Texas Safety Inspection change (Sept 2023)

[bjlakatos]

Great news for folks in Texas! Effective 9/1/23 you can "self certify" your inspection in order to get your state registration for trailers >7500lbs.

Updated state regs found here:
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/ve...th-legislation

New form found here:
https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/...es/VTR-269.pdf

[Steven@147]

Great news for folks in Texas! Effective 9/1/23 you can "self certify" your inspection in order to get your state registration for trailers >7500lbs.

Updated state regs found here:
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/ve...th-legislation

New form found here:
https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/...es/VTR-269.pdf

Thank you for posting, I knew they had changed the law but hadn't seen the form yet. Got it archived!

[Second Chance]

Great news for folks in Texas! Effective 9/1/23 you can "self certify" your inspection in order to get your state registration for trailers >7500lbs.

Updated state regs found here:
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/ve...th-legislation

New form found here:
https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/...es/VTR-269.pdf

Are you talking about the initial registration? I've been "self certifying" online for years for renewals for all three vehicles (truck, RV, car). 1 JAN 2025 most Texas vehicle registrations go away completely. I believe emissions inspections will still be required in the major metropolitan areas (for Escapees, I'm pretty sure Livingston is not a major metropolitan area.).

Rob

[bjlakatos]

From what I can tell it is any inspection on that class of trailer. I physically reside in Texas, the only alternative I have had was to get it inspected. There is an alternate ways to get your registration if your vehicle does not reside in the state but I have not gone down that path…yet. ;-)

[Steven@147]

Yeah when the RV registration plates came due we were always in Texas for the winter so we couldn't self certify we were out of state as it used to be, at least I didn't feel right about lying we were out of state and not getting a re-inspection. But we found a guy that would do the RV re-inspection without having to tow the RV to his site. Just bring him the paper work. Now we don't have to even deal with that, just fill out the self inspection form and stop by Livingston and renew. Sounds like in 2025 we wont even have to fill out the self inspection form. It was really non-sense anyway.

Out truck never got emission test in Livingston, just inspected and pay $7.00 then run over to the tax office and get the plates renewed. They never lift the hood on the truck, horn honk, check lights, good to go. Oh, and gives them a chance to sell you new wiper blades!

[Dutchman2]

Yeah when the RV registration plates came due we were always in Texas for the winter so we couldn't self certify we were out of state as it used to be, at least I didn't feel right about lying we were out of state and not getting a re-inspection. But we found a guy that would do the RV re-inspection without having to tow the RV to his site. Just bring him the paper work. Now we don't have to even deal with that, just fill out the self inspection form and stop by Livingston and renew. Sounds like in 2025 we wont even have to fill out the self inspection form. It was really non-sense anyway.

Out truck never got emission test in Livingston, just inspected and pay $7.00 then run over to the tax office and get the plates renewed. They never lift the hood on the truck, horn honk, check lights, good to go. Oh, and gives them a chance to sell you new wiper blades!

The inspection process I watched was useless and provided no confidence that this was adding to trailers being safer on the road. I too stopped dragging the FW out of storage just to have it inspected and return back to storage. I simply provided insurance verification and some beer money to the tech. Then go to the grocery store and get the new tag. Win/Win for us both.

Dutchman2

[kb0zke]

That's one of the reasons we chose a South Dakota domicile over a Texas one. SD has no vehicle inspection at all, so vehicle registration and renewals can all be done via the mail. For a fee, our mail service will also handle the job.

[jeririgged223]

Great news for folks in Texas! Effective 9/1/23 you can "self certify" your inspection in order to get your state registration for trailers >7500lbs.

Updated state regs found here:
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/ve...th-legislation

New form found here:
https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/...es/VTR-269.pdf

Thankfully I saw the change the day before I was headed out to have mine inspected. Downloaded the forms, filled them out and walked them into the county office to register for 2024. It was a breeze. Can't do it online as the system hadn't been updated to accommodate the law change. The employees said it might be 6 months of more before we see the ability to do it online, but thats okay, it's well worth the trip to the tax office as opposed to hauling the trailer over to be inspected.

BTW, they'll be tacking the "inspection" fee onto the registration anyway. The fee isn't going away. Just the inspection. Gotta love the government.

[alkbch]

This is great news. I was not aware of this change when I renewed my registration last fall. Having renewed while being out of state, should I mail in the form with a check for the inspection fee or should I wait until I drive back to Texas and go in person at the tax assessor office?

[Scott'n'Wendy]

You guys have to inspect and/or renew trailer plates?!?