CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — You may have seen claims online or even heard from family or friends that getting an annual car inspection is now a thing of the past.
But is it true?
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, it is – but not just yet.
Even though it only happens once a year, many of us find it hard to find the time to stop by and get our car inspected when the sticker tells us it’s due. Soon, it will be removed from the “to do” list permanently.
With some lawmakers saying that inspections are costly, time-consuming and provide little benefit, last year the Texas legislature passed a measure eliminating mandatory inspections for non-commercial vehicles, and Gov. Abbott signed it.
"The new law does not go into effect until January 1, 2025," Staff Sergeant Rob Mallory with the Texas Highway Patrol – Corpus Christi District said. "That means if your inspection expired last month or is expiring in the next couple of months, you still need to go down and get your state inspection done in order to renew your vehicle registration for another year."
This change to the state’s Vehicle Safety Inspection Program also means that soon, it will be the sole responsibility of car and truck owners to make sure that what they drive is roadworthy and doesn’t pose a danger to anyone inside or outside of the vehicle.
"The big things you need to check are your tires, making sure you’ve got good tread depth for when we have those wet, rainy days," Mallory said. "Make sure all of your lights are working – your emergency flashers and your signal lights. And then also check your windshield wipers, too. A bad way to find out that you need to replace them is when there is a heavy rain coming down and you can’t see out of your front windshield."
While the change may save you time, it won’t save you any money.
That $7.50 fee you’ve been paying for a new inspection sticker will now be added to the cost of registering your vehicle each year, something you can still do online.