In just four months, San Antonio drivers – and drivers in most major Texas metros – will be required to get a new type of vehicle inspection before renewing their registration. Fears are mounting about a wall of angry drivers queuing up in an underprepared county to meet demand for emissions inspections. But there’s another issue to consider: the cost of meeting these new conditions, when even a check engine light is an instant failure.
While safety inspections are a thing of the past in Texas, ending at the start of 2025, emissions inspections will be required across Bexar County starting November 1. Concerns are mounting over long lines as the county catches up to a sudden spike in demand for a first-year program, and many drivers should anticipate the cost of meeting the new state standards.
“Regular motorists, citizens and even elected officials –– they really are not prepared, and they really, in my experience, are not knowledgeable about what’s coming,” Charissa Barnes, CEO of Texas Tag & Title and Official Inspection Station, tells MySA. “We have a unique set of circumstances that we’re going to have to overcome.”
What happens if you fail emissions inspection in Texas?
While it may seem counterintuitive, safety inspections in Texas were easier to pass than emissions inspections will be, according to numerous conversations with industry experts. In fact, a mere check engine light will trigger an automatic failure, and the system check will still find the code even if the light is reset…