Texas Registration and Inspection Stickers are Partnering Up in Hays County

Texas Registration and Inspection Stickers are Partnering Up in Hays County

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – Hays County is gearing up for a new Texas Two Step. Beginning March 1, 2015, the state will no longer issue vehicle inspection stickers and will move to a “Two Steps, One Sticker” program.

Under the new system, Texas vehicle owners will need to pass inspection prior to renewing their registration. The familiar blue-bordered Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) registration sticker will serve as proof of both inspection and registration.

“Hays County is prepared to make this transition as smooth as possible for our residents,” said Luanne Caraway, Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector. “During the first year of the program beginning March 1, 2015, all you will need to do is make sure you already have a valid passing vehicle inspection before you renew your registration in our office, online or by mail.” When vehicle owners renew their registration, the system will automatically verify whether the vehicle has a valid inspection. Without a passing inspection, the vehicle will not be eligible for registration renewal.

Caraway noted that while the cost of the registration and inspection combination will be the same amount vehicle owners currently pay, the amount will be divided differently. “At the inspection station you’ll pay only for the cost of the inspection itself,” she said. “The additional charge that has in the past been collected there for the Department of Public Safety will now be collected by the tax office when the vehicle is registered.”

During the second year of the program, beginning March 1, 2016, vehicles’ inspection and registration expiration dates will align to the date that is on the registration sticker. Once the expiration dates are aligned in that second year, you will have a convenient 90-day window to pass inspection first and then renew your registration before the end of the month listed on your sticker.

“When the ‘Two Steps, One Sticker’ program is fully implemented, Hays County residents will appreciate having just one sticker in the corner of their windshield and only one expiration date to worry about,” said TxDMV Executive Director Whitney Brewster. “And because a passing vehicle inspection will be a requirement to renew your registration, more vehicle owners will comply with inspection requirements, leading to safer and more environmentally sound cars on Texas roads.”

The implementation of “Two Steps, One Sticker” is a result of House Bill 2305 which passed during the 83rd Legislative Session in 2013. The program is joint effort by the TxDMV, the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, in collaboration with the 254 county tax assessor-collector’s offices which process vehicle registrations and vehicle inspection stations across the state.

For more information visit www.TwoStepsOneSticker.com.