No. Texas is not getting rid of registration stickers. The windshield decal you get at renewal is still legally required, and you still have to display it. The confusion comes from a different change: as of January 1, 2025, Texas dropped the annual safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles, and a decade earlier it had already merged the old inspection sticker into the registration sticker. Two changes to inspections, zero changes to the registration sticker itself.
What Actually Changed in 2025
House Bill 3297 eliminated the annual safety inspection requirement for all non-commercial vehicles in Texas starting January 1, 2025.1Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes Now in Effect You no longer have to take your car to a licensed station to have brakes, lights, horn, and other equipment checked before you can renew.
The registration sticker itself was untouched. You still receive one at renewal, and it still goes on your windshield. The state replaced the old inspection fee with a $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee, collected automatically when you register or renew, no matter which county you live in.1Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes Now in Effect
So when people say “Texas got rid of the sticker,” they’re usually thinking of the inspection sticker, which disappeared years ago, or the inspection itself, which is what actually changed in 2025.
Why Texans Only Have One Sticker to Begin With
Before March 1, 2015, Texas vehicles carried two windshield decals: one for registration, one for the annual safety inspection. House Bill 2305, passed in 2013, merged the two by linking inspection and registration records electronically.2Texas Legislature Online. 83(R) HB 2305 – Enrolled Version From March 1, 2015 forward, the state stopped issuing a separate inspection sticker, and the registration sticker did double duty as proof of both.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. TxDMV News: Two Steps, One Sticker Begins March 1
Under that “Two Steps, One Sticker” system, you passed inspection first, then renewed registration; the state’s system verified the inspection record before issuing a new sticker. In 2025, the inspection step went away for most drivers, but the sticker is the same sticker it has been since 2015.
Emissions Counties: Testing Still Required
If you live in one of 17 designated emissions counties, the 2025 change does not apply to you in full. You still need a passing emissions test before your registration can be renewed. That requirement is driven by federal air quality rules under the Clean Air Act and was not affected by HB 3297.4eCFR. 40 CFR Part 51 Subpart S – Inspection/Maintenance Program Requirements
The 17 counties are:1Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes Now in Effect
- Houston area: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery
- Dallas–Fort Worth area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant
- Austin area: Travis and Williamson
- El Paso area: El Paso
The test happens at a licensed inspection station, results are submitted electronically, and your registration sticker then also serves as proof of emissions compliance.
Where the Sticker Goes and Why It Still Matters
Your registration sticker must go on the inside of your windshield, not on the license plate.5TxDMV.gov. Texas License Plate Changes – Guide for Law Enforcement This trips up drivers coming from states that use license plate tabs. Don’t stack old stickers under the new one, since that can make the current one harder to read.
Officers verify registration digitally, and patrol vehicles often have automated license plate recognition that checks your status in seconds. Even so, the visible sticker is still legally required, and driving without one draws the same scrutiny as an expired registration.
Texas gives you a five-working-day grace period after your registration expires. Beyond that, driving with expired registration is a citable offense carrying a fine of up to $200.6TxDMV.gov. Register Your Vehicle A judge can dismiss the charge if you renew within 20 working days of the offense (or before your first court date, whichever is later) and show proof of payment, though the court may still charge a reimbursement fee of up to $20.7State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 502.407 – Operation of Vehicle With Expired License Plate
If your sticker is lost, stolen, or damaged, you can apply for a replacement at your county Tax Assessor-Collector’s office using Form VTR-60. The replacement fee is $6.50.8TxDMV.gov. Application for Replacement License Plate(s) and/or Registration Sticker
Could Texas Drop the Sticker Later?
Other states are moving that direction. Idaho will stop issuing license plate registration stickers on July 1, 2026, citing about $300,000 in annual materials savings.9Idaho Transportation Department. Idaho Eliminates License Plate Registration Stickers Under New Law Texas already has the digital verification infrastructure that would make it possible, but no law has been passed to eliminate the windshield sticker. Until one is, the sticker stays, and you need to display a current one.