At the risk of massive amounts of ridicule on here, I am renewing registration and inspection. Both fall on same month so no grace period issues. Last year I fell into the "free year of inspection category". I have a specialty plate so I paid my $3 and went about my way. This year I am completely confused. I have checked online with no solution and it is Saturday so no one to call.

The new sticker program requires an inspection done previously. Not a problem. Just did it. Paid the fee and everything is fine and dandy and normal. Go to renew registration and it has an inspection fee built into already. Why is this? That second fee was not there last year. Is this a mistake that has never been corrected in a year? All I could find online was other people *****ing about it as well with no fix. Why am I being charged for a fee that I already paid and is in fact, required before you can even apply for a renewed registration? It makes zero sense to me. On paper form and online the second inspection fee is there.

Am I missing something incredibly obvious here? If so, please feel free to point in out and then rub my face in it. I am not pissed or anything just supremely confused as to how this is a thing. $7 is not going to break me obviously. Just curious if this is normal for everyone.

AggieJason said:

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Before the new sticker rules, we paid $14 (or 14.50?) - part of it went to the shop that did the inspection and part of it went to the state.

Under the new rules, you pay half at the time of inspection and the other half with your vehicle registration.

In other words, you're paying the same overall inspection fee, just split up.

How much did your inspection cost this week?

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Hmmm....I guess that would explain it. But I have never paid $14 total for inspection. I checked last three years of renewal notices and this year is the first year an inspection fee has every been itemized. I have always paid the $7 fee at the inspection station and then just paid my registration which has been a flat $3 for years. Checked with texas.gov and you are right. The inspection fee is $14.50. I never knew that. Certainly never paid it before.

I guess I just got tripped up since I have never paid a "second-half" before and this is the the first year it had been itemized as a charge for me.

Thanks for the info! It was one of those little things in life that didn't make sense and was driving me crazy.

This is only second year it's been split up. In previous years, you've paid $12-14 dollars at inspection station and gotten sticker. Starting last year, you pay $7 at station, get certificate of inspection. Take to tax office and get one sticker. Included in registration fee is inspection fee. Again, just started last year, so can understand why it feels weird.

Mr.Short-termMemory said:

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This is only second year it's been split up. In previous years, you've paid $12-14 dollars at inspection station and gotten sticker. Starting last year, you pay $7 at station, get certificate of inspection. Take to tax office and get one sticker. Included in registration fee is inspection fee. Again, just started last year, so can understand why it feels weird.

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Gotcha. Your username would work for me as well. In my mind I would swear I have never paid the full $14 before. Then again I also have trouble remembering my own phone number so there is that.

As I expected the answer was super obvious and a complete misunderstanding on my part.

Thanks for the clarification everyone.