Does a 25 year old car need inspection in Texas?
Vehicle owners driving a 25-year-old vehicle are eligible for a safety-only inspection. This type of inspection costs $7.00 at the inspection station. There is a registration fee of $7.50 for this inspection, bringing the total to $14.50.
For those asking, ”How old does a car have to be to pass emissions in Texas?” here's all you need to know. Your car is exempt from emissions testing if: It is a new vehicle made in the last 2 model years. It is a vehicle manufactured over 24 years ago.
Antique & Classic
Vehicles registered as "Classic" are required to have an annual safety inspection. These types of vehicles are inspected like any passenger vehicle.
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.
FORM VIE-7: The VIE-7 (Vehicle Repair Form) must be completed for a customer to receive a re-inspection or to apply for a waiver. A customer should have a form VIE-7 if they failed the emission inspection. If they do not bring a VIE-7 with them to the waiver station, the form can be accessed here by clicking on VIE-7.
All vehicles registered in Texas are required to receive an annual inspection which includes a comprehensive safety inspection. Gas-powered vehicles aged 2 through 24 years (or upon expiration of the two-year initial inspection sticker) require an emissions test in addition to the state inspection.
Motorcycles and diesel-powered passenger vehicles are exempt from emissions testing in the state of Texas. The same is true for cars that were manufactured less than two years ago or more than 24 years ago. There is no set fee for emissions testing. Each inspection station has the right to set their own prices.
For insurance and registration purposes, the age of a classic car, in most cases, is at least 20 years old but not more than 40 years old. If you are going to register it (and insure it) as a classic, it should have been kept to its original design and specifications.
LETS DEFINE ANTIQUE AND CUSTOM BUILT VEHICLES
According to Texas state law a vehicle will be considered an antique if the body, frame and engine are at least 25 years old.
A full diagnostic is still necessary, as you cannot pass the Texas state inspection with a check engine light on, even if it is just for emission reasons.
Is Texas no longer require state inspections?
The new law eliminates mandatory vehicle inspections on most cars starting Jan. 1, 2025. Lawmakers behind the bill said safety inspections were inconvenient and costly. Currently, a safety inspection costs $7.50.
Remember, you must have a passing vehicle inspection before you can renew. Online. You can renew your vehicle registration online 90 days before the expiration date or up to one year after the expiration date, if you have not received a citation for expired registration.

0 – 5 days after your car's inspection/registration sticker expires. At this point, your registration has expired, and you have now entered the Texas inspection sticker grace period. This means you have five business days to have your car inspected and registered.
If, on the date of sale, it has been more than 180 days since the vehicle was last inspected, the vehicle must be inspected before registration and title paperwork is submitted to the county tax office. If the vehicle does not have a passing inspection at the time of registration, the transaction will be rejected.
Inspection Type | Amount You Pay At Station |
---|---|
One-Year Safety | $7.00 |
Two-Year Safety (new vehicles) | $7.00 |
Commercial | $40.00 |
Trailer / Motorcycle | $7.00 |
Proof of emissions testing is not required when any of the following applies: The vehicle's prior registration or titling was done in Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwell, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson, or Harris counties.
“Because there are no emission components on electric vehicles, an electric vehicle is only required to have a safety only inspection. When conducting a vehicle inspection in an emissions county/at an emissions inspection station, the inspector should select “SAFETY ONLY” inspection on the emissions analyzer.
Texas requires two types of vehicle inspections — a safety inspection and an emission inspection. A safety inspection checks critical components such as brakes, lights, seat belts, and tires, while an emissions inspection looks at the levels of pollution your car contributes.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law Tuesday that would eliminate mandatory vehicle inspections in Texas once it takes effect in 2025.
Vehicles are no longer required to have an inspection sticker on the vehicle's windshield. The inspection sticker has been replaced by the Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR). Keep the VIR handy as it may need to be shown at the time of registration.
How many miles can you drive with antique plates in Texas?
They do not limit mileage but do not allow you to drive the car to work, require that it be stored in a locked garage, require the driver to have at least 10 years driving experence, etc. Then, here in Texas, you can license a car as an Antique.
Classic vs Antique vs Vintage Cars
A vintage car is one that was manufactured between 1919 and 1930. An antique car is any car manufactured in 1975 or earlier (older than 45 years old). The classic car is a vehicle manufactured in the 1990s or earlier (at least 20 years old).
Here is how you can tell if your car is antique, classic or vintage by the year it was manufactured: Vintage Car: Manufactured between 1919 and 1930. Either a “survivor” or restored in conformance to the original manufacturer specifications. Antique Car: Manufactured 1975 or earlier (>45 years old).
The starting classic car age range can generally be anywhere from a minimum of 10 to 25 years old, but there's no agreed-upon minimum age that categorizes a car as a classic. Insurance companies, car collecting clubs, and state BMVs and DMVs all have their own methods for defining a classic car.
Vehicles manufactured prior to 1921 are just $40.00 for registration while those manufactured in 1921 or thereafter are $50.00. Vehicle owners must provide proof of insurance or a Texas DPS affidavit, along with the application for approval.
The Antique plate is issued for a five-year period to a qualifying vehicle. The plate fee is $50 if the vehicle was manufactured in 1921 or later; the plate fee is $40 if the vehicle was manufactured before 1921.
The only vehicles exempt from both license plates include road tractors, motorcycles, trailers, semitrailers, antique vehicles and former military vehicles, per the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and Austin-based Cobb & Counsel. Those specific vehicles are required to have a rear license plate only.
A vehicle will not pass an emissions test when the check engine light is on. If the battery has been disconnected or the trouble codes erased, you will have to drive the vehicle under varying conditions for up to one week before it will pass.
Drive for 50 to 100 miles (80 to 160 km). Take several individual trips until the system reads the status of all the components once more. “Several trips” means you shut off the engine and start another trip each time. Therefore, it's not just 100 miles in one trip.
Inspection Procedure: All tires on a vehicle will have proper tread depth of at least 2/32 of an inch and be in safe operating condition.
What makes you fail Texas inspection?
What fails inspections in Texas? There are several common reasons why a vehicle may fail a Texas state inspection, including windshield wipers that are damaged or not working, service or check engine lights being illuminated, headlights or tail lights that are damaged or burnt out, and issues with the parking brake.
Vehicles registered in Texas are required to pass an annual inspection to ensure compliance with safety standards. While safety inspections are required throughout the state, emissions testing is required of vehicles inspected in 17 Texas counties to comply with federally mandated clean air requirements.
Within 90 days of your Texas State registration sticker expiring, you must get the vehicle re-inspected. There is a five-day grace period at the beginning of the following month, however, after this grace period, you and your vehicle are at risk of getting pulled over and subjected to costly tickets and fines.
The vehicle must pass inspection before it can be registered and titled. Both the registration and inspection process require proof of financial responsibility.
A vehicle may be operated up to five working days after the registration expires without penalty. After those five days, you can receive a citation of up to $200.
Can I legally drive my vehicle after the registration expires? State law gives you a five-day grace period. Renew your registration at Texas.gov and you will receive a receipt that allows you to drive legally for 31 days until your sticker arrives in the mail.
If you want to register your vehicle in the state of Texas, you are required to get a vehicle inspection. Vehicle inspections are good for one year unless you're buying a new vehicle from the dealership; then, the inspection is valid for two years.
Will I Fail My Inspection If My Windshield Is Cracked? The windshield is NOT an item of inspection. However, the windshield wipers are. Be sure that the crack does not cause the wipers to tear and that the crack has not caused the windshield to become concave or convex so the wipers lose contact with the windshield.
Vehicles registered as "Antiques" are exempt from annual inspection. To see the restrictions on the use of antiques or to obtain more information on how to register your vehicle as "Antique," visit the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicles registered as "Classic" are required to have an annual safety inspection.
Can you transfer a title without inspection in Texas?
For buyers, you must submit Form 130U along with a vehicle inspection prior to transferring the title. A seller must submit a vehicle transfer notification and form VTR-275. The transfer has to be completed within 30 days of the buy-sell transaction completion.
Of course, you will have to take your car with you to get it inspected. However, there are certain documents that you will need during the inspection process. If you don't possess authentic documents, the technicians aren't legally allowed to perform the inspection.
Motorist's safety is a top priority in Texas; as a result, vehicles registered in Texas are required to pass an annual inspection to ensure compliance with safety standards.
It is typically the buyer who pays and arranges for a home inspection. Since it costs a significant amount of money, buyers often wait until they have the home on contract before they schedule one.
Every time a customer brings their car in for an inspection the first thing we check is the insurance. Anyone presenting their car for a state inspection must have a current proof of Texas insurance.
Gas-powered vehicles aged 2 through 24 years (or upon expiration of the two-year initial inspection sticker) require an emissions test in addition to the state inspection. However, motorcycles and diesel-powered vehicles, and those living in certain counties are exempt from emissions testing.
In the state of Texas, all vehicles must undergo a thorough safety inspection on an annual basis. This testing must take place before the car's registration can be renewed. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Beginning in 2025, Texas drivers will no longer need to get their vehicles inspected. On Aug. 5, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3297 into law, which eliminates regular mandatory vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles.
New Vehicles: Vehicles that are less than two years old or have fewer than 24,000 miles on the odometer do not need a safety inspection. Antique Vehicles: Vehicles that are at least 25 years old and used solely for exhibitions, parades, or other public events are exempt from safety inspections.
The emissions test on newer vehicles is called an OBDII test. We do this by attaching the emissions tester to your vehicle's computer. The status (ON/OFF) of the vehicle's check engine light is the most important part of the test. If your check engine light stays on your vehicle will not pass the inspection.
How many days can you drive with expired inspection sticker in Texas?
0 – 5 days after your car's inspection/registration sticker expires. At this point, your registration has expired, and you have now entered the Texas inspection sticker grace period. This means you have five business days to have your car inspected and registered.
Inspection Type | Amount You Pay At Station |
---|---|
One-Year Safety | $7.00 |
Two-Year Safety (new vehicles) | $7.00 |
Commercial | $40.00 |
Trailer / Motorcycle | $7.00 |
- Horn.
- Steering.
- Seat belts.
- Rear-view mirrors.
- Side-view mirrors.
- Brakes system.
- Tires.
- Exhaust system.
Additionally, maintenance costs can quickly add up as cars age. Parts are harder to find, and labor is more time-intensive. If these concerns make you uneasy, avoid cars over 20 years old. This rule of thumb may help ensure your vehicle choice is still safe, reliable, and affordable.
The last major change came in March 2015, when Texas stopped issuing vehicle inspection stickers and transitioned to the “Two Steps, One Sticker” vehicle inspection and registration program. Vehicle owners must pass the annual safety inspection before registering the vehicle.
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