Drivers will soon see savings on their vehicle registration fees after the Galveston County Commissioners Court opted out of a state grant program aimed at cutting down on vehicle emissions.

On Tuesday the commissioners court voted unanimously to reduce the vehicle registration fee in Galveston County by $6.

According to Galveston County Judge Mark Henry, the fee was meant to provide funding to operate the AirCheck Texas program, which was used to help residents repair or replace high-emission vehicles.

“It’s not fair to continue charging a fee when there’s about $1.7 million available for Galveston County that hasn’t been spent,” Judge Henry said.

Residents who meet the requirements can still apply for money: up to $3,500 toward buying a newer vehicle or up to $600 for repairing their old one. To qualify, their vehicles must have failed an inspection or be at least 10 years old. The remaining money will be available for the county to spend through the end of the 2019.

While Galveston and 15 other counties across the state collected the fee to run the programs, Texas is one of less than 20 U.S. states that still require yearly safety inspections that test for things like properly-working horns, brakes and brake lights, headlights and seat belts.

For more information on the AirCheck Texas Program, visit www.h-gac.com/airchecktexas