Editor’s Note: El Paso Matters is partnering with Gigafact to produce “fact briefs” that examine claims about issues shaping our community.
NO.
House Bill 3297, passed in 2023, eliminates annual vehicle safety inspection requirements for registration renewal for all non-commercial vehicles in Texas. The bill goes into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
Drivers in counties that do not meet certain EPA clean air standards, including El Paso, will still be required to have their vehicles undergo enhanced emissions testing. Other counties include Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson.
Emissions inspections were implemented to improve air quality in Texas’ largest metropolitan areas, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
Starting Jan. 1, 2025, Texas drivers will pay a $7.50 fee when they register their vehicle, the state’s Department of Public Safety website states. New vehicle registration will be $16.75.
Annual emissions tests are required in 29 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico, according to Kelly Blue Book.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
SOURCES:
HB 3297
Vehicle Safety Inspection Change announcement, Texas DPS
Emissions Counties, Texas Commision on Environmental Quality
Vehicle inspections by state, Kelly Blue Book
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