How To Register And Inspect A Car In Texas

Texas Vehicle Inspection And Registration Stickers Are Partnering Up!

motorist driving down road

Motorists

Commencement March one, 2016, you lot volition have 90 days to consummate the Two Steps. In club to renew on fourth dimension, your vehicle must pass inspection no earlier than 90 days before your registration expires.

How It Works: Practice the 2 Step

Prepare for "Two Steps, One Sticker?" Follow the moves:

Stride 1: Pass a vehicle inspection within 90 days of your registration expiration and keep your Vehicle Inspection Written report. To find your nearest inspection station, please visit the Texas Department of Public Safety's (DPS) website.

Footstep ii: After your vehicle passes inspection, renew your registration online, by mail or in person, and your inspection status will be verified electronically.

Fees

While "Two Steps, One Sticker" brings a welcome modify to your windshield, it does not impact your wallet. Your inspection fee is the same, but you pay it in ii steps:

The inspection station's portion of the fee is due at the time of inspection.
The state's portion of the fee is collected at the fourth dimension of registration. The country's portion of the inspection fee is line-itemed on your registration renewal discover.

Registration Renewal Procedure

Here's a more than detailed overview of how renewing your vehicle'due south registration works.

Earlier issuing your registration renewal notice, TxDMV checks the state inspection database for your last inspection. If your inspection record cannot be establish or is declining, you will not receive a registration renewal notice. Instead, TxDMV volition send y'all an Inspection and Registration Find informing you lot that a passing record could non exist located.

Here is more information virtually how to renew your registration:

Online
If you have a passing inspection in the inspection database, y'all can complete your renewal online and your new registration sticker will exist mailed to y'all.

If y'all exercise not have a passing inspection in the inspection database and you lot are unable to certify that the vehicle is out of land, you will need to obtain a passing vehicle inspection or visit your local county tax office and present your Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) to consummate your renewal.
By Mail
If you have a passing inspection in the inspection database, include a re-create of your VIR with your registration renewal find and your local county revenue enhancement office will process your renewal. Your new registration sticker will be mailed to you.

If you DO NOT have a passing inspection, your renewal will not exist candy. Your canton will asking that you provide verification of inspection.
In-Person
If you lot take a passing inspection in the inspection database, the clerk will go along with your renewal. Inspection will be verified electronically at the time of renewal.

Most inspection records are available in real time, but there may be instances when the record is not immediately available. If your vehicle passed inspection only the system is unable to electronically verify it, you may present the passing VIR you received from the inspection station to the county at the fourth dimension of renewal. If you need to prove proof of inspection to consummate your vehicle'due south registration renewal, visit www.mytxcar.org to download, brandish electronically, or print a copy of the document. Your inspection volition be verified manually, and you lot will be permitted to renew your vehicle registration.

If you lot are renewing your registration at a county subcontractor location, such equally your local grocery store, they may not take your VIR as proof of inspection. Each county determines whether their subcontractors can verify inspection via VIR. If a subcontractor is not permitted to verify via VIR, you will be directed to the county revenue enhancement office to consummate your renewal.

Need Proof of Inspection?

If you demand to prove proof of inspection to consummate your vehicle's registration, visit www.mytxcar.org to download, brandish electronically, or print a copy of the document.

Special Circumstances

Out of Country Motorists

If your vehicle is currently out of state and you are unable to complete a Texas vehicle inspection in order to renew your registration, you may self-certify that the vehicle is out of state and will be permitted to register online, by mail, or in person.

If yous renew your vehicle registration using the out-of-state cocky-certification choice, a remark volition exist placed on your vehicle record indicating that an inspection is still due. In one case you return to the state, yous must complete a Texas vehicle inspection within 3 days of arrival at your home, duty station, or destination. It is very important that you keep the VIR issued after completing your inspection in case you are stopped by law enforcement earlier the remark is removed from your vehicle record, which takes nearly 48 hours. The remark will be removed only upon payment of the state's portion of the inspection fee and verification of inspection at your county tax office.

Multi-year Registration

As function of "Two Steps, One Sticker," only new passenger cars and light trucks purchased from a dealer, which have two years of initial inspection are eligible to receive two years of initial registration at fourth dimension of championship.

If you currently have a multi-yr registration, it volition remain valid until it expires. However, y'all volition still need to laissez passer an annual vehicle inspection. You lot will receive a notice from the TxDMV on the month of your registration instructing you to become an inspection and pay the state'southward portion of the inspection fee to the county revenue enhancement office. A 'VERIFY INSPECTION' remark volition exist placed on the motor vehicle record for failure to pass a Texas inspection and pay the country portion of the inspection fee to your local canton taxation office. This remark can result in constabulary enforcement citation.

New Texas Residents

Your vehicle must be inspected and registered within 30 days after you move to Texas. The state's portion of the inspection fee is due at the time of registration. For more than information on new resident registration requirements, please visit the TxDMV website.

Title Transfer and Private Vehicle Sales

If you buy a used vehicle via individual party auction, the vehicle must have a passing vehicle inspection before it can exist titled and registered. The country'south portion of the inspection fee is due at the time of registration.

Trailer Inspection Requirements

Certain trailers crave a passing inspection prior to registration. If your trailer has a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) that is more than seven,500 pounds, an inspection is required. This includes trailers, semitrailers, boat trailers, pole trailers, mobile homes, travel trailers. Notation: Farm trailers displaying a farm license plate are non required to be inspected. If you are unsure virtually the gross vehicle weight of your trailer, check your registration receipt for the weight. For more than information about the specific inspection requirements, please visit the DPS website or contact your nearest DPS regional headquarters.

Vehicles Exempt from Inspection Requirements

If your vehicle does not currently require an almanac inspection, it does not require an inspection for purposes of registration at present that the program has gone into effect. For information regarding whether your vehicle is discipline to state inspection requirements, please visit the DPS website or contact your nearest DPS regional headquarters.