quote:

Originally posted by IntrepidTraveler:

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Originally posted by Opus Dei:
Not in Texas, now. The world didn't end, and cars didn't self-destruct any more than usual.

Not strictly true. I moved there ~3Y ago. When transferring registration, a safety inspection is necessary. And smog is required in the heavily populated counties.

Yep, still required in the major metros. Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio. They did let us out of inspecting our motorcycles annually, but 4 wheeler registration is still required.

It pisses me off too. No check engine lights on my vehicles. Tires I keep up with like my life depends on it (it does actually, tires and brakes are the most important things on the vehicle). My last inspection they unscrewed my gas cap and did some kind of test on it. I asked the mechanic about it and he said it’s a requirement now. I said “this is a 2023, not a 2003” and just There were 5000 miles on the odometer at the time as well. Fuck I can’t wait to move. My rural land, they don’t require annual inspections thank the Lord.

quote:

Originally posted by IntrepidTraveler:

quote:

Originally posted by Opus Dei:
Not in Texas, now. The world didn't end, and cars didn't self-destruct any more than usual.

Not strictly true. I moved there ~3Y ago. When transferring registration, a safety inspection is necessary. And smog is required in the heavily populated counties.

They became no longer necessary as in January 1, 2025.

I left Pennsylvania in 2001, our county was not required to have emissions inspected. But the inspection kept cars with flopping or NO fenders, missing bumpers, tires outside the body lines, etc.I had no problem with it.one or two wheels had to be pulled for break pad wear. The wheel(s) pulled were indicated on the window sticker so the following year different wheels were pulled.

NY has yearly inspection, but on commercial vehicles you have constant harassment... I mean roadside inspection and safety checks. So theoretically you could face weekly inspection. I've experienced this first hand, with the guilty, go prove otherwise enforcement methods. So it's lose, lose. Either way you're out of business for the day and paying lots of money, either to the county/state, to the mechanic, or both. Had the roadside mechanic come and laugh at some of the ridiculously incorrect things on the citations. Even if you get all the tickets thrown out, you're still out two days and many hundred if not thousands of dollars.

So yeah, still kind of a sore subject.

You mean like independent owners disconnecting front brakes?

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Originally posted by WCCPHD:
NC does. Its a boondoggle pushed by the "inspection shops."

Yep! I had to get my one year old Tesla inspected... what a crook!

Two different inspections, emission and safety. They have their place in some areas.

The emissions in the big cities has always been a problem in the West. Just watch old Adam 12 and Emergency! shows and look at the horizon.
Fast forward to today, cars are better but more of them, if the check engine light is on there is a good chance it's polluting more than it should.

The safety inspections are needed for those in the rustbelt that ignore tire wear in the winter and steering/suspension for the pot holes.

If you kill some one with a "unsafe" car and did not have a state inspection would your defense be that you didn't know?.


If the inspections bother anyone, they have been around a long time, just move to a place that has neither. Then maybe the areas that have them will drop the rules to bring the population back.

Rogue nailed it "this is in keeping with my belief that freedom stops when one's stupidity puts me at risk."


Here in Georgia, nothing and when you see the rolling wrecks it would scare the heck out of you. Wheels flying off cars and trucks, oil every dip in the road and parking lots.

Got DOT inspected all the time driving my big truck, never bothered me. I have about 1.5 million miles on US log books and close to 600,000km in Europe.

I would see more cars with flat tires and literally wheels that had fallen off in one week here than I saw in 10 years in Europe.

Yea they inspect in Europe and that's why you have the autobahn. That and proper driver training.

I have seen the aftermath of vehicles with faulty brakes and entire suspensions breaking.

Honestly, I wish we would be stricter here, would do a lot to decrease our insurance but realistically they cannot even enforce the mandatory insurance requirements, Georgia has between 20-25 percent uninsured motorists on the road.

Not a thing here, and I would never vote for it. My grandparents had it in PA and it was an absolute scam.

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Originally posted by smlsig:

Yep! I had to get my one year old Tesla inspected

Did it pass the emissions test?

Here in Virginia it used to be every 6 months and they changed it to once a year. I used to hate it and thought it was a money making scam. However a mechanic friend told me it is actually a LIFE SAVER as many people do not know that something is failing or has already failed in their car that could jeopardize their safety. I think once a year is fine. God Bless

Tx stopped inspecting a year ago and i am glad they did.

In Texas, it is stupid. If you live in a major county with high population, then you have to get a “inspection” before you can renew your vehicle registration.

Gone are the days of all vehicles getting checked over for safety issues such as headlights, working horn, tire tread, blinkers, etc. Now all cars in the vast majority of counties get a free pass and us that live in one of the required counties, basically all they do is plug in the machine to make sure you have no error codes. This is completely stupid as they call it emission testing yet a car in another county could be blowing burnt oil or even a car in a required county and as long as it doesn’t cause a code, they pass.

In my opinion, all cars should be inspected to ensure they are safe to drive on the road. I think it is stupid that in Texas they only do it in high population counties and call it emission testing when it isn’t that at all.

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Originally posted by StorminNormin:
In Texas, it is stupid. If you live in a major county with high population, then you have to get a “inspection” before you can renew your vehicle registration.

Gone are the days of all vehicles getting checked over for safety issues such as headlights, working horn, tire tread, blinkers, etc. Now all cars in the vast majority of counties get a free pass and us that live in one of the required counties, basically all they do is plug in the machine to make sure you have no error codes. This is completely stupid as they call it emission testing yet a car in another county could be blowing burnt oil or even a car in a required county and as long as it doesn’t cause a code, they pass.

In my opinion, all cars should be inspected to ensure they are safe to drive on the road. I think it is stupid that in Texas they only do it in high population counties and call it emission testing when it isn’t that at all.

Beat me to it..

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Originally posted by Mustang-PaPa:
Tx stopped inspecting a year ago and i am glad they did.

Only the lucky ones..

Vehicle Safety Inspection Changes Take Effect January 2025

I guess it is just emissions now.
They just hook up a handheld computer to the OBD2 port.
They don't check the lights and such anymore.

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Originally posted by architect:
Newer cars can get a three year sticker, older ones two, or even one year.

I didn’t know this. Thank you. I’ll request that next time ‘round.

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Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
Here in Virginia it used to be every 6 months and they changed it to once a year.

I’m curious: how long ago was it a six-month thing? I’ve been in VA for 35 years and don’t remember that.

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Originally posted by vthoky:

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Originally posted by architect:
Newer cars can get a three year sticker, older ones two, or even one year.

I didn’t know this. Thank you. I’ll request that next time ‘round.

Texas is 2 years.
I just bought a new Tundra in October, and the sticker is good until 2027.

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Originally posted by VBVAGUY:
Here in Virginia it used to be every 6 months and they changed it to once a year.

quote:

curious: how long ago was it a six-month thing? I’ve been in VA for 35 years and don’t remember that.

Probably right before you got here. God Bless

The areas in Texas that require emissions testing are all in the non-attainment areas and that is why it is required. It is not technically the size of the city, but the emissions from those areas.

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Originally posted by rizzle:
If you kill some one with a "unsafe" car and did not have a state inspection would your defense be that you didn't know?.

And that would change what exactly? You’re still liable for everything you do.
You would be hauled into multiple courts.

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If the inspections bother anyone, they have been around a long time, just move to a place that has neither. Then maybe the areas that have them will drop the rules to bring the population back.

Already there…thankfully the BS inspection isn’t a thing in my county.
In Maricopa county it was an OBD check.
Worthless.

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Originally posted by mrvmax:
The areas in Texas that require emissions testing are all in the non-attainment areas and that is why it is required. It is not technically the size of the city, but the emissions from those areas.

Well non-attainment or high population, basically the same thing; however you are correct that it is based on “non-attainment”. That is also why I find the testing stupid that it is only if your vehicle throws a code or not. You could pull in with a vehicle fogging up the garage with smoke and as long as it doesn’t have a code, it passes. It is no emission test. Bexar County just got added.