Vehicles and Equipment.

Austin City Code tit. 13, ch. 13-2, art. 1, div. 7

in effect

Austin City Code § 13-2-141 INSPECTION REQUIRED.

§ 13-2-141 - INSPECTION REQUIRED. (A) A holder shall present each ground transportation service vehicle for inspection by the department on a schedule established by the department. (B) A holder shall make a vehicle that is in service available for inspection by the department at any time. (C) The department shall issue an inspection decal for a vehicle that passes the inspection required by Subsection (A). The decal shall be affixed to the vehicle in a manner prescribed by the department. (D) A person may not place a vehicle in service that does not comply with the inspection requirements of this chapter. (E) When placing a vehicle in service, a holder must submit a report to the department that includes current state vehicle inspection history for the vehicle on a form prescribed by the department. (F) Except as provided in Subsection (G), the City shall annually pay for one vehicle inspection required by the department for each operating authority permit assigned to a holder. If multiple operating authority permits are issued to a holder for a vehicle, the City shall annually pay for one inspection required by the department for that vehicle. (G) When multiple operating authority permits are issued to a holder for one vehicle, only one inspection is required for that vehicle for each periodic inspection scheduled by the department. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-141; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20220303-023, Pt. 10, 3-14-22.

Austin City Code § 13-2-142 INSPECTION STANDARDS.

§ 13-2-142 - INSPECTION STANDARDS. (A) Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, to pass inspection, a vehicle must comply with this section. The inspection includes all operational and safety systems. (B) A vehicle must conform to the following: (1) The vehicle must conform to state safety standards. (2) The vehicle must be equipped with a chemical fire extinguisher of a capacity of one quart or greater. The extinguisher must be mounted within the driver's reach. (3) The vehicle must be equipped with a spare tire, a jack, and a lug nut wrench or the appropriate tire repair or replacement kit. The spare tire must be appropriately mounted and meet state safety requirements. This paragraph does not apply to a vehicle modified to operate using alternative fuels or to allow the transport of disabled passengers if the modification prevents compliance with this paragraph. (C) The vehicle must be in condition to provide dependable and safe mechanical operation. (D) The vehicle must have a physical barrier securely anchored between the passenger and luggage compartments if the vehicle has no trunk compartment. (E) The vehicle must be equipped with two-way communication equipment capable of transmitting and receiving vocal communications between the vehicle and the dispatching office of the service. (F) The vehicle must be equipped with air conditioning and heating equipment operating within manufacturer's specifications. (G) The vehicle exterior must meet the following conditions: (1) The exterior of the vehicle must be reasonably clean. (2) Missing or damaged body moldings or trim must be repaired or replaced. (3) Ripped or torn vehicle body parts must be repaired. (4) Windshield damage impairing the driver's view or creating a safety hazard must be repaired or replaced immediately. A cracked or damaged side window, rear window, or mirror must be repaired or replaced immediately. (H) The vehicle interior must meet the following conditions: (1) The interior of each vehicle must be reasonably clean. (2) The trunk area must be kept clean and must provide adequate space to accommodate passenger luggage. (3) All portions of the interior upholstery of the vehicle must not have noticeable tears or other damage. (4) Missing, broken, or significantly damaged interior parts that affect the operation or safety of the vehicle or the passenger's comfort must be repaired or replaced. (5) Interior paint may not be noticeably rusted, flaked, scraped, or faded. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-142; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11; Ord. No. 20180628-054, Pt. 9, 7-9-18.

Austin City Code § 13-2-143 REMOVAL OF VEHICLE FROM SERVICE.

§ 13-2-143 - REMOVAL OF VEHICLE FROM SERVICE. (A) The department may order the removal of a vehicle from service if the vehicle fails to meet the inspection standards prescribed by this chapter. (B) If an order to remove a vehicle from service is issued to a driver for a vehicle that is occupied by a passenger, the driver may continue to the passenger's destination before removing the vehicle from service. (C) The department shall notify the holder in writing of the inspection failure, identifying the vehicle, the driver, and the specific inspection standard violated. (D) The department may allow a vehicle that fails to pass inspection to continue to operate if: (1) the holder or driver reports the vehicle damage or other failure to meet the required standards to the department; (2) the vehicle's failure to meet the inspection standard does not affect the safe operation of the vehicle; and (3) the vehicle is brought into compliance no later than the 10th day after the inspection failure occurs. (E) The department's failure to issue an order to remove a vehicle from service is not a defense to an allegation of a violation under this chapter. Source: 1992 Code Section 8-13-143; Ord. 031106-13; Ord. 031211-11.

Source: City of Austin, City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/austin/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT13TRSE_CH13-2GRTRPASE_ART1GEPR_DIV7VEEQFetched: 10/27/2026