Texans Be Aware Of This New Vehicle Law Happening In 2025

If you're anything like me, you sometimes procrastinate when it comes to getting your car's registration sticker. I’m not sure why, but the thought of having to set time aside for a vehicle inspection often leads me to wait until the very last minute to take care of it. However, starting in 2025, Texans won’t have to worry about scheduling that time anymore.

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Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas will eliminate most vehicle safety inspections. This bill was passed by the 88th Legislature and signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in 2023.

Non-commercial vehicles will no longer need a vehicle safety inspection before registration but still need to pay a $7.50 inspection program fee. Instead, this fee will be added to the cost of your vehicle registration. Even though most safety inspections have been eliminated, Texans still need to register their vehicles every year.

Even though most Texans will not have to get a safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles, some will have to get county emissions tests. Emissions tests will be required for most major cities with high pollution including Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson, and El Paso County.

All commercial vehicles will still require a safety inspection in all counties. Since they are still required to get a safety inspection they will not need to pay the $7.50 with their registrations.

This is a big change happening for Texans in 2025. Many people will appreciate not having to take the extra step when registering their cars. However, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) wants to remind everyone to keep their vehicles regularly maintained. This will keep everyone safe on the Texas roads.