AUSTIN, Texas — Drivers will no longer need to get their vehicles inspected in Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3297 into law on Tuesday, which will eliminate the annual car inspection requirement for most vehicles in the state.
The law will go into place beginning in 2025 and will be replaced by an annual fee of $7.50. It's the same as the current inspection fee but without the need to take your vehicle to a shop.
If your vehicle was not previously registered, you'll pay $16.75 instead. Some of that money will go into several state funds, including the Texas mobility fund, which aims at accelerating transportation projects.
Cars in some of the state's larger counties, like Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery, and Galveston, will still need to pass an emissions check.
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Texas was one of 13 states that still mandated annual inspections for cars.
HB 3297 isn't the only change coming to Texas drivers. Abbott also signed House Bill 718 on Monday, which will let car dealerships keep metal plates on hand to give to people who buy vehicles, eliminating the need for temporary paper plates.
Lastly, House Bill 393 was also signed into law, which will force drunk drivers who kill parents to pay child support.
Bentley's law, which was named after a drunken driving victim's surviving son, would require people convicted of intoxication manslaughter to pay restitution.
Payments would begin a year after the defendant is released from prison and continue until all of the victims' surviving children turned 18.
