Which counties
Which Texas counties require an emissions test?
Updated Oct 7, 2026 · sources read Oct 6, 2026 · 3 official sources quoted
Short answer
Seventeen counties require a passing emissions test before you can renew a registration: nine around Dallas-Fort Worth, five around Houston, Travis and Williamson around Austin, and El Paso. Bexar County (San Antonio) is the eighteenth, from November 1, 2026.
The program areas
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) groups the counties into program areas. The area decides the maximum station fee and, for El Paso, the repair spend needed for an Individual Vehicle Waiver. Each county links to its own page with the station listings we found, the county tax office and the neighboring counties.
Dallas-Fort Worth Program Area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant Counties
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Program Area: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery Counties
Austin Area: Travis and Williamson Counties
El Paso Area: El Paso County
San Antonio Area: Bexar County (beginning on November 1, 2026)
| County | Program area | OBD testing since | Station fee (max) | Station listings found |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexar County | San Antonio area | Nov 1, 2026 (starts) | $18.50 | 6 |
| Brazoria County | Houston-Galveston-Brazoria | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 2 |
| Collin County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2002 | $18.50 | 8 |
| Dallas County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2002 | $18.50 | 10 |
| Denton County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2002 | $18.50 | 2 |
| El Paso County | El Paso area | Jan 1, 2007 | $11.50 | 8 |
| Ellis County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 2 |
| Fort Bend County | Houston-Galveston-Brazoria | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 3 |
| Galveston County | Houston-Galveston-Brazoria | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 5 |
| Harris County | Houston-Galveston-Brazoria | May 1, 2002 | $18.50 | 39 |
| Johnson County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 5 |
| Kaufman County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 0 |
| Montgomery County | Houston-Galveston-Brazoria | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 8 |
| Parker County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 2 |
| Rockwall County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2003 | $18.50 | 1 |
| Tarrant County | Dallas-Fort Worth | May 1, 2002 | $18.50 | 15 |
| Travis County | Austin area | Sep 1, 2005 | $11.50 | 13 |
| Williamson County | Austin area | Sep 1, 2005 | $11.50 | 3 |
Fees and dates: TCEQ and Texas DPS (quoted on each county page). Station listings: businesses found in map listings for “emissions testing” and “state inspection station” whose listing names inspections or emissions testing; not proof of DPS certification.
What the requirement means
The test is tied to registration. If your vehicle is registered in one of these counties and it is subject to the program, the county tax office will not renew the registration until a passing emissions inspection is on record.
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.
Beginning November 1, 2026, motorists with vehicles registered in Bexar County 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.
It is the county of registration that counts, not the city. Several Texas cities lie partly inside a program county and partly outside one: see cities that cross a program county line.
Which vehicles in those counties
Not every vehicle in a program county is tested. TCEQ sets the window by fuel and age, and names the vehicle types that are not required to inspect.
Gasoline vehicles model-year 2 through 24 years old are inspected annually beginning with the vehicle's second anniversary.
Not required to inspect: electric vehicles, diesel vehicles, motorcycles, and mopeds.
The details are in which vehicles need an emissions test. To check one county quickly, use the county checker.
The other 236 counties
Texas has 254 counties. Outside the 18 program counties there is no emissions test, and since January 1, 2025 most non-commercial vehicles there need no inspection at all before registration. The full list and what still applies there is in Texas counties without emissions testing.
As of January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles are no longer required to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration
Questions
How many Texas counties require emissions testing?
Seventeen counties, plus Bexar County from November 1, 2026: eighteen in all. TxDMV describes Bexar as joining "the 17 other Texas counties where emissions testing is mandatory".
Bexar County joins the 17 other Texas counties where emissions testing is mandatory
Does San Antonio require an emissions test?
Vehicles registered in Bexar County need a passing emissions test to renew registration starting November 1, 2026. What counts is the county of registration: some neighboring cities, such as Schertz and Selma, have parts in Guadalupe or Comal County, which are not program counties.
Beginning November 1, 2026, vehicles registered in Bexar County must pass an emissions test as required under House Bill 3297
Is Hays County an emissions county?
No. In the Austin area TCEQ lists only Travis and Williamson counties. Hays County is not in the program.
Austin Area: Travis and Williamson Counties
Sources
- TCEQ, Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Texaspage as published Sep 23, 2026 (archived copy), read Oct 6, 2026
- TxDMV, Register Your Vehicleread Oct 6, 2026
- TxDMV, Bexar County Emissions (notice dated 2026-09-15)read Oct 6, 2026
TX Emissions Guide is an independent guide, not a government site. Spotted something out of date? Report a correction.