City on a county line
Emissions testing in Austin: your county decides
The U.S. Census Bureau places the city of Austin in Travis, Williamson and Hays counties. About 971 of its residents live in Hays County, outside the emissions program (2020 Census): a vehicle registered there needs no emissions test. A vehicle registered in Travis County or Williamson County needs a passing emissions test to renew its registration.
The counties Austin lies in
| County | Emissions test | Station fee (max) | Residents in this part (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis County | Yes | $11.50 | not summed (large part) |
| Williamson County | Yes | $11.50 | 60,280 |
| Hays County | No | — | 971 |
City and county boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb (incorporated places whose area overlaps each county; checked 2026-10-06). Residents: 2020 Census blocks inside today’s city limits, an estimate (checked 2026-10-07). The Census map also puts a sliver of Austin in Bastrop County (no residents in 2020); parts with fewer than 50 residents are left out of this page.
Motorists with vehicles registered in Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, El Paso, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson Counties will not be eligible to renew their vehicle's annual registration if the vehicle has not passed its annual emissions inspection or complied with the vehicle emissions inspection program requirements.
Not required to inspect: electric vehicles, diesel vehicles, motorcycles, and mopeds.
Who this affects
About 971 people live in the part of Austin outside the program. If you are one of them and your vehicle is registered at that address, your county has no emissions test. If you move within Austin across the county line, the county of the new address applies once the vehicle is registered there. Vehicles that the program does not test anywhere (electric vehicles, diesels, motorcycles and mopeds) are not tested on either side.
Station listings with an Austin address
8 listings in the program-county part of Austin name inspections or emissions testing. The official list is the DPS inspection station locator.
These are businesses whose public map listing (Apple Maps or Yelp data, found through DuckDuckGo) names inspections, emissions testing or smog checks. A listing is not proof that the business is certified by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the list is not complete: confirm with the station or the DPS inspection station locator before you go.
- Airport Auto Inspection3206 US-183 S, Austin, 78744(512) 358-1540
- Alan's Vehicle Inspections3717 Ranch Rd 620 N, Austin, 78734(512) 266-2944alansinspections.com
- Flashpoint Auto Inspection525 W Ben White Blvd, Austin, 78704(512) 326-4750
- Flashpoint Auto Inspection5700 Menchaca, Ste 580, Austin, 78745(512) 369-3130
- Mario's Inspection Station3605 Goodwin Ave, Austin, 78702(512) 383-5050mariosinspectionstation.com
- One Export Vehicle Inspection Station11817 Buckner Rd, Austin, 78726(512) 317-4482
- Stickers7044 E Hwy 290, Austin, 78723(512) 323-0444
- University Car Wash & Vehicle Inspections3825 Guadalupe St, Austin, 78751(512) 533-9274universitycw.com
Tax offices for the program counties
Travis County Tax Office
2433 Ridgepoint Drive, Austin, TX 78754-5231
(512) 854-9473
tax-office.traviscountytx.gov
Source: TxDMV county tax office directory.
Williamson County Tax Office
1848 Texas Trail, Georgetown, TX 78626-5829
(512) 943-1601
wilcotx.gov
Source: TxDMV county tax office directory.
Austin questions
Do I need an emissions test if I live in Austin?
It depends on the county your vehicle is registered in. Travis County and Williamson County are in the emissions program; Hays County is not.
How do I know which county my Austin address is in?
Check the county on your registration renewal notice, or ask the county tax office. A mailing address with the city name can lie outside the city limits, or in a different county.
Sources
- TCEQ, Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Texaspage as published Sep 23, 2026 (archived copy), read Oct 6, 2026
- TxDMV, Travis County Tax Office (TxDMV county tax office directory)read Oct 6, 2026
- TxDMV, Williamson County Tax Office (TxDMV county tax office directory)read Oct 6, 2026
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb: incorporated places and countiesTIGERweb Incorporated Places (Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/4) intersecting each program county, then counties whose interior overlaps each place (State_County/MapServer/1, esriSpatialRelOverlaps)
- U.S. Census Bureau TIGERweb: 2020 tabulation blocks (population)2020 Census tabulation blocks (TIGERweb Tracts_Blocks/MapServer/2, POP100) of each county that intersect the city's current polygon, kept when the block's internal point lies inside it; parts with fewer than 50 residents are listed as slivers and do not count