Answering your questions about Texas ending state vehicle inspections

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Starting in 2025, Texas will no longer require car owners to complete state vehicle inspections in order to renew a non-commercial vehicle registration. The new law sparked questions from KXAN's viewers and social media followers.

If you have a question about the registration changes that you want us to look into, please email us at ReportIt@kxan.com.

Will this mean more unsafe cars on the road?

“The first line of defense for the safety of our fellow Texans is going to be a vehicle inspection,” said Travis County Constable’s Office Sgt. Joe Escribano to a Senate committee last year.

Despite some commenters' claims that "their guy" only had them "honk the horn," a full Texas state inspection includes a list of "required equipment," including the brake system, lights, horn, mirrors and tires.

Law enforcement can still pull over drivers on suspicion of illegal or defective equipment. In some cases, they may issue a citation to the driver.

A 2018 University of Texas at Austin study found that crashes involving defective vehicles are twice as likely to kill compared to non-defective cars.

"The percentage of crashes involving defective vehicles increases with higher speed limits—as does the severity of those crashes," the study reported, "Given that Texas has the highest speed limit in the nation and many high-speed roadways, it is important to consider the potential safety impact of eliminating the safety inspection program in Texas on highway safety, especially on roadways with high speed limits."

That study also found that the leading "defect related to fatal crashes" was "slick or defective tires," which would be caught during an inspection.

Texans will learn together whether or not ending inspections makes our roads less safe. Ultimately, what motorists owe each other is safe driving and vehicle maintenance.

Can I just wait until next year to renew?

Every registered vehicle in Texas has an expiration date for that registration. That date doesn't change, even if a renewal happens late.

There's also a time limit for renewal -- a year after the expiration date if there hasn't been a ticket. After that point, registration costs an additional 20%.

Driving without a registration is still illegal in Texas, and could lead to a fine of up to $200 and court costs. And the vehicle would still need to be registered.

For those who want to risk it, the gamble may not be worth the cost: Registrations in 2025 will have a new fee of $7.50, which is $0.50 more than a state inspection.

Travis, Williamson, and 15 of Texas' most populated counties will still require an emissions inspection (with its own cost) for gasoline-powered vehicles. Electric and diesel powered vehicles are exempt from emissions tests. Motorcycles are also exempt.

To answer a viewer's hypothetical: December expiration dates are in an interesting place -- according to Texas' transportation code, it is a legal defense against an expired registration ticket if the local county assessor-collector's office was closed for a "protracted period of time" and it hasn't been more than 30 business days since the registration expired.

Will my insurance cost more?

The Texas Department of Insurance states that the most common factors influencing car insurance rates are personal ones: Driving record, where you live, age, gender, marital status, cost of the car, credit score, job and claims history. Beyond the personal, TDI said that inflation, how much the company has spent on recent claims, weather events, and the company's own insurance.

Texas requires insurance companies to send an analysis of its rate changes to TDI for evaluation. Excessive and unsound changes aren't allowed under Texas law. TDI claims it saved Texans $57 million in 2023 from proposed rate changes through this process.

It is unclear if the end of state inspections will directly cause an increase in rates. That said, an increase in crashes and claims will cause rates to go up.

Also, insurers may still require a state inspection on older vehicles or "higher tier" policies, according to insurance company Allstate.

Should the state just get rid of registrations (unnecessary tax)?

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, registrations help protect against theft and fraud. It also helps the state to know how many vehicles are on its roads, which helps to estimate the impact of those vehicles.

Registration of electric vehicles serves the same purpose; EVs are heavier than their gasoline-powered counterparts and have a greater impact on roads.

Any state legislators interested in ending registrations will have their next opportunity during the upcoming 2025 regular legislative session.