Introduction
If you’re asking, “How much does a car inspection cost in Texas?” the answer changed in a big way starting January 1, 2025. Texas eliminated annual safety inspections for most non-commercial vehicles. In place of the old sticker visit, you now pay an Inspection Program Replacement Fee with your vehicle registration.
What didn’t go away is emissions testing in certain metro counties. If your gasoline car is registered in one of those areas and is between two and twenty-four model years old, you must pass an emissions test at a certified station before renewing. The station fee is capped by statewide rules and varies by program area.
You’ll also see a small emissions-program charge on your registration, and brand-new vehicles have a special two-year fee instead of the annual one. Electric vehicles are exempt from emissions testing, and commercial vehicles still require safety inspections. Below, we answer the ten most common variants of this question with clear, short paragraphs—so you can price your renewal quickly and correctly.
Texas vehicle inspection cost 2025
For most non-commercial vehicles, there is no longer a safety inspection to purchase. Instead, you’ll pay a $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee when you register your vehicle each year. That fee simply replaces revenue that used to come from safety inspections; it doesn’t require a visit to an inspection station.
If you live in an emissions-program county (DFW, Houston–Galveston–Brazoria, Austin area, El Paso), your gasoline vehicle that is 2–24 model years old must still pass an emissions test. At the station, the maximum charge is up to $18.50 in DFW/Houston and up to $11.50 in Austin/El Paso/Williamson/Travis areas. These are caps; shops may charge less.
Separately, your registration includes a small Emissions Inspection Fee line item (commonly shown as $2.75). So, in an emissions county you’ll pay the station fee at the shop plus the replacement fee and emissions fee at registration.
Do I still need a car inspection in Texas?
If your car is non-commercial, you do not need an annual safety inspection anymore. That requirement ended January 1, 2025. You’ll register the car and pay the $7.50 replacement fee with TxDMV instead of visiting a safety inspection station. Commercial vehicles are the big exception—they still need a passing safety inspection and are exempt from paying the replacement fee.
However, if your vehicle is a gasoline car in one of the designated emissions counties, you do need an emissions test each year once the vehicle is at least two model years old and until it ages out at 25 years. Pass the test at a certified station, then complete registration. Electric-only vehicles remain exempt from emissions tests.
Texas emissions test price by county
Texas caps what stations can charge for emissions testing, and the cap differs by program area. In Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston program areas, stations may charge up to $18.50 for an OBD emissions test. In the Austin/El Paso/Williamson/Travis program areas, the cap is up to $11.50. Those caps represent the maximum station charge; individual stations can (and sometimes do) charge less.
In addition to the station charge, your registration bill adds an Emissions Inspection Fee line item (typically $2.75). That fee is collected at the tax office or online when you renew, not at the inspection station.
Car registration fees after inspection change Texas
Your registration now itemizes inspection-related charges instead of requiring a separate safety inspection. Expect to see two relevant lines: the Inspection Program Replacement Fee ($7.50) and, if you live in an emissions county, an Emissions Inspection Fee ($2.75). These appear alongside your standard state and local registration charges.
If you’re also required to get an emissions test, you’ll pay the station fee at the inspection shop (up to $18.50 or $11.50 depending on county cluster). Commercial vehicles continue normal safety inspection rules and therefore don’t pay the $7.50 replacement fee.
How much is emissions testing in Texas?
At the station, the state-set maximum price is up to $18.50 in the DFW/Houston areas and up to $11.50 in the Austin/El Paso/Williamson/Travis areas. Shops can charge less, and promotional pricing does exist, but they cannot exceed the cap. You’ll also see a $2.75 emissions line on your registration checkout, collected by TxDMV.
Vehicles outside the emissions-program counties do not need an emissions test, so you’ll only pay the $7.50 replacement fee at registration if your car is non-commercial. Electric vehicles are emissions-exempt statewide.
Texas inspection replacement fee explained
The Inspection Program Replacement Fee is a flat $7.50 collected with registration for non-commercial vehicles. It replaces the safety-inspection revenue that used to fund state programs and does not require a physical inspection for most vehicles. New vehicles have a special two-year variant explained below.
This fee is separate from emissions requirements. If your vehicle is registered in an emissions county and subject to testing, you still must pass the emissions test and pay the station fee—in addition to the replacement fee at registration.
Are safety inspections required in Texas now?
For non-commercial vehicles, no—annual safety inspections were abolished on January 1, 2025. You now renew registration and pay the $7.50 replacement fee, and that’s it for safety. Commercial vehicles statewide must still obtain a passing safety inspection and do not pay the replacement fee.
Remember, emissions testing remains in effect in designated counties for gasoline vehicles 2–24 model years old, separate from safety. Electric-only vehicles continue to be emissions-exempt.
New car inspection fee Texas 2025
Buying a brand-new vehicle (current or prior model year) in Texas? Your first registration includes a two-year Inspection Program Replacement Fee of $16.75 instead of the annual $7.50. That covers the first two years; beginning in year three, the annual $7.50 applies.
New vehicles typically don’t need an emissions test until they are at least two model years old. When they reach that age and if registered in an emissions county, they’ll join the normal cycle and pay the station’s emissions fee plus the registration line items at renewal time.
Which Texas counties require emissions testing?
Emissions testing applies to vehicles registered in these counties: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery (Houston area); Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant (DFW area); Travis, Williamson (Austin area); and El Paso. Bexar County (San Antonio) is slated to join the program November 1, 2026.
If you live outside these counties, no emissions test is required, but you’ll still pay the $7.50 replacement fee with registration if your vehicle is non-commercial. Inside these counties, be sure your gasoline vehicle (2–24 model years) passes emissions before renewing.
Texas EV inspection and fees 2025
Electric-only vehicles are exempt from Texas emissions testing, even in emissions-program counties. EVs also do not require safety inspections after the statewide change in 2025. Owners will still see the $7.50 replacement fee at registration (or $16.75 for the first two years if it’s a new EV), and Texas imposes a separate $200 EV registration fee.
If your EV is registered in an emissions county, you’ll renew normally without visiting an emissions station. Keep in mind that plug-in hybrids are not electric-only and may be subject to emissions testing depending on local rules and the vehicle’s fuel capability. Check your renewal notice and county requirements.
Are safety inspections required for commercial vehicles in Texas?
Yes. Commercial vehicles statewide still require a passing safety inspection each year. Because they continue to undergo safety inspections, they are exempt from the $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee that non-commercial vehicles pay at registration.
If your commercial vehicle is registered in an emissions county and is gasoline-powered within the 2–24 model-year window, it will also be subject to an emissions test as part of its inspection process. Diesel-powered vehicles are typically emissions-exempt, but confirm based on your fuel type and local rules.
What do I actually pay—itemized example (emissions county)?
Here’s a practical breakdown for a 2018 gasoline car registered in Dallas County. At the station, you’ll pay up to $18.50 for the emissions test (cap; shops may charge less). On your registration, you’ll pay $7.50 (replacement fee) + $2.75 (emissions inspection fee) in addition to your usual state and local registration charges. That’s the complete “inspection cost” picture under the 2025 rules.
If you were in Travis County (Austin area), the station cap would be up to $11.50 instead of $18.50, with the same $7.50 and $2.75 amounts appearing on the registration side.
Do counties without emissions testing pay anything extra?
Yes—but only on the registration side. Drivers outside emissions-program counties no longer visit an inspection station. They simply renew and pay the $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee as part of their registration total. There’s no emissions line item where emissions testing doesn’t apply.
Because there’s no station visit, there’s no separate inspection receipt to worry about. Your renewal will process once normal registration fees are paid, just like before—only without the “two steps” sequence Texans used to follow.
What about brand-new cars—do they need anything?
Brand-new vehicles (current or prior model year) don’t undergo emissions testing until they reach two model years. During those first two years, your registration includes the $16.75 two-year replacement fee instead of the annual $7.50. After that period, the vehicle joins the normal cycle: in emissions counties it must pass emissions and pay the station fee, and everywhere it pays the $7.50 at renewal.
If you buy a new car in an emissions county and it’s old enough for testing by the next renewal, the renewal notice will clearly indicate the requirement to test before paying registration.
How do I know if my car is old enough for emissions testing?
Generally, gasoline vehicles are subject to emissions testing from model year 2 through 24 while registered in an emissions county. Brand-new cars aren’t tested until they hit their second model year; vehicles 25+ model years age out of the program. Your renewal notice and county site will match these rules.
If your vehicle is electric-only, it remains emissions-exempt regardless of age. If it’s a hybrid or flex-fuel car capable of running on gasoline, expect normal emissions rules to apply.