No, you don’t need a Texas inspection sticker on your windshield anymore, and as of January 1, 2025, most non-commercial vehicles don’t need a safety inspection either. Your registration sticker is the only sticker required. If your vehicle is registered in one of 17 counties with emissions testing, you still have to pass that test before renewing. Everyone pays a $7.50 annual fee that replaced the old inspection charge.
Why There’s No Separate Sticker Anymore
Texas retired the second windshield sticker on March 1, 2015, when the “Two Steps, One Sticker” program took effect. The state linked inspection and registration electronically, so the registration sticker became the single physical proof of compliance.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. TxDMV News: Two Steps, One Sticker Begins March 1
That framework still runs today. Any inspection that applies to your vehicle is verified digitally when you renew.
Safety Inspections Ended for Most Vehicles in 2025
House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Texas Legislature, eliminated the annual safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles starting January 1, 2025. You no longer need to visit a station to have brakes, lights, tires, or other safety components checked before renewal.2Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Reminder: Texas Vehicle Inspection Changes Coming Soon
The old $7.50 inspection fee didn’t disappear with the inspection. It’s now collected at registration renewal under the name “Inspection Program Replacement Fee.” If you’re registering a brand-new vehicle that gets two years of registration up front, the amount is $16.75 to cover both years.3TxDMV.gov. Texas Vehicle Inspection Changes Coming Soon
Commercial vehicles are the exception. Trucks and other commercial vehicles still have to pass a safety inspection before their registration can be renewed.
Who Still Needs an Emissions Inspection
If you drive a gasoline-powered vehicle that’s between 2 and 24 years old and it’s registered in one of 17 designated counties, you still need an annual emissions inspection. Those counties are Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson.4Texas Department of Public Safety. Inspection Items for the Annual Inspection
The test reads your vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostic (OBD-II) system to check for excess pollutants. You take the vehicle to a certified inspection station in your area, and fees vary by location.
Several vehicles are exempt from emissions testing even inside those 17 counties:
- New vehicles during their first two model years
- Vehicles 25 years old or more
- All diesel-powered vehicles, regardless of age
- Vehicles powered by something other than gasoline4Texas Department of Public Safety. Inspection Items for the Annual Inspection
If you live outside those 17 counties, no inspection of any kind is required for a non-commercial vehicle.
If You Fail the Emissions Test
A failed test isn’t the end of the road. You have 15 days to make repairs and return to the same station for a free retest. Go to a different station or wait longer than 15 days and you’ll pay for a fresh inspection.5Department of Public Safety. General Inspection
If the vehicle still can’t pass after repairs, two waivers may let you register anyway:
- An individual vehicle waiver, if you’ve spent at least $600 on qualified emissions-related repairs ($450 in El Paso County) and the vehicle still fails.
- A low-mileage waiver, if the vehicle has been driven fewer than 5,000 miles since the last inspection cycle, has failed both the initial test and the retest, and you’ve spent at least $100 on emissions repairs.6Cornell Law School. 37 Texas Admin Code 23.52 – Emissions Testing Waiver
How This Affects Registration Renewal
You can renew online, by mail, or in person at your county tax assessor-collector’s office starting 90 days before expiration.7Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Register Your Vehicle
If you’re in an emissions county, get the inspection done early enough that the passing result is in the state system before you try to renew. For mail renewals, include a copy of your Vehicle Inspection Report, which is available at mytxcar.org. If you’re outside the 17 counties, there’s nothing to add on top of your usual proof of insurance and renewal notice.
New Residents Moving to Texas
If you’re moving to Texas from another state, you have 30 days after establishing residency to register your vehicle.8Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. New to Texas
For most new residents, this is simple, since safety inspections no longer apply to non-commercial vehicles. If you settle in one of the 17 emissions counties (Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, or Williamson), you’ll need a passing emissions inspection at a certified Texas DPS station before you can register.9Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Out of State and Imported Vehicles Handle the test early so a failed result doesn’t eat into your 30-day window.