Changes to Texas Registration

[crussian]

Hi all, came across this yesterday. Reason being is that my wife and I are considering making Texas our new domicile/residence. A little concerned about this new registration process. I thought that inspections were only required in high populated areas, Dallas, Houston, etc, but apparently it is not localized, it is Texas wide. Can anyone in this group elaborate more? I have cut and pasted the article:

A few changes for drivers registering their vehicles in Texas began Sunday, March 1.
Vehicles will need to pass a state vehicle inspection before registration renewal. Drivers will need Verification of a Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) from a vehicle inspection station along with other required documents to complete Texas vehicle renewal registration of cars and trucks, as well as motorcycles, RV's and trailers.
Second, vehicle inspection stations will no longer collect the state's portion of the inspection fee. Instead, the state's portion will be collected at the time of registration or renewal. Registration renewals will now have that fee printed on the renewal notice.
With these changes a vehicle's registration sticker will serve as a combined proof of registration and inspection.
For more information about the state's registration renewal process changes, visit the Texas DMV website. You can also see a list of AAA Texas branch offices that provide DMV services here.
To renew registration at AAA Texas branch offices, make sure to bring these with you:

• Registration renewal notice
• proof of current liability insurance
• vehicle registration fee
• Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR)

Source: New Texas DMV Registration Laws Go Into Effect Sunday - NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Ne...to-Effect-Sunday-294574151.html#ixzz4wig6KOIM

C&J
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[TexasTraveler2017]

Texas has required safety inspections as long as I can remember. It is just certain more populated counties that require emissions inspections as well. I have always lived in the DFW area, so we had safety and emissions. My parents live in Lubbock and only had safety inspections I believe. Now we don’t get an inspection sticker after the change last year. But when you renew registration, you’re supposed to get your inspection before getting your registration renewed. I believe for those out of state, you can renew but are supposed to get your inspection within like 3 days of returning to the state.


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[crussian]

Texas has required safety inspections as long as I can remember. It is just certain more populated counties that require emissions inspections as well. I have always lived in the DFW area, so we had safety and emissions. My parents live in Lubbock and only had safety inspections I believe. Now we don’t get an inspection sticker after the change last year. But when you renew registration, you’re supposed to get your inspection before getting your registration renewed. I believe for those out of state, you can renew but are supposed to get your inspection within like 3 days of returning to the state.


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It also mentioned trailers. Are they speaking of utility trailers or RV trailers? Do you know?

C&J

 

[TexasTraveler2017]

It also mentioned trailers. Are they speaking of utility trailers or RV trailers? Do you know?

C&J

Any trailer with a gross weight of 7500 lbs or more requires a safety inspection. I’ve always had to have safety inspections on my RV. Basically they check the lights and brakes.

http://www.txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/trailers


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[TravelTiger]

It also mentioned trailers. Are they speaking of utility trailers or RV trailers? Do you know?

C&J

li

Yes, RV towables do have to be inspected yearly. It's actually very quick, they check your lights, probably look at the tires, and they are supposed to check that your brakes work (but many don't really, except ask you to press the brake pedal), and check your VIN panel. You must go to an inspection location that handles trailer inspection. This is usually ones that do motorcycles as well. Not every place can do trailers.

In our case since we are pretty stationary, it's pack up everything and drive it to town to the quick lube place that does inspections (including trailers), we stay out on the street beside their building. Took 15 minutes, then drive back to our park and set up again. They don't go inside the rig for anything at all, purely an exterior visit.

You must have your inspection done within 90 days before you obtain your new registration sticker (displayed on your license plate, or for vehicles, the registration is a window sticker.)

One more add: You also can't get an inspection (or registration, for that matter) without proof of insurance, and I think someone recently said the insurance coverage has to show you have a Texas residence.

Erika

 

[crussian]

Awesome, thanks for all the clarifications. It all makes sense now.

C&J

 

[Gary521]

It does?

 

[crussian]

It does?

Clear as mud.

C&J

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[TravelTiger]

My opinion, Texas decided that too many folks were not getting inspections done, or getting them "on the down-low", so they decided you cannot get your State vehicle registration sticker UNLESS you have your vehicle inspected. And it must be entered into the State's electronic database -- so Inspectors have to be legit. When you mail in or go online or go to the courthouse to get your registration, they check that your inspection is in their database. Then they issue the registration sticker. The State also charges you an added fee, which used to be collected by the inspection station. (inspections used to be about $16, now they are about $7 at the time you get it done.)

One more add: You also can't get an inspection (or registration, for that matter) without proof of insurance, and I think someone recently said the insurance coverage has to show you have a Texas residence.

 

[MCTalley]

Couple other notes:

1. The news article you linked was posted about two years ago.
2. This may have changed, but when we were full-timers using Escapees in Texas for an address, we could renew tags online and they'd send them to us even though we hadn't had the rig inspected for that renewal year yet. There is a checkbox on the site that you checked that said you would get the inspection done within three days of re-entering the state. I don't suspect they would let you do that two years running, so I would plan on an eventual visit to Texas at least once a year to take care of such matters (would be a great time to attend one or more Texas rallies).