TSPS MAR 2025 FINAL REV - Flipbook - Page 26
SAFETY ARTICLE
TEXAS VEHICLE INSPECTIONS
exas vehicle inspections laws recently changed. On
January 1, 2025, changes to our state’s Vehicle Inspection Program went into effect as a result of House Bill
3297 passed by the 88th Texas Legislature and signed into law
by Governor Greg Abbott in 2023. This law abolished the Vehicle Safety Inspection Program for non-commercial vehicles
prior to registration (or renewal of annual vehicle registration).
Vehicle annual registration renewal is typically handled through
the county in which the owner of the vehicle resides. A vehicle
registered in “emissions” counties is still required to have emissions tests, which was not changed.
Though non-commercial vehicles are no longer required to
pass a vehicle safety inspection prior to annual registration,
these vehicles are now subject to the $7.50 inspection program
replacement fee according to HB 3297. This replacement fee is
paid annually when you register (renew) your vehicle with the
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. New vehicles not previously registered are required to pay an initial inspection replacement fee of $16.75 that covers two years.
This $7.50 replacement fee replaces the $7.50 vehicle inspection fee revenue source for state operations like construction
and expansion of state highways that were supported by vehicle
safety inspection fees.
Emissions county test costs vary by vehicle and the county of
registration. Emission counties include the following metropolitan area groups of counties:
T
• Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery
counties
• Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker,
Rockwall and Tarrant counties
• Travis and Williamson counties
• El Paso County
• Bexar County will be added in 2026
And did you know that driving a vehicle without properly operating safety features is against the law? It puts everyone at
risk.
Although the annual vehicle safety inspections are no longer
required to be performed for many vehicles, for license renewal,
we must remain vigilant and regularly inspect, maintain and
service our vehicles ourselves, both our personal and our business vehicles, to keep us and other motorists safe on the road.
We must remember to regularly check our vehicle’s 昀氀uid levelsengine oil, transmission 昀氀uid, brake 昀氀uid, cooling system 昀氀uid
and windshield washer 昀氀uid, our tires and wheels, tire pressure,
headlights, taillights, mirror operation, horn, windshield wipers
and 昀氀uid, battery, belts, 昀椀lters and hoses to ensure that critical
functions operate properly. Preventive maintenance is one way
to prevent mechanical issues, and issue related crashes.
Regular vehicle maintenance is essential to protect our invest-
24 THE TEXAS SURVEYOR March 2025
ment in our vehicle, to ensure safety on the road and to extend
the life of a vehicle. Neglecting this responsibility can lead to
costly breakdowns, poor fuel economy, useless down time and
even put us in harm’s way.
Using a checklist as a guide and to have record of inspections and conditions is an especially good way to perform
these checks. Use the form to check your vehicle for daily,
weekly, monthly inspections, and save the information in a 昀椀le
on your vehicle. There are also smartphone or online apps that
offer forms for this purpose. See the sample vehicle checklist
included.
Oil and Fluids
• Oil. Check the oil level by reading the dip stick weekly or each
time you’re re昀椀lling the gas tank with fuel. If the engine has
just been run, turn the ignition off and wait a few minutes
for the oil to settle before pulling the dip stick. It’s best to
昀椀rst wipe the dip stick and reinsert it to get actual level of oil.
Many of today’s vehicles use synthetic oil, which lasts longer
and is said to lubricate the engine better than conventional oil. Follow the oil change interval shown in your owner’s
manual, which may likely be 5000 – 7,000 miles.
• Transmission. If your vehicle has a transmission dip stick,
you can check the 昀氀uid level. Most experts recommend the
