Texas has combined vehicle registration and inspection stickers as of March 1 in its newly launched "Two Steps, One Sticker" program.

During the 83^rd Legislative Session, HB 2305 was passed, a law that requires the combination of the inspection and registration sticker as part of a program that began March 1.

Montgomery County Tax Assessor-Collector Tammy McRae said as a result of the program, a vehicle's regular registration sticker would serve as proof of both inspection and registration.

"I think this will make it a lot easier since there will be only one expiration date for one sticker now," McRae said. "This year will be the sync-up year for the registration and inspection dates. Next year, the dates will then correspond with one another."

McRae said that after March 1, vehicle owners would begin to receive a vehicle inspection report instead of a vehicle inspection sticker. Once a vehicle's inspection is up to date, drivers can take their VIR to the local tax office and receive a registration sticker.

Beginning March 1, 2016, vehicles' inspection and registration dates will align to the date that is on the registration sticker. Once the dates are aligned in that second year, vehicle owners will have 90 days to renew their inspection and registration before the date on their registration sticker expires.

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, the inspection fee is $14.50. The standard registration sticker fee for cars and lighter pickup trucks is a base fee of $50.75. McRae said that although these fees for inspection and registration stickers will remain the same, the collection method would change. Drivers will still pay the fees to both the location performing the inspection and the state registration office.