Louisiana Could Soon Eliminate Vehicle Inspection Stickers Statewide

BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL News) — As Louisiana lawmakers meet for what should be another contentious legislative session, one proposal could mean the end of inspection stickers for most Louisiana drivers.

The proposal appears to be similar to a Texas law that went into effect in recent years, and a repeat of a bill tried here last year, which would eliminate vehicle inspection stickers across the state. However, local governments that had enacted laws requiring "emissions testing" would mean some drivers would still need to get their vehicles inspected.

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Stonewall Representative Larry Bagley's bill, House Bill 232, is essentially a repeat of a bill he pu forward last year, which likewise would have removed the inspection sticker requirement for Louisiana.

“It really doesn’t do anything other than make us pay money to the state government," Bagley told Louisiana Radio Network last year. "It’s a money raiser for the state and there’s no reason for it."

Why Not Get Rid of Inspection Stickers in Louisiana?

One of the biggest concerns among critics of the bill is loss of revenue.

“Their concern is that they are going to lose some money and would like to be sure that’s kept in the budget," Bagley explained last year. "And I told them I’d work with them, I’m on Appropriations so I told them I’d take care of all of that."

The bill is more or less a repeat of last year's House Bill 344, which was ultimately deferred, Louisiana First News reported.

Would Inspection Stickers Be Gone for Good?

While the general public would not need to get inspection stickets for their vehicles, some areas of the state still require them under environmental rules.

The only places in the state that would still need to pay for inspections are Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Livingston, and West Baton Rouge Parishes. Clean Air Act rules mean that residents of those parishes will have to pay for "emissions testing" instead of a standard inspection, which cost $8 per inspection.

There was an attempt in 2019 to eliminate inspection stickers. However, it was actually found unconstitutional.

"I'm disappointed because it's the most popular bill I've ever carried," Bagley said back in 2019 after he authored House Bill 546. Like Texas, his bill would have eliminated the inspection and inspection stickers, but have drivers pay $20 annually, which would have been used to fund more state troopers.

However, the Louisiana Constitution sets a limit on the money for registration renewals. That $20 fee would have exceeded that limit.

How Texas Did It

In Texas, drivers have to pay a $7.50 inspection fee, get their car inspected, and do it all over again the following year - much like we do in Louisiana (except we also have a 2-year inspection option). However, a recently-passed law is eliminating the inspection and the state will just charge drivers an annual $7.50 fee.

“Vehicle inspections are costly, time-consuming, and provide little benefit to public safety,” Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton said in defense of Texas House Bill 3297. “[This bill] saves hardworking Texans tens of millions of hours of their time, not taken away any more from their family or work.”

So, as of 2025, Texas drivers across most of the state will no longer have to do this.

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