Vehicle Repair Assistance

Daun Thompson — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 23:40:29 +0000

AirCheck Texas offers car repair assistance if your vehicle is in need of repair to pass the annual emissions test. You may qualify for up to $600 in vehicle repair assistance from the AirCheck Texas Drive a Clean Machine Voucher Program if you meet certain income requirements. In addition, your vehicle must also meet other criteria. It must have failed an emissions test within 30 days of applying, must have a current registration and has been registered in your county for at least 12 of the 15 months preceding your application, and has passed the safety portion of the DPS motor-safety and emissions inspection. And, it must be driven (not towed) to the inspection station.
If you meet this AirCheck Texas inspection criteria, you will be eligible to receive a voucher worth up to $600 for emissions-related repairs or retrofits performed at a participating emissions repair facility.
And, it gets even better! You may also be eligible for vehicle replacement assistance. If you meet income requirements, and your car is at least 10 years old and runs, has a current registration, and passed a safety inspection within 15 months of application. If you meet all of these requirements, you are eligible to receive a voucher for $3,000 for a car or truck no more than three years old, not to exceed the cost of $35,000. Or a $3,500 voucher towards the purchase of a hybrid vehicle up to three years old, not to exceed the cost of $45,000. There are also certain model requirements and it must have no more than 70,000 miles on it.
So, it’s nice to know there’s help out there in the Lone Star State. Other states may have similar programs. Check your state’s environmental commission or your state’s department of Motor Vehicles.

Until next week…

Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist

Vehicle Repair Assistance – Comedy Defensive Driving

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Texas Two Step

Daun Thompson — Tue, 27 Jan 2015 17:26:27 +0000

As of March 1st, Texas will now have both the Inspection Sticker and the Registration Sticker combined into one. They’re calling it the Texas Two Step. So now, you will only require one sticker on your windshield in Texas, your Registration Sticker. And it will serve as combined proof of both the registration and the inspection. This is a sigh of relief for me, since my registration sticker and inspection stick never expire on the same month. It’s kind of like running out of conditioner before running out of shampoo. Perhaps I have obsessive compulsive disorder? Plus, it has always bothered me, having two stickers on my windshield, even when placed properly, they seemed to clutter up my window. And I recall spending tedious hours, every year, removing the old adhesive “ring” left over from last year’s sticker (again, maybe OCD). This will also eliminate fraudulent purchase of inspection stickers, thus eliminating pollutants for those vehicles that would not pass an emissions inspection. A single-sticker system makes vehicle registration dependent on obtaining a passing vehicle inspection. Pretty smart, eh?

So, inspections won’t change. And inspection locations won’t change either. The only thing that will change is that you will no longer get an inspection sticker. Now, you will receive a Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) in lieu of an inspection sticker. And vehicle inspection stations will no longer collect the state’s portion of the inspection fee. They will only be charging the station’s fee. And the state’s fee will be charged at the time of registration renewal.

You must get your inspection no more than 90 days before registration is due to expire. But, to sinc up those (like me) whose two stickers expire months apart, only this first year, they are cutting us some slack and not making us get two inspections in a year. Say, if your inspection expires before your registration. You only need to get your car inspected when it’s due and that will suffice when you get your registration renewal.

And, bottom line, it’s supposed to save the state of Texas over a million dollars! Again, pretty smart, eh?
Until next week…
Daun Thompson
Writer / Comedienne / Artist
Texas Two Step – Comedy Defensive Driving School

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Vehicle Repair Assistance

Texas Two Step