Texas State Inspection: Car Inspections & Emissions Test

Driver’s Edge is a Texas State Inspection Station

An annual inspection is a reality of vehicle ownership. But this service shouldn’t inspire stress – with the right team, the process is convenient and straightforward.

Driver’s Edge strives to make your state inspection a stress-free annual experience.

Due To Texas State Regulations, We Are Not Allowed To Take Appointments For State Inspections. State Inspections Are Performed On A First Come, First Serve Basis.

Proudly Serving the Following Locations:

Dallas & Fort Worth Locations 

Being an Official Texas State Vehicle Inspection Station, our mission is to ensure your vehicle is in compliance with annual state testing mandates and also safe for you and your family to drive. Each car inspection we do includes a comprehensive safety inspection, as well as any state emissions testing requirements for your particular vehicle make, model, and year. 

Even when an emissions test is not required, meeting the annual state inspection testing requirement gives you peace of mind knowing your vehicle is safe to drive and allows you the ability to renew your registration.

Book your appointment at your nearest Driver’s Edge auto shop for a Texas state inspection now.

Requirements of the Texas State Vehicle Testing

The State of Texas Department of Public Safety mandates the exact items required to be inspected and verified during a vehicle inspection and emissions test. They also issue the inspector licensing credentials which Driver’s Edge is proud to maintain. The annual inspection requirement is a bit like a yearly physical with your doctor where a wide variety of major components are tested to make sure they are all in working order. 

Our certified mechanics follow a strict checklist of required items to ensure your vehicle is in compliance with Texas regulations. The exact testing requirements vary depending on the year and type of vehicle but proof of a passed annual vehicle inspection is required to renew your vehicle’s registration.

For emissions testing, only designated emissions counties are subject to the Texas vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance program. If your vehicle is registered in one of these counties, you will not be able to renew your vehicle’s annual registration if your vehicle has not passed the annual emissions inspections or otherwise complied with the inspection program’s requirements. 

Call Now (844) 564-8111

What to Expect During a Texas Vehicle Inspection & Emissions Test

As our ASE-certified mechanics perform a vehicle inspection for your Texas vehicle, it’s a great opportunity to spot any issues and let you know about minor problems before they can become bigger problems down the road. 

During your vehicle inspection visit, you can expect our vehicle inspection experts to follow the state requirements exactly so that your vehicle is in compliance with state laws. The various components our technicians will check include:

  • Horn
  • Windshield wipers
  • Mirrors
  • Steering wheel
  • Seat belts
  • Brake system and parking brake (starting with vehicles made in 1960 to present)
  • Tires and wheel assembly
  • Exhaust emission system (starting with vehicles made in 1968 to present)
  • Beam indicator (starting with vehicles made in 1948 to present)
  • Tail lights x 2 or x 1 (for vehicles 1959 or earlier)
  • Stop lights x 3 (1986 and newer), x 2 (1960-1985), or x 1 (1959 or earlier)
  • License plate light
  • Rear red reflectors x 2
  • Turn signals (starting with 1960 models to present)
  • Headlamps x 2
  • Motor, serial, and/or VIN 
  • Gas caps (vehicles 2 – 24 model years old)
  • Window tint

Each of these activities has its own specific set of procedures that must be followed to ensure compliance. When it comes to a car inspection in Texas, only trust your vehicle with an Official State Vehicle Inspection Station like Driver’s Edge.

Schedule a Texas State Car Inspection Now

Our ASE-certified pros can quickly get your vehicle through a Texas state car inspection, make any repairs necessary, and issue a pass inspection so you can be in compliance and renew your registration. Schedule your inspection online and only come when it’s time to get your inspection underway.

We offer Car Inspections at ALL of our Texas Auto Repair shops: Some quick links to our Official Texas Inspection Stations are below for your convenience.

Frisco Car Inspection – Convenient to the neighborhoods of Starwood, West Frisco, Stonebriar and Lone Star Ranch. We are actively involved in the community.

Allen Car Inspection – on McDermott Road in Allen, TX

We know that you have lots of choices for Official Vehicle Inspections in TX we hope that you will choose Driver’s Edge, your neighborhood Auto Repair Shop. Find an Inspection Station near you now.

Frequently Asked Questions

The state government requires that vehicles registered in Texas undergo an annual safety inspection. This ensures that your vehicle complies with safety standards.

It’s important to note that Driver’s Edge performs all safety inspections at the discretion of the state. This means that we follow state-mandated instructions, and use these guidelines to determine whether your vehicle passes or fails the inspection.

17 Texas counties require emissions testing to ensure that your vehicle complies with federal clean air mandates. They include: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson, and El Paso.

Safety tests are required of all vehicles registered in Texas. Emissions tests are required for vehicles registered within the 17 counties listed above.

There are several components that are tested during a vehicle inspection and any one of these requires its own inspection procedure. For example, when inspecting a beam indicator (the light indicator on your dash that tells you when your high beams are on) in vehicles registered after 1/1/48, a competent technician will inspect for the beam indicator to be present, working properly, and not producing a glare for the driver. If it fails any of these, a repair will be necessary in order to pass this portion of the inspection.

If your vehicle fails the OBD II (on-board diagnostic) test used to check your vehicle’s emissions, there can be any one of several causes including a catalytic converter failure or even just a faulty gas cap. Our certified technicians will diagnose the exact cause and recommend the fix to ensure your vehicle gets back in compliance.

We recommend using the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website to look up a licensed Inspection Station before ever trusting your vehicle to perform a vehicle safety and emissions test. Driver’s Edge is proud to maintain our license as an Official State Vehicle Inspection Station.

The process can vary a little depending on everything that is required for your particular vehicle and if any issues are found; however, a typical car inspection service is usually completed in 30 minutes or less.

It is a very good idea to run down the list of items our technicians will inspect prior to scheduling your car inspection service. This helps you be able to spot any potential issues before the inspection, several of which can be an easy repair/replacement such as with the windshield wipers or a license plate lamp. For any issues that have you worried, contact our team or schedule a service appointment to have our pros take a look and recommend the best fixes to pass inspection.

Remember, emissions testing is only required if your vehicle is registered in one of the designated emissions counties in Texas. If your vehicle does require an emissions test, our certified technicians will look at three primary areas:

  • Checking your dashboard for any malfunction indicators. This may appear as a “check engine” or “service engine soon” light or indication.
  • Making sure that the malfunction indicator light’s status and diagnostics trouble codes are in good operation.
  • Checking your vehicle’s OBD II readiness monitors.

Older vehicles that don’t have OBD II ports will have a manual emissions test with a reader connected to the vehicle’s tailpipe and measuring the emissions while idling.

The State of Texas requires all registered vehicles to pass an annual safety inspection. Several counties also have a requirement for an annual emissions inspection. These comprehensive safety inspections are meant to ensure all vehicles are safe and fit to drive, which helps keep everyone sharing the road safer. The inspections also offer our certified technicians a chance to get a good overview of your vehicle and spot any minor issues before they become bigger problems.

The Texas Department of Public Safety currently lists designated counties performing emissions testing. These designated counties include: Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson. Be sure to check the DPS website for the most up-to-date listing of designated emissions counties.

We’ll provide a detailed list of the repairs required to pass your vehicle. If you choose, our mechanics can help you make an appointment to implement those repairs.

Yes. If your vehicle fails, you will be required to go through another state inspection to ensure that the needed repairs have been implemented.

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