Editor's note: A major restaurant redo and housing news lead this round of top stories. Read on for more of the week's most popular headlines.
1. Austin Under 40 reveals impressive nominees for 2017 awards. These 80 movers and shakers represent a wide range of Austin industries, from technology and sciences to arts and entertainment.
2. Iconic Austin space transforms into brand-new restaurant. In an era filled with sudden restaurant openings and closures, one historic Austin space is getting an update. Green Pastures restaurant reopened March 1, with a new name but the same nostalgic feel.
3. How much homes cost in Austin's most popular ZIP codes right now. Austin may be the No. 1 place to live in the country, but how much does it actually costs to settle down here? A local real estate agent dove into the numbers to see what homes are selling for in Austin's most popular ZIP codes.
4. Here's where you'll find the most affordable homes in the Austin area. Even in this expensive market you can still find pockets of affordability, if you're willing to put up with a few predictable trade-offs, such as fewer amenities and longer commutes.
5. Famed New York pizza joint fires up two downtown Austin locations. Neapolitan Express rolled out two new food trucks in downtown Austin on March 3. They're the first locations outside of NYC for the relatively new brand.
Inspections and Registrations
Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer be required to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration.
House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, abolishes the vehicle safety inspection program for regular cars and trucks. (The Department of Motor Vehicles notes that commercial vehicles will still be required to undergo safety inspections.)
Texas will now join the 36 other states in the U.S. that do not require safety inspections. This change means that car or truck owners will now take personal responsibility for making sure that what they drive doesn’t pose a danger to anyone inside or outside of the vehicle.
Texas State Sen. Mayes Middleton spoke for us all in May 2023 when he said that “vehicle inspections are costly, time consuming and provide little benefit to public safety."
Fees
Drivers will still have to pay the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee, under a new name: Inspection Program Replacement Fee, as part of the registration fee. Those registering a new car will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years.
Emissions
While the safety inspection is a thing of the past, emissions is not: 17 counties will still have to submit to emissions inspections prior to registration.
Emissions inspection tests are still required in these 17 counties:
Slacker info
In a statement, Staff Sgt. Rob Mallory with the Texas Highway Patrol says that "if your inspection is expiring in the next couple of months, you still need to go down and get your state inspection done in order to renew your vehicle registration for another year."
And according to a representative from the DMV, you have five business days after your current sticker expires to get a new one. This refutes common urban legends such as "you have 10 days," "you have 30 days," and "you have 6 months."
However, let's say you're a slacker whose sticker expires in November or December, and you don't renew your registration until January. You could theoretically get away with not having to get an inspection. They won't make the safety inspection retroactive.
For non-slackers: Ensure your vehicle has passed an inspection no earlier than 90 days before renewal, and include a copy of the passing Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) if it cannot be electronically verified. Plus a copy of current proof of insurance.
