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Do You Still Need a Car Inspection in Travis County?

Posted on April 2, 2025   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
Kelsey Bradshaw

Kelsey Bradshaw

A person's hands holding a flashlight and clipboard over an open car engine.

New rules around car inspections in Texas went into effect in January. (Nitat Termmee/Getty Images)

With new rules around vehicle registration now in effect, you may have a few questions about how to comply. We’ve got you covered.

🚘 You Do Not Need an Inspection Before Registering Your Vehicle.

House Bill 3297 was passed during the 2023 legislative session and eliminated regular mandatory vehicle inspections for non-commercial vehicles. So, no, you do not need to get your vehicle inspected before updating your registration. You will have to pay a $7.50 inspection program replacement fee, however. The fee “replaces the revenue source for state programs and operations” that were previously funded by vehicle safety inspections.

If you have a new vehicle that you purchased in Texas, you will need to pay a $16.75 fee when registering it. That fee is an initial inspection replacement payment, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Commercial vehicles still require a passing vehicle safety inspection for registration.

In Travis County, you can renew your registration online, through the mail, at participating H-E-Bs and AAA locations, or at a tax office.

✅ You Still Need To Get an Emissions Test.

Travis and Williamson counties are among more than a dozen Texas counties that require an emissions test to be conducted for vehicle registration.

👋 That doesn’t sound too hard, right?

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