News
Goodbye Vehicle “Safety” Inspections!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Noah Betz; 281-928-2089
noah@bluestonecreatives.com
This commentary was written by Don Huffines.
DALLAS, TX, December 27, 2024 — On January 1, 2025, Texans will finally be free from the burdensome and unnecessary vehicle “safety” inspection—a program that has cost Texas drivers millions of dollars and millions of hours of their time. This victory has been a long time coming, and I am honored to have fought alongside you to eliminate this practice both during my time in the Texas Senate and through the efforts of the Huffines Liberty Foundation.
In 2017, when I was in the Texas Senate, eliminating the vehicle inspection program was among my top legislative priorities. While my bill passed the Senate, it was killed in the House in the final week of the session.
In 2023, the Huffines Liberty Foundation, in collaboration with allies in the Senate and House, reignited the effort, and I’m thrilled to announce that the bill has finally become law.
Make no mistake: this was NEVER about safety. It was about protecting the profits of special interest groups—new car dealers, small repair shops, and big government lovers—who fought tooth and nail to keep the chains of government on Texans. Vehicle “safety” inspections were nothing more than another property tax masquerading as a public good, draining Texans of both money and time.
The data is clear. Insurance companies, with access to the most comprehensive crash data available, confirm what studies have repeatedly shown: there is no difference in crash rates, injuries, or fatalities between states that require vehicle inspections and those that don’t. Yet Texas is the ONLY Republican-led state to still mandate vehicle “safety” inspections. Texas will join 35 other states in ending this practice.
This is a BIG WIN for Texans, but the march for liberty continues. Unfortunately, emissions inspections remain mandatory in major metropolitan areas of Texas. Like the safety inspection program, emissions inspections are a complete rip-off—hopefully, the legislature will eliminate it this session like several other states have.
The fundamental role of government is to protect your liberty, including your freedom to travel, without unnecessary and intrusive government interference. Texans deserve nothing less.
This victory is proof that perseverance pays off, and I’m proud to stand with the countless Texans who fought for their right to keep their hard-earned money and reclaim their time.