There have been several questions customers have asked me regarding what the new procedures are for the Texas two step vehicle state inspection program. It is quite simple and the changes the state has made has actually benefited local shops that provide these services. The old system was comprised of physical stickers that would go underneath the registration sticker, and this system seemed to work for quite a while until the state started running into budget issues.

The stickers itself was a big cost for the state and for the car shops because it required more money to even be able to offer this service. For example, if your shop ran out of inspection stickers then the shop would not be able to conduct any more service. That, in turn means a lost sale and an upset customer which no shop wants to have. The fact that the service station did not have enough stickers to provide service has essentially ruined the chances of that customer coming back.

The Texas Two Step State Inspection program has now made the stickers obsolete. The process to get your registration sticker is to first get your car inspected, and then this give you ninety days to get your registration sticker. I would also like to remind customers that it is crucial that your bring your insurance card either in paper or on your phone. A valid and effective insurance card must be present before the service can be given to the customer. If your car fails the inspection for some reason, you will have two weeks to fix whatever the problem is and return to the same station that failed you. Living in Denton county and especially in Lewisville, Tx means that we perform safety and emissions tests on your car. Your car could potentially fail for a bulb being out, cheap tires, old windshield wipers, bad brakes etc… Vehicles can also fail for having a check engine light on or the monitors in the car not being ready. Another way a car can fail is if there a leak in the tire do to a wheel repair problem causing a leak.

Whenever an inspector tells your that the monitors are not ready, he means that either the car has been sitting or the battery has been touched recently and your car wont pass the state inspection. To get your monitors from being not ready to ready; driver’s need to first add miles to the car to allow the computer system in the car to understand that this car is a daily driver. If the monitors in the car become ready and the check engine light comes on, it is recommended to visit your local mechanic to see what steps need to be taken to fix the problem.Once your car has fully passed the inspection, you are then allowed to get your registration. You can get your registration by going directly to your local tax office, going online (if your tag isn’t already expired), or by visiting your local Tom Thumb. These options are available to everyone in Texas, however you must get your registration no later than ninety days after your vehicle gets inspected.