New safety inspection law: not required but still charged

Started by Dustin DeWinn, October 05, 2024, 11:31:45 AM

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Dustin DeWinn

I'm not from Texas and I'm confused about this new law, that as I understand it, no safety inspection requirements are waived on non-commercial vehicles, but drivers are still billed for it.

What is the purpose of waiving the inspection requirement? If I had to guess it's a middle finger to regulations, but you know what they say about assumptions.

Also how do Texans feel about getting billed for something they don't use? And are they still able to get safety inspections if they choose to?


CtrlAltDel

Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on October 05, 2024, 11:31:45 AMI'm not from Texas and I'm confused about this new law, that as I understand it, no safety inspection requirements are waived on non-commercial vehicles, but drivers are still billed for it.

What is the purpose of waiving the inspection requirement? If I had to guess it's a middle finger to regulations, but you know what they say about assumptions.

Also how do Texans feel about getting billed for something they don't use? And are they still able to get safety inspections if they choose to?

My understanding is that it's a cash grab. What's weird, to me at least, is that this inspection fee was independent of the cost you'd pay to whoever did the actual inspection. It would seem, then, that this fee was a cash grab before as well.

As far as the reasons for getting rid of the inspections, the general tenor is essentially that expressed here.

QuoteVehicle inspections are costly, time consuming, and provide little benefit to public safety. [This bill] saves hardworking Texans tens of millions of hours of their time, not taken away any more from their family or work.

Now, I'm not sure too much of this is true. The cost of the inspection was fixed by law at 7$ and took about 3 minutes. As such, though, I have to admit that they were of little overall benefit.
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Dustin DeWinn

Thanks for the answer. If understand you correctly it's the $7.50 on top of the shop fee which is insane to me. But this is silly also. It's like saying "You no longer have to pay to renew your license! But you have to pay for the cost of removing that fee which just happens to be the same amount."

CtrlAltDel

Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on October 05, 2024, 12:43:50 PMThanks for the answer. If understand you correctly it's the $7.50 on top of the shop fee
It is.

Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on October 05, 2024, 12:43:50 PMwhich is insane to me.
It is.

Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on October 05, 2024, 12:43:50 PMBut this is silly also.
It is.

Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on October 05, 2024, 12:43:50 PMIt's like saying "You no longer have to pay to renew your license! But you have to pay for the cost of removing that fee which just happens to be the same amount."
It is.  :-D
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bwana39

Quote from: Dustin DeWinn on October 05, 2024, 12:43:50 PMThanks for the answer. If understand you correctly it's the $7.50 on top of the shop fee which is insane to me. But this is silly also. It's like saying "You no longer have to pay to renew your license! But you have to pay for the cost of removing that fee which just happens to be the same amount."

The shop fee is ridiculously low. The car dealers wanted rid of it. It didn't even cover the cost of the labor unless it failed and you upsold repairs. Generally owners did a pre inspection and most of the cars passed. The exceptions were mainly the  emissions inspection will will still be required in the designated attainment zone counties.

There was also lots of graft where you could pay for anything to pass.
Let's build what we need as economically as possible.

wxfree

I've read that bill repeatedly since it was passed, and it's difficult to figure out what it means.  I think I have it now.  The "inspection fee" that's being replaced is not the fee you pay to the inspector.

I'll start with history that hasn't been the case in years.  I remember inspections costing $10.50.  Back then, the inspector placed a sticker on the windshield and collected the full amount.  A portion, I think $5.50, was paid to the state for each sticker that was issued (this is the inspection fee).  The station was paid the $5 that was left over (this is not the inspection fee).  Later the total was raised to $12.50, the inspection fee of $5.50 was still sent to the state and the station kept the other $7.

The current situation is that the station charges $7 for the inspection and gives you no sticker, and the $5.50 fee to the state is paid with the registration fee.  The total cost is the same as before, but the inspection costs less and the registration costs more.  In the statute, the cost is still $12.50, but it's paid two two separate people at two separate times.

Starting next year, the inspection and the $7 fee are gone.  The $5.50 that goes to the state will be increased to $7.50, so the $2 increase in fee means you save $5 from the 7 the inspection would have cost.  That's the inspection program replacement fee.  (I think this is true.  I don't have a law degree.  I've read enough statutes to realize that the way this is put together is absurd.)

Only a lawyer could build a pile of BS this deep and think it's a good idea for something as simple as car registration.  I guess it gives them job security.

The emission test fee is set by rule by the DMV, not by statute.  That fee includes both the pay to the station and the fee to the state (the station collects all of it and sends part to the state, like regular inspection stations did years ago).  As far as I know, that won't change, but since it isn't statutory, reading the transportation code doesn't tell me.
I'd like to buy a vowel, Alex.  What is E?

CtrlAltDel

Quote from: wxfree on October 05, 2024, 04:44:02 PMStarting next year, the inspection and the $7 fee are gone.  The $5.50 that goes to the state will be increased to $7.50

I think that may have increased a while ago. Checking my registrations, the inspection fee has been 7.50$ since at least 2021.
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wxfree

I don't know where the other two dollars are from.  The statute clearly states that the fee is $5.50 until January 1.  I've seen things like that before, a statutory fee that costs a dollar more than what the books say, or $10 more when the fee is in the hundreds.  I don't know what may be tacked onto it somewhere else.  I've seen transaction fees and billing fees.  I just call them revenue enhancement fees.  Consequently, I don't know whether the total cost will reduce by $5 or by $7.  If the additional 2 are added and the $7.50 ends up being $9.50 then the reduction would be the lower amount.
I'd like to buy a vowel, Alex.  What is E?



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