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San Antonio car registration, emissions and towing rules

Most of San Antonio is in Bexar County, and vehicles there are registered through the Bexar County tax assessor collector. Use the county of your own address; TxDMV keeps the list of county tax offices. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

Bexar County is one of the 18 Texas emissions counties. Gasoline vehicles 2 to 24 years old need a passing emissions test before registration renewal. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

TCEQ caps the station fee for an OBD emissions test in Bexar County at $18.50. (source: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality)

You can renew up to 90 days before expiration, and TxDMV says a required emissions test must be done within that 90 day renewal period. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

DPS says a car that fails can get a free retest at the same station if it returns within 15 days. (source: Texas Department of Public Safety)

Bexar County emissions testing began November 1, 2026. Owners pay $18.50 at the station and $2.75 to the state at registration. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

The window to skip the test has closed. Bexar renewals expiring in November or December 2026 that were renewed before November 1, 2026 needed no emissions test and no $2.75 fee, only the $7.50 Inspection Replacement Fee. From November 1, 2026, gasoline vehicles 2 to 24 years old registered in Bexar County need a passing emissions test before renewal, and the $2.75 Emissions Inspection Fee is charged at registration. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

As of November 1, 2026, Bexar County is the 18th Texas emissions county: TxDMV Registration and Title Bulletin RTB 003-26 says Bexar joins the 17 existing emissions counties. Some older TxDMV pages, such as Buying or Selling a Vehicle, still list only 17 counties; the bulletin says existing TxDMV guides and website content will be updated to include Bexar. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles) (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)

If your car is towed here

Statewide maximums apply unless a local rule sets lower ones. (source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation)

If your car is towed from a spot in Bexar County, the tow hearing is in any justice court in Bexar County, the county it was towed from (Occupations Code 2308.453). (source: Texas Legislature)

See tow fee limits, storage fees and registration deadlines.

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On this site: When is my Texas registration due, and what if it is late? · I just moved to Texas. What are the vehicle deadlines? · Buying or selling a car in Texas: title and transfer deadlines · Do I still need a vehicle inspection in Texas? · Texas emissions test: cost, timing and retests · Bexar County emissions testing: required from November 1, 2026 · Towed from a private lot in Texas: what can they charge? · Texas vehicle storage lot fees and getting your car back · How to challenge a tow in Texas (tow hearing) · Texas Lemon Law: tests, deadline and fee · Texas vehicle fees at a glance · Cities · FAQ · Sources

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