care. And in just a few weeks, several bills will go into effect right here in Texas. Fox 26 is Sherman to sell breaks down just one of the biggest items on that list. No more state vehicle inspections. He has more from the newsroom.
So when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, so will the need for state vehicle inspections. This will impact many of the 22 million registered vehicles on Texas roads. And there’s mixed reactions on that. So here’s a look at what’s changing and what’s not in 2025. That blue Texas sticker on your windshield will not be needed in 2023.
The state legislature voted to remove mandatory vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles. House Bill 3297 was authored by lawmakers from Galveston, Edgewood and Palestine, Texas.
They called vehicle inspections a waste of time and want to place that responsibility entirely on car owners. But local car shop operators tell Fox 26 the measure is meant to keep drivers safe. It will definitely be more dangerous.
A lot of folks come in here. They don’t know they come in for an inspection. They don’t know that their tires are bad. They don’t know that their brakes are bad, especially the elderly. You know, we bring them out here and we show them, you know, scare them to death.
A study from the American Society of Civil Engineers shows cars with bad equipment are three times more likely to be involved in deadly crashes. Despite that big change, drivers in major metro areas in Texas, like the greater Houston area will still require emissions testing. Commercial vehicles are also still required to undergo a safety inspection. All right, so you’re probably wondering how is this going to work when it comes to your wallet. So you may have 1 or 2 fees here.
So you’re going to have an inspection replacement fee now of $7.50.
That fee sounds familiar. But you also if you have a newer car with a newer model that has never been registered in Texas before, you’re going to pay a fee of $16.75.
So no state inspections for noncommercial vehicles. But you still have to.
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