Government
BY RACHEL LELAND
Vehicle inspection to no longer be required in Texas by 2025
Beginning in 2025, Texas drivers will no longer need to get their vehicles inspected. The framework On Aug. 5, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3297 into law, which eliminates mandatory vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles. Drivers must still pay the annual inspection fee of $7.50 but will no longer need to take their vehicle in for inspection prior to registering it. If a vehicle was not previously registered, drivers will pay $16.75 instead and won’t be required to pay the $7.50 fee for the next registration year for the same vehicle. The 17 Texas counties that require annual emissions tests—including Dallas, Harris and Travis counties, along with several counties around Austin, Dal- las-Fort Worth and Houston—will continue to do so. Only 13 other states have mandatory vehicle inspections since the federal government ended the program requirement in 1976.
According to the professionals While proponents—such as state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, who filed the bill—have argued mandatory vehicle inspections are unnec- essary, one vehicle inspector said he worries doing away with the requirement could put drivers’ safety at risk and threaten the survival of his business. “I just think it defies logic,” said Larry Harris, owner of Larry’s Auto Inspection in Houston. “If nobody is making sure the vehicles are safe, there’s going to be some unsafe vehicles on the street.” Larry Harris said he was particularly concerned about people being able to drive without their steering wheel, brakes or tires up to standard. Community Impact reached out to several state representatives from its coverage areas, but they declined to comment.
Inspection program replacement fee The $7.50 fee supports the following funds:
Texas mobility fund ($3.50) : Finances the construction, reconstruction, acquisition and expansion of state highways
General revenue fund ($2) : Serves as Texas’ primary operating fund
Clean air account ($2) : Safeguards Texas’ air resources, recovers the costs of permitting new or modified emission sources and recovers the costs of permit reviews and renewals
SOURCES: TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, TXDOT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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