicles still need safety inspections in every county.
Conditions
- $7.50 inspection program replacement fee at registration
- Emissions test in designated counties
What the law says
as of Jan. 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles no longer need a vehicle safety inspection prior to registration.
Sources
- Texas DPS news release, Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes Now in Effect (Jan. 3, 2025) Official · dps.texas.gov
- Tex. Transp. Code § 548.051, showing repeal by H.B. 3297 eff. Jan. 1, 2025 Mirror of official text · texas.public.law
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Texas Department of Public Safety, Vehicle Inspection
- Website
- dps.texas.gov
How bordering states compare
- Arkansas No safety inspectionArkansas does not require safety inspections for private passenger cars, either regularly or at registration.
- Louisiana Regular safety inspectionYes for now. Louisiana law still requires periodic inspection stickers, but a 2026 law ends them for most personal vehicles on Jan. 1, 2027.
- New Mexico No safety inspectionNew Mexico does not require safety inspections of passenger cars.
- Oklahoma No safety inspectionOklahoma does not require safety inspections of passenger cars to register or transfer them.