For most of us getting a yearly vehicle safety inspection is part of life. One of the more annoying parts, but what are you gonna do? With the passing of House Bill 3297, safety inspections have become a thing of the past. Or have they? Well, it depends.
Want to see the official language and legislative mumbo jumbo behind all this? Check out House Bill 3297, the bill that made it all happen. Want it broken down into more practical language? Read on.
Do I Still Need to Get a Vehicle Inspection in Austin, Texas?
Short answer? Nope. As of January 1, 2025, Texans driving non-commercial vehicles no longer need to get a safety inspection to register their vehicle. That means no more frantic Googling for “vehicle inspection near me” the night before your registration is due.
Of course, there’s a bit of a catch.
If you’re in Travis County (and if you’re reading this, you probably are) or neighboring Williamson County, you’ll still need an emissions test. Also known as a “sniff test”, it measures pollutants to be sure your vehicle is meeting environmental standards. Travis is an “emissions county”, so this yearly test is sticking around for the foreseeable future. So while you can skip the safety part, you’ll still have to make a date with your local testing station once a year if your car isn’t fully electric
Why Are There Still Vehicle Inspection Stations in Austin, Texas?
You might be thinking, “If we don’t need inspections anymore, why are these shops still around?” The answer is emissions testing. Those emissions tests are still required for gas-powered vehicles between two and 24 model years old.
Plus, commercial vehicles still require full-blown safety inspections—so if you’re rocking a company van or hauling cargo, nothing has changed for you. Some inspection stations are also keeping the lights on by offering general vehicle maintenance.
What Fees Do I Still Need to Pay?
The state may have axed the inspection, but don’t go spending that inspection money on breakfast tacos just yet.
Instead of the old safety inspection fee, you’ll now pay a $7.50 “inspection program replacement fee” when you renew your vehicle registration. This new fee helps fund state programs that previously relied on the safety inspection revenue. That includes things like highway construction and maintenance. If you’re registering a brand-new car, the fee is $16.75 upfront to cover the first two years
And yes, these fees are in addition to your emissions test cost if you live in an emissions county.
How Do I Ensure My Car is Safe Without an Inspection?
Just because Big Government isn’t peeking under your hood anymore doesn’t mean you should ignore that squealing brake or flickering headlight.
Here’s a friendly list of things to get checked regularly—because if your car’s falling apart, the cop pulling you over definitely still cares:
- Functioning headlights, taillights, and turn signals
- Working horn
- Reliable brakes and tires with legal tread
- Windshield wipers
- Side mirrors that aren’t duct-taped on
For some of these you can be your own safey inspector. Or better yet, get a trusted mechanic (like us) to have a look periodically. Just because the state isn’t checking anymore doesn’t mean it’s safe to roll around like Mad Max. You can schedule an appointment here.
This is also a good time to mention that if you’re performing regular maintenance on your car (like oil changes) you should have a pretty good idea of how your vehicle is doing with these other things. When you get your oil changed with us we’ll also give your car a thorough once-over.