Terry’s Burnet Road Vehicle Inspections

Quick service, really nice guys, affordable. When there was a two hour wait for inspections (end of year) at a few other locations Terry’s was able to see me right away. Will be coming here as long as I’m in Austin.

Been coming here for a few years. Quick efficient service. What more can you ask for?

Great place. Pulled in. Met terry. Sat and watched him do my inspection, then he was done in less than 15 minutes. He answers the phone, while greeting other customers, while performing the current task with focus. Great small business. Come here for your next inspection.

You could do quick inspection here without hassle! Tips: Remember to bring you insurance card with you — they’ll need to check it first (which you should do all the time)

Seeing other great Unilocal reviews, I decided to pull into Terry’s at about 11:00am during the week. His vehicle inspection station was off the mainroad in a dirt lot next to a auto repair shop. I was wondering if I was in the right place. I saw the signs and parked my car outside and went in the gates. A man greeted me, who was Terry himself. His workshop looked old, but adequate. I had recently moved my car in from out of state and need to get Texas license plates. The first thing Terry asked is if I had car insurance, which I had gotten from State farm earlier that week. I had a temporary insurance paper which was perfect. And the inspection started. Terry drove my car down the street and back which took less than 3 minutes. He then tested everything in his workshop. The inspection was finished in about 10 – 15 minutes and I was given a signed piece of paper. I paid in cash. At the Tax Office I received my license places and my safety inspection sticker so Terry’s is definitely legit.

This is my go-​to place for car inspections. They are super-​efficient here. I was in & out in 20 min, with 1 car ahead of me. Very courteous too. No frills, non-​a/​c waiting area inside shop, but it was fine. They do still accept the $ 2 off Unilocal check-​in too!

Great service, fast, and friendly. I was in and out with my inspection in under 10 minutes.

I did my car inspection there this morning, and it was super fast and easy. I got my car back and everything done within 10mins.

When is an inspection ever quick and easy when you have a two year old in tow? Never! Until I found Terry’s! He let my child and I stay in the car and had us out of there in 10 minutes. Plus the car passed! Thank you!

They no longer do $ 2 off if you Unilocal check in. So that should get taken off the Unilocal page. Sean was fast, well within 5 minutes, I’d say. My car is pretty new, so no issues. Was exactly as i hoped. I paid 18.50. Guy in front of me had an old Mercedes diesel and paid 7, because it was safety only.

Quick and easy, got taken care of at this location today after previously going to their other location which is also good.
Sean got through my inspection easily and without anything to change. Was also good to see how he helped the woman before me get some adjustments taken care of so she could pass inspection after fixing a couple minor things.
Good Austin people worth checking out and once again I thank Unilocal for leading me their way.

Fast and they are really nice and patient, answered my questions and explained things very clearly.

You’re not going to get in and out of an inspection any faster than at Terry’s. The tech was literally running around my car. Call it service with speed and a smile. Do business with the local guys!

Like others said, drive down Jim Hogg and they’re at the end on the right. Three spaces are marked «inspection parking». They check your insurance and then take it for a quick brake check before hauling it into the garage to hook it up to the computer. Bundle up if it’s cold out, as the only place to wait is in the garage next to the car. It was only 10 minutes later I was driving out with a new sticker, perfectly legal. Woowoo!

Today was my first time at Terry’s on Jim Hogg. They were patient, flexible, and insanely fast. He seemed to know each and every customer that arrived, and my inspection took no time at all. I drove up from Oak Hill to get the inspection based on numerous positive reviews, and it was absolutely worth the hype. I had a terrible experience last year at another unrelated garage in South Austin, waiting over three hours only to find out they had forgotten I was there. I hear this happens quite a lot for state inspections here, for whatever reason. Terry’s is… well, the diametric opposite of that. I won’t be going anywhere else from now on.
Wise words for those new to Terry’s:
1. Park in the designated area at the fence and wait. Lots of folks tried to drive right in, but then saw there was a car in the bay, one waiting to the side, and a line of people and just had to back out (awkwardly, and in a small space) and park like everyone else. They share that area with another garage, so pulling in before they ask you to might cause everyone some avoidable frustration.
2. Have your current proof of insurance ready. A card with just your policy number will not do; they will accept verbal confirmation from your insurance company and digital copies of proof of insurance, however. They have a new person drive up even during slow times every five minutes, so you will be delayed if this is not out and in hand when you arrive.
3. Check to see if they’re keeping a list. Another patron told me Terry kept one to keep people in the order in which they arrived, but it didn’t seem that he had one that day. Just to be safe, as there’s not a lot of room to wait, just ask Terry or his colleague.
4. There’s not any shelter to wait under, so bundle up if it’s cold, keep an umbrella handy, or bring water if it’s hot. There are three little plastic chairs to the right of the bay entrance, and it is a *small* garage.
5. Lock your car or stay nearby until you’re ready for the inspection. It doesn’t seem particularly unsafe, but it’s an industrial road with folks that weren’t waiting for cars just strolling or lurking about. Be smart and aware of your surroundings (and belongings). Regardless, you won’t be waiting long!

Second time back. Love this place. The inside of the place is awesome and has a bunch of old school décor. The service is quick, friendly, and straight to the point. I feel like this place is the epitome of business. I come in wanting a service and they deliver with no problems. I can’t ask for anymore than this.

What a weird place! Not sure if we met *the* terry but immediately got a weird vibe from the only dude there.
Turtle shells and animal skulls everywhere, very vintage candy machine with equally as vintage candy inside, lots of stuff to stare at while you wait.
Literally the only 2 things this guy said was «I need to see your Texas insurance» at the beginning and «$ 29.50» at the end. So weird??? But as advertised we were in and out in 10 minutes so I can’t complain.

Yes, believe the hype! These guys are awesome: efficient, friendly, and very helpful. Having recently moved here, I’d never experienced a Texas auto inspection, and had no idea what to expect. Not only did they inspect my car and do the paperwork quickly, they gave me directions for where to go, gave me suggestions about how to attach the front license plate, found some extra metal screws for it, and advised me of the steps to take to get the car registered. It helped the rest of a stressful car registration day go smoothly. Thanks, guys!

Quick, friendly service! He gets people in and out in the promised 10 minutes and makes it a very painless process.

True Austin — visit for the experience and you’ll be a customer for life because of the service.
«This is the new address location for Terry’s Burnet Road Vehicle Inspections. It’s the same location, but now its only accessible from Jim Hogg Ave (one block east of Burnet and North Loop).» from another review and true
I first went to Terry’s Burnett Rd Inspections about 15 years ago after reading his wonderful write-​ups in the Chronicle’s Best-​of-​Austin awards. What an experience!
Vintage concert posters, autographed photos of local musicians, Terry’s Harley parked against the wall. But don’t let this laid-​back décor fool you. Terry is all about customer service, courtesy and getting you in and out quickly.
I wouldn’t want to ever take my vehicles, including my motorcycle, anywhere else.