Most Austin-area drivers will still need a vehicle inspection. Here’s where the rules have changed.

Mandatory vehicle safety inspections have been eliminated for many Texas drivers. But in 17 counties – including Travis and Williamson – an emissions test is still required to renew your vehicle registration every year.

The changes, which took effect Jan. 1, makes Texas the largest state not to require annual checks on noncommercial vehicles for things like tires, brakes, seatbelts and headlights.

Many drivers are still confused.

“I just sent someone home from Hays County,” said Patricia Deroo, a technician at 1626 Auto Inspections in Manchaca. Hays County doesn’t require emissions tests, so drivers there no longer need any annual inspection.

Besides Travis and Williamson, emissions tests are mandated in Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Johnson, Kaufman, Harris, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall and Tarrant counties. Bexar County will require them in 2026.

The 17 counties are in major metro areas that are struggling to keep up with federal air quality standards. So the state of Texas requires emissions tests as part of a plan to comply with the federal Clean Air Act.

The vehicle safety inspection mandate was eliminated by the state Legislature. House Bill 3297 passed in 2023 but didn’t take effect till Jan. 1. The bill’s chief proponent had said most states had abandoned such programs.

“Texas is one of only 11 states that still requires an annual safety inspection for passenger vehicles. Vehicle inspections are costly, time consuming and provide little benefit to public safety,” state Rep. Cody Harris, R-Palestine, told lawmakers in April 2023 when presenting the legislation. “Today, modern vehicles are equipped with onboard diagnostic systems that constantly monitor their performance and can detect any potential issues.”

The changes were opposed by the industry. The Texas State Inspection Association (TSIA) argued safety exams help keep hazardous vehicles off the streets.

“Bad brakes and bald tires are dangerous, not just for the driver, but for all of us that share the roadways,” JoJo Heselmeyer with TSIA told lawmakers. She pointed to UT Austin research from 2018 that recommended the state’s safety inspection program be kept. The research found crashes involving vehicles with defects were twice as likely to result in death.

The industry also warned of the devastating financial impact on businesses that specialize in vehicle safety exams. Many were forced to close, like Jesse’s Auto Inspections in Hays County.

“Sometimes vehicles come in here that shouldn’t be on the road. We fail those and they’ll never come back,” said Marco Chavez, who did vehicle inspections at Jesse’s. “But on the flip side, I can see where people – you know – it could be a bit of an inconvenience, especially if you have a newer vehicle.”

Safety inspections are still required on commercial vehicles in Texas. Commercial vehicles are defined weighing more than 26,000 pounds, transporting more than 15 people including the driver, or carrying hazardous materials. An F-150 used for a landscaping business, for example, wouldn’t need an annual safety assessment, because it doesn’t meet any of those criteria.

Even without the safety inspection, drivers will still have to pay an annual $7.50 fee, included in the cost of vehicle registration. The only purpose of the new “inspection program replacement fee” is to prevent the state from losing money by terminating the inspection requirement.

Some drivers are still willing to pay voluntarily for a safety inspection. 1626 Auto Inspections has started offering such nonmandatory tests for $20 alongside the standard emissions assessment. The safety results are not reported to the government.

“I’m all for choice. People don’t want to have the safety (inspection), fine, but overall, I think it’s going to affect all of us down the line,” said Deroo, worrying about potential long-term impacts on road safety. “It’s going to be a domino effect.”

This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT.

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