SAN ANTONIO — Drivers in Bexar County, get ready for what might be an inspection sticker shock.
The state’s fourth most populous county, which includes San Antonio, is joining 17 other Texas counties in requiring emissions testing of vehicles for registration.
All gasoline-powered vehicles between two and 24 years old must pass the new emissions test in Bexar County starting in November, and several businesses have already begun preparing.
“If you want to do the registration, you have to do the emissions test. So it’s going to be more like every year,” said Saul Castillo of Bravos Auto Care in San Antonio.
Castillo is one of many technicians who will tackle the upcoming change when people come into the shop ahead of registering or renewing a vehicle’s registration.
“This is not new. In California, they’re already doing that. So Texas is catching on,” said Castillo.
Dallas and El Paso counties have required emissions tests for decades, and some counties have required the tests since the 1990s. Bexar County will become the 18th county in Texas starting Nov. 1.
“If the fuel system is not working right, obviously we’re going to have smoke,” said Castillo.
The question is, does the county have enough equipment and technicians to meet the upcoming demand?
Castillo says he took his certification test about a month ago and noticed many others in his industry locally doing the same.
“We are already prepared. We already have the machine. When I went to do the license test, there were like 30-40 people doing the same thing,” said Castillo.
As Castillo and his colleagues become certified for the new requirements, drivers will have some additional considerations at registration time.
First, the cost. The charge for the test itself is $18.50, and the addition of a state fee puts it at $26.
If the check engine light is on, the vehicle fails, and you have 15 days to repair it for a free retest.
If the vehicle is over 25 years old, it’s exempt, along with diesel and electric cars and trucks as well as motorcycles.
The rule change comes as the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the concentration of ozone at ground level in Bexar County is too high for federal standards.
Bexar was added to Texas’ list of emissions-testing counties as part of the state’s clean air plan approved last year by the EPA.
At Bravos Auto Care, the machine is being kept safe until it’s time to put it to use, which Castillo estimates will keep them busier than ever.
“No, we haven’t opened it. We’re taking care of it. We don’t want dust or anything. It’s going to hit just with brand new equipment,” said Castillo.