Safety Inspections Required for Texas Trailers

[TxCowboy]

Jeff, how long will your trailer be parked in Rockport? There is no need to have it inspected and the tags renewed if it's not going to be on the road. If you're planning to buy a truck and travel soon you'll need to get it done but if it will remain static for awhile, no.

We're planning to be in Rockport for about year as we have a spot reserved there for that long. It has always had current registration and insurance, even though it has been in storage for a couple of years.

Going to keep this FW for a couple of more years then likely upgrade to a motorhome when we more or less fully retire. We have no plans to purchase a TW for it as we hire a commercial hauler to move it where we need it -- which is normally to locations where it will be parked for months at a time.

 

[TxCowboy]

They will ask you at the registration office if you have travelled on the road without the registration. You say no even if you did, unless you were cited. Then once you have your tags, you go get it inspected. In the past there has been no reason to register a trailer until you put it on the highway, I have a utility trailer and I only register it when I use it. The tags are often expired for long periods of time.

Do not travel for inspection prior to receiving your current registration. You can probably register your rig on the internet.

Jim, I have current registration (tags) and current insurance. I'm just missing the required RV inspection which I (and many acquaintances) did not know was required.

 

[Jim.Allison]

Sorry, I'm confused.

Jim, I have current registration (tags) and current insurance. I'm just missing the required RV inspection which I (and many acquaintances) did not know was required.

 

[JohnD]

Here in Colorado, all trailers (except those on a dealers lot) have to be legally tagged all the time, no matter if they are on the road or not.

Unless you are wanting to pay a heavy fine . . .

Which they will levy when you go to get tags the next time!

I found this out after we parked our old trailer on a friends lot up in the mountains for a year and a half, figured I didn't need to renew tags since it was parked . . . and when I went to renew the tags to tow it home . . . I got tagged big time!

 

[pegmikef]

Just had my truck inspected under the new Texas Safety Inspection rules (effective Mar 1, 2015). They took the old sticker and gave me a piece of paper to carry and present when registering the truck. The cost of the inspection has dropped to $7.00, so presumably the cost for a trailer inspection will be the same since they were always the same before Mar 1, 2015.

 

[Jim.Allison]

How much did you have to pay?

Here in Colorado, all trailers (except those on a dealers lot) have to be legally tagged all the time, no matter if they are on the road or not.

Unless you are wanting to pay a heavy fine . . .

Which they will levy when you go to get tags the next time!

I found this out after we parked our old trailer on a friends lot up in the mountains for a year and a half, figured I didn't need to renew tags since it was parked . . . and when I went to renew the tags to tow it home . . . I got tagged big time!

 

[JohnD]

How much did you have to pay?

I don't remember exactly (was 10 years ago), but the yearly rate for tags on that trailer was $38 . . . the fine was over $150!

 

[jmgratz]

What happens is they inspection fee at the inspection station is $7. but the other $7.50 is collected when you register your vehicle. Therefore the inspection fee is still the same, it is just collected differently.

 

[pegmikef]

What happens is they inspection fee at the inspection station is $7. but the other $7.50 is collected when you register your vehicle. Therefore the inspection fee is still the same, it is just collected differently.

So basically, the seven dollars is the inspection station's share.? Wonder how they will get it on my truck since I registered it three years in advance (good til 2017).

 

[VMooreSR]

So basically, the seven dollars is the inspection station's share.? Wonder how they will get it on my truck since I registered it three years in advance (good til 2017).

Peg & Mike, I'm assuming you have specialty Plates which can be purchased in multi- years, Your truck registration still has to be done every year that's how they will collect the inspection fee.

 

[pegmikef]

Peg & Mike, I'm assuming you have specialty Plates which can be purchased in multi- years, Your truck registration still has to be done every year that's how they will collect the inspection fee.

No, I have DV plates and my registration sticker and the registration both clearly state the 2017 expiration date. They offered me the option to register it for three years, the last time I registered it so I took it.

 

[VMooreSR]

No, I have DV plates and my registration sticker and the registration both clearly state the 2017 expiration date. They offered me the option to register it for three years, the last time I registered it so I took it.

I stand corrected, they no longer offer that option so its possible the inspection stations will see that in the system and charge the full price of the inspection.

 

[jmgratz]

I would check with the county tax assessor's office regarding how the change will affect you. There are going to be a number of 'hicups' while the new system is being implemented. Not sure anyone knows all of the answers yet.

 

[danemayer]

Just looked at the TX Registration website that talks about the new law.


There is a provision for RV'ers who are out of state at time the registration has to be renewed.

[h=2]Special Circumstances[/h] [h=3]Out of State Motorists[/h] If your vehicle is out of state and you are unable to complete a Texas vehicle inspection in order to renew your registration, you will be able to self-certify that the vehicle is out of state and will be permitted to register. The self-certification process will be limited to:

• Active duty military
• Full-time students
• Seasonal Texans, RV’ers
• Apportioned vehicles
• Elected Congressional officials

You will be able to renew your registration using self-certification online, by mail or in-person. Please contact your county tax office for more information about their requirements for out-of-state registration renewal. To find the contact information for your county of residence, please visit the TxDMV website.
If you renew your vehicle registration using the out-of-state self-certification option, a remark will be placed on your vehicle record indicating that an inspection is still due. Once you return to the state, you must complete a Texas vehicle inspection within three 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 before the remark is removed from your vehicle record, which takes about 48 hours. The remark will only be removed upon payment of the state’s portion of the inspection fee and verification of a current, passing inspection.

There's also a provision for vehicles with multi-year registrations.

[h=3]Multi-year Registration[/h] As part of “Two Steps, One Sticker,” only new passenger cars and light trucks purchased from a dealer which have two years of initial inspection will be eligible to receive two years of initial registration at time of title.
If you currently have a multi-year registration, it will remain valid until it expires. However, you will still need to pass an annual vehicle inspection. You will receive a notice from the TxDMV on the month of your registration instructing you to get an inspection and pay the state’s portion of the inspection fee to the county tax assessor- collector’s office. If you do not complete your required inspection and remit the state’s portion of the fee to your county office within 30 days of your registration month, the remark “Verify Inspection” will be placed on your vehicle record for law enforcement purposes.

As before, there's no emissions test on diesel engines. But the language in the Registration Document doesn't seem to differentiate between safety inspection and emissions inspection. It just says:

Vehicles Not Subject to the Program
The program does not apply to a:
• motorcycle, military tactical vehicle, diesel-powered vehicle, dual-fueled vehicle that
cannot operate using gasoline, and antique vehicles.

Not clear to me whether that's just the emissions inspection or maybe they screwed up a little and exempted diesels from all inspections. But I'm planning on having to get an inspection.

 

[BlackT]

I recently purchased a 2015 Torque 321 from a dealer in Ohio and towed it to my home in Texas where I was required to weigh the trailer and have a safety inspection done prior to being allowed to register it. The trailer would not pass the safety inspection because when the running lights were on at the same time as the turn signals were on, the opposite side tail light would alternately dim and brighten slightly as the turn signal on the other side flashed. After checking the tow vehicle and trailer wiring, I determined that this was due to voltage drop in the wiring. The fix was to replace the incandescent tail light assemblies with LED tail light assemblies as LED lights require much less amperage thus creating much less voltage drop. I think that probably the inspection technician was just being too picky. I also have a bass boat trailer and it does the same thing. I just wanted to get this out there in case someone else encounters the same situation.
.

 

[SailorDon]

In today's mail I got the registration renewal instructions for my 2014 Heartland Wilderness 2175 RB including trailer inspection requirements. Since I bought the travel trailer from a dealer in Iowa, I was not aware of the Texas State trailer inspection required for trailers over 4,500 maximum gross weight.
Now I have to make a special trip to get TT inspected. That is a genuine PITA.

Trailers under 4,500 max. weight don't require trailer inspections. Looks like I will be trading in my Heartland for a smaller (under 4,500 pounds) travel trailer. Bummer!

 

[danemayer]

As I understand it, if you're not in Texas when the renewal takes place, you can declare that online during the renewal. When you return to Texas, you have 2 days to get the inspection.

 

[TravelTiger]

In today's mail I got the registration renewal instructions for my 2014 Heartland Wilderness 2175 RB including trailer inspection requirements. Since I bought the travel trailer from a dealer in Iowa, I was not aware of the Texas State trailer inspection required for trailers over 4,500 maximum gross weight.
Now I have to make a special trip to get TT inspected. That is a genuine PITA.

Trailers under 4,500 max. weight don't require trailer inspections. Looks like I will be trading in my Heartland for a smaller (under 4,500 pounds) travel trailer. Bummer!

It just takes about 15 min, our local Jiffy-Lube does trailer inspections. Not really too much of a PITA.

 

[SailorDon]

As I understand it, if you're not in Texas when the renewal takes place, you can declare that online during the renewal. When you return to Texas, you have 2 days to get the inspection.

You are right.
There are provisions in the state inspection law that allow for those who are out of state when the inspection is due. But this does not help me since my travel trailer vacations are typically 3 and 4 day "weekend" trips, mostly within Texas.

 

[danemayer]

You are right.
There are provisions in the state inspection law that allow for those who are out of state when the inspection is due. But this does not help me since my travel trailer vacations are typically 3 and 4 day "weekend" trips, mostly within Texas.

What's the hardship? Just had ours inspected. I think it was $7 and took 10 minutes.