In case you missed it, House Bill 2305 was passed by the Texas Legislation on June 14, 2013. It goes into effect on March 1, 2015 and it does away with the familiar inspection sticker most Texas drivers are accustomed to receiving when we have our cars and trucks inspected each year. The goal, starting March 1st is to combine inspection sticker with our vehicle registration sticker.
The reason for the change to, “Two Steps, One Sticker” (that’s the catchy slogan), is it saves the state about $2 million in printing the second sticker. Texas legislators also believe having one sticker will be aesthetically better for drivers by reducing clutter on our windshields, and will lead to more Texans getting their vehicle inspected since it will be a requirement for obtaining a vehicle registration sticker.
Here’s how this will work for 2015:
- If you’re vehicle inspection is due in January or February of this year, you’ll have your inspection done and will receive an inspection sticker.
- If you’re vehicle inspection is due in March through December, you’ll not receive an inspection sticker. Hold on to your inspection report (it should be noted in a state-wide database that it passed, but I’d recommend you keep it handy when you go to get your vehicle registered.
Most of us will be in a transitional state for 2015.
- If your registration and inspection stickers are set to renew in the same month, get the inspection done up to 90 days prior to registering your vehicle and you’ll be set. You’ll have one sticker and a common date.
- If your registration occurs after March 1 but you already have had a valid inspection, you’ll have two dates to juggle. Prior to your registration in 2016, you’ll need to get your vehicle inspected and at that point, your dates will become the same in 2016.
There will be some confusion as we go through this transition year, as many drivers will have two dates they’ll have to remember. In 2016, however, all Texans will need to have their vehicle inspected within a 90 day window prior to their registration renewal. For more information, and a handy calculator to determine when to get your vehicle inspected, check out http://twostepsonesticker.com/.
Drive Friendly!
