Texas recently implemented the Two Steps One Sticker campaign which basically means they have joined the inspection and registration stickers into one. Beginning March 1, 2015, vehicles are no longer issued an inspection sticker! Starting March 1, 2015 your registration sticker serves as a combined proof of registration and inspection. What does this mean to us and other RV’ers who domicile in Texas?
We will save money this year since both our RV and car are due for inspection and our registration is not due until the end of the year. So we have simply scraped off our old inspection stickers and left our valid registration stickers on the windshields. So what happens when our registration is up for renewal? And how does this impact those of you who domicile in Texas (including Escapees using mail forwarding) but may not be in the state when your registration is up for renewal?
First here are some of the nitty gritty details about the law change for RV’ers:
- after March 1, 2015 you must have your vehicle inspected before you can obtain a new registration sticker
- though you will not get an inspection sticker when you get inspected you will receive a vehicle inspection report (VIR) and a record will be issued for your vehicle
- vehicles inspected after March 1, 2015 will also be electronically verified before a registration sticker will be issued
- for RV’ers they will still be able to title and register a vehicle in state of Texas provided they have a Texas address
- You must renew your annual registration online, by mail, or in-person at your county tax office.
Now since a current passing inspection is required for registration renewal and your inspection status will be verified electronically before being issued a new registration sticker how does this affect RV’ers out of state and those who are snowbirds registered in Texas?
Well if your vehicle is currently out of state and you are unable to complete a Texas vehicle inspection in order to renew your registration, you will be able to self-certify that the vehicle is out of state and will be permitted to register online, by mail or in-person. I can find no details on exactly how one will self certify but I assume it will require a phone call to your county tax assessors office.
Now if you do this and get your new registration sticker a remark will be placed on your vehicle record indicating that an inspection is still due. Once you return back to the state of Texas “you must complete a Texas vehicle inspection within three days of arrival at your home, duty station, or destination.” So for us we will have three days after we arrive in College Station, Texas before we are required to get a new inspection. For those that are Escapees they will have three days after they get to Livingston. Now I would assume if you are staying somewhere else in Texas other than your residence location for longer than a day you may be required to get you vehicle inspected within three days of arriving at that more extended stay location within the state of Texas.
That’s the scoop! Now all we have to hope for is that there are no “gotchas” when we actually request our new registration stickers later this fall…
