What States Require Vehicle Inspections – Most vehicles in the state of Texas require a safety inspection every year, but there are a few exceptions noted below. TxDMV will send you an annual vehicle registration renewal notice and you will be given a 90 day window to complete both your inspection and registration. There are also a few special cases that determine when you need an inspection:
Multi-year registration – If you have a multi-year registration, you still need to have your vehicle inspected every year. TxDMV will send a reminder notice and you must complete the inspection and pay the state portion of the inspection fee to your county office within 30 days of your registration month to avoid possible fines.
What States Require Vehicle Inspections
New Residents – If you recently moved to Texas, you have 30 days after moving to get your vehicle inspected and registered. Before visiting TxDMV to process your new registration, first stop at a DEKRA station for your inspection.
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Out-of-State Vehicles – If your vehicle is out of state during your visit (eg your college student attends a university in another state), you can renew your registration with an out-of-state self-certification, but you must complete your visit within 3 days of returning to Texas. will be
Used Car Sales and Title Transfer – If you purchase a vehicle from a dealership, they should sell the vehicle with a current inspection so you can complete the title and registration at TxDMV immediately. However, if you purchased a vehicle from a private party or were given a vehicle title, you should check the inspection status because the vehicle requires a current, passing vehicle inspection before you can complete the required paperwork at TxDMV.
Vehicles with certain specialty Texas license plates with antique licenses, all-terrain vehicle validation stickers, or charitable organization tags
All other vehicles require an annual safety inspection, but only some vehicles require an emissions inspection in addition to the safety inspection (see details below).
Digital Vehicle Inspection Forms
For vehicles 1996 and newer, emissions testing uses computerized equipment to capture information from your vehicle’s on-board diagnostic (OBD) system to determine if your emissions system is working properly. Our technicians also complete a visual inspection of your exhaust system and its components.
For 1995 and older vehicles, a different test method is required to evaluate emissions system performance. In El Paso, Travis and Williamson counties, a “two speed idle” (TSI) test is performed to measure and analyze emissions directly from the vehicle’s tailpipe while idling at high and low speeds. In the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston/Galveston areas, an “accelerated simulation mode” (ASM) test uses a dynamometer to simulate driving conditions (like a treadmill for your car) while the tailpipe analyzer measures emissions. If excessive amounts of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide or oxides of nitrogen are detected, your vehicle may have failed the emissions test and you will need to follow the same repair and retest instructions as for the failed safety inspection.
If your report shows excessive hydrocarbon (HC) emissions, this is an indication that your engine is not burning the fuel completely. This can be caused by a problem with the engine, air pump, ignition system, exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR), catalytic converter, or gas cap.
If too much carbon monoxide (CO) is detected, there may be too much or too little air reaching the combustion chamber. This can be caused by a misadjusted carburetor, worn rings or valve guides, or problems with the fuel injection or air pump system.
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If high oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are found, it may mean that you have a faulty catalytic converter and there may be too high a temperature in the combustion chamber due to problems with deposits or related components. Check the air injection system, exhaust gas recirculation system (EGR), oxygen sensor, catalytic converter and combustion chamber.
Emissions inspection rules vary based on the county of vehicle registration and the type and model year of your vehicle. Exemptions can be categorized as follows:
There are 17 counties in Texas that require an emissions inspection in addition to the state-mandated safety inspection:
If you live in a county not listed above, you are required to complete your annual safety inspection but not the emissions test.
Prepping Your Vehicle For Its Annual State Inspection
Brand new vehicles in Texas do not require an emissions test until their two-year initial inspection sticker expires. After a model year passes 24 years, an emissions inspection is no longer required, but an annual safety inspection will be required before renewing your registration.
An emissions test is required for gasoline-powered vehicles (including hybrid vehicles), but currently diesel-powered vehicles, fully electric vehicles and motorcycles are exempt from emissions testing (although annual safety inspections are still required).
The following tips will help your car pass its inspection, and help the environment at the same time!
Change your oil and filters according to your vehicle manufacturer’s recommendations (usually every 3 months or 3,000 miles) to keep your vehicle running efficiently and increasing its chances of passing emissions tests. It is also important to use the oil and fuel type recommended by the manufacturer for best performance.
Best Printable Vehicle Inspection Checklist
Low fluid levels can affect your vehicle’s efficiency and performance, leading to a test failure.
State regulations require that your gas cap be in place and of the correct type for your vehicle to avoid excess evaporative emissions. This is important, because not only can a properly fitting cap save you money at the pump, but excessive evaporative emissions can trigger your vehicle’s check engine light and cause test failures.
For vehicle model years 1996 and newer, your vehicle’s same “on board diagnostics” system that triggers the warning light is the same system that reports its information to our inspection station computers to determine if your vehicle meets state requirements, so if your vehicle If the computer is triggering a “check engine” light, it may not pass inspection.
If your battery is disconnected, or if it dies and requires a jump start, your car’s computer system resets itself and your car will fail due to lack of data even if it is running correctly. Driving the car between 100 – 150 miles (check your car’s manual for an exact number) before coming in for your inspection will ensure that your car has collected enough data for its test.
Detailed Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports
Road-worn vehicles may begin to show signs of a faulty emissions system, including idling or difficulty starting, jerking or shuddering at high speeds, and misfires. Taking your vehicle to a certified repair shop can catch problems as soon as you notice a bad trend before they turn into a major repair or test failure. Vehicle safety inspections save lives and improve vehicle reliability The average age of vehicles is 11.9 years and continues to rise – cars last longer. This economical price is only beneficial to the consumer if the vehicle performs at or near the manufacturer’s recommended specifications. As the vehicle ages, components reach the end of their useful service life. Inspections also promote work and create a productive workforce throughout the aftermarket supply chain. Inspections also promote consumer awareness about proper vehicle maintenance.
Safety inspections ensure that all vehicles on the road comply with a “minimum safety standard”, particularly when it comes to components such as steering, suspension, brakes and tyres. Why? Because vehicle components are key to safety: According to the National Highway Safety Administration, 35% of motor vehicle accidents can be attributed to the failure of a vehicle component, specifically, tires or wheels. Another 22% is brake related. Consider that as vehicles age, their failure rate increases. Vehicles manufactured in 2009 or earlier have a 29% chance of a component failure. The average age of vehicles today is 11.9 years and older (Source: 2021 Auto Care Factbook), which would be enough to reasonably be concerned about keeping vehicle inspections mandatory and current to ensure the safety of the motoring public.
Simply put, vehicle safety inspections save lives. How do we know it? We know from data. Here are some key examples:
New technologies in vehicles such as ADAS, connected and automated vehicles, embedded software and telematics pose challenges as well as opportunities for safety inspections. Although these technologies enable driver safety, comfort and convenience, they still require maintenance to ensure safe operation. An overview of these technologies can be found on our Emerging Technologies page, and we are actively working to standardize the repair and calibration of these technologies to ensure driver safety and access to these technologies for industry technicians. Connected vehicles require regular inspection, review and calibration to ensure systems are properly aligned and functioning properly In the United States, vehicle safety inspections and emissions inspections are conducted individually by each state Fifte states have a periodic (annual or binational) safety inspection program, while Maryland requires a safety inspection and Alabama requires a VIN inspection for selling or transferring a vehicle previously registered to another state. An additional 16 states require periodic issuance
