Gov. Greg Abbott okays bill to eliminate annual vehicle inspections
AUSTIN, Texas - On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that eliminates annual vehicle inspections in Texas, but things may not change much depending on where you live.
Texas House Bill 3297 repealed the law that mandated annual vehicle inspections.
The $7.50 fee will still exist, just under a new name: the "inspection program replacement fee."
New cars or vehicles that had not previously been registered in Texas or another state will have an initial fee of $16.75.
The money will go toward the Texas mobility fund, general revenue fund and the clean air account.
FILE - Different Toyota car models sitting on a lot. (Michele Eve Sandberg/Corbis via Getty Images)
Despite eliminating the inspections at the state level, 17 counties in Texas will still require annual emissions tests. Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, El Paso, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson counties.
Most states have got rid of their mandatory vehicle inspection programs since the federal government ended the program requirement in 1976. Texas, however, is one of the 11 states that still require annual vehicle safety inspections.
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The bill overwhelming was passed in the Texas House and was okayed in a 20-11 vote in the Senate last month.
The new legislation will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025.