I’m kind of shocked to learn that only 19 states require vehicle inspections - but then again, I live in “progressive” New Jersey, where everything has some sort of government control attached to it.
We don’t pay an extra fee for inspection (which includes an emissions test, no exceptions), but registering a simple passenger car costs about $40, give or take. Are there registration fees on top of the inspection fees in TX?
Inspection and registration are separate.
Registration is $60 or so per vehicle. Inspection is about $15 for emissions exempt (like Diesels or 25 year old cars) or in emissions exempt counties and about $45 for cars/counties requiring smog testing.
Texas doesn't have "personal Property tax" so there aren't any other real taxes on cars we own (other than toll roads). It's not as cheap as say South Dakota to have a car, but it's still cheaper than most states.
As for the inspections, I've failed twice for Autocross tires on a couple of my race cars. They told me that the tread wasn't deep enough though the tires were DOT approved and new. I maybe drove those cars 100 miles/year on the street on sunny days, but scrounged up a mixed set of wheels and tires to pass inspection, then put the racing tires back on five minutes after I got my sticker.
I live in the DFW Metroplex, right between Dallas and Fort Worth, near the airport. The annual inspection is a hassle, but it does keep clunkers off the road.
My inspections are done at a Jiffy-Lube, which doesn’t sell parts other than oil and air filters, so they do not fake problems like a car dealership might just to sell parts.
It costs about $35 each year and without a current sticker on the windshield the owner will either get a hefty fine or impoundment of the vehicle.
The licensed inspector tests the tire tread depth, headlights, horn, tail lights, brake lights and then drives the auto to test the brakes. The vehicle, while running, is then subjected to an emission test, gas tank cap test and a computer is hooked into the vehicle’s computer to capture data such as actual mileage, etc. (as well as whatever else might be on the vehicle’s computer).
With regard to the question about a vehicle registration fee, the answer is YES. My auto is about 3600 pounds and our fees are based on weight, not value, so I pay about $57 a year for a registration sticker... which has to also be displayed on the windshield near the inspection sticker.
Inspections were initiated in Texas in the early 1960s, I think, but back then they were all due by a certain date in April (kinda like income tax). I recall being in a long line of cars for several hours to get the inspection and then being turned down because a minor fender bender had caused one headlight to not be aligned correctly. ...I had to go home and work at hammering metal and inserting wood shims to correct the aim of the headlight so I could pass the inspection the next day.
Sorry, everyone, for being so mouthy.
Are there registration fees on top of the inspection fees in TX?
Yes an annual registration of the license where you get a sticker to affix to the windshield of the vehicle showing date, mo/yr, of expiration. The annual registration fee varies depending upon the vehicle.