Bexar County residents will have to pay $18.50 for their federally mandated annual vehicle emissions inspection starting in the near future, however concerns remain over whether there will be enough inspection stations open to serve the county’s 2 million inhabitants.
As a result of the Environmental Protection Agency downgrading the San Antonio region’s air quality status late last year, Bexar County must implement a mandatory vehicle emissions testing and maintenance program by November 2026.
Discussions over what local businesses should charge for the emissions inspection have circulated since last year, with many San Antonio inspection station owners in favor of prices in line with what Dallas- and Houston-area residents pay — $18.50 — versus the $11.50 that Austin- and El Paso-area residents pay.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on Tuesday approved setting Bexar County’s emissions inspection fee at $18.50, stating the price would fairly compensate inspection shop owners and serve as a signal to others that they should get into the inspections business.
“Given that the fee study found a range of $18 to $22 would be an appropriate support fee for this particular county, I agree that $18.50 falls right in that sweet spot,” said TCEQ Commissioner Bobby Janecka at a meeting of the three-member commission in Austin.
However, because vehicle safety inspections will no longer be required under state law starting in January 2025, many inspection shop owners whose stores perform only safety inspections currently do not see how they will stay in business for up to 22 months between when safety inspections end and the county’s mandatory vehicle emissions inspections are set to begin.
The state commissioners declined requests by people in the inspection business to move up the implementation date for emissions testing in Bexar County.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, JoJo Heselmeyer, deputy executive director of the Texas Vehicle Inspection Association, said a survey conducted by the association showed 40% of Bexar County inspection station owners said they would not be able to continue to operate after Jan. 1, 2025.
“If the [implementation] date [for emissions inspections] is left until November 2026, there will be a supply-and-demand issue,” Heselmeyer said.
Local vehicle inspection shop owner Jose Garcia made a similar request.
“In my mind, that just creates a large expense and burden on Bexar County motorists, and so I’m inclined not to adjust the proposed deadline and to just keep it in November 2026,” said TCEQ Chairman Jon Niermann.
Janecka agreed, noting there will be opportunities for the state Legislature to act.
The TCEQ has the regulatory role of enforcing EPA Clean Air Act regulations in Texas. The state must implement a vehicles emissions inspection and maintenance program in Bexar County by Nov. 7, 2026.
Vehicle emissions testing determines if a vehicle’s emission control system and components are working properly. If they are not, owners are required to make repairs.
Motorcycles, newer vehicles, fully electric vehicles (excluding hybrids), and vehicles registered outside Bexar County that are primarily used in another county will be exempt from the annual emissions check, but city, county and business-owned vehicles will not be.
