Registration Application
The owner of a motor vehicle or trailer must apply for the registration of the vehicle for each registration year in which the vehicle is used or to be used on a public highway. The application must be made to the DMV through the county assessor-collector of the county in which the owner resides.
Military personnel, who are residents of Texas, were stationed in another nation, and own a vehicle that was either registered by a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or in the nation where the person was stationed, have 90 days to register the vehicle upon their return to Texas.
An application for a vehicle registration must contain the full name and address of the owner of the vehicle, a brief description of the vehicle, and be signed by the owner.
An application for registration of a new motor vehicle must include information required by DMV rule, such as the vehicle’s trade name; year model; style and type of body; weight, if the vehicle is a passenger car; net carrying capacity and gross weight, if the vehicle is a commercial motor vehicle; vehicle identification number; and date of sale by the manufacturer or dealer to the applicant.
An applicant for registration of a commercial motor vehicle or trailer must submit an affidavit showing the weight of the vehicle, the maximum load to be carried on the vehicle, and the gross weight for the vehicle which is to be registered.
The DMV will not register or renew the registration of a motor vehicle for which a certificate of title is required unless the owner obtains a title or presents satisfactory evidence that a title was previously issued to the owner by the Texas DMV or another jurisdiction.
The owner of a motor vehicle must present proof of insurance or other evidence of financial responsibility before a vehicle will be registered.
An application for registration must be made during the 2 months preceding the date on which the registration expires.
A county assessor-collector or the DMV may refuse to register a motor vehicle if the assessor-collector or the DMV receive information that the owner of the vehicle owes the county money for a fine, fee, or tax that is past due.
There is a 5 working day period of grace for late registration.
Registration for Non-Residents
A non-resident owner of a privately owned vehicle that is not registered in the state may not make more than 5 occasional trips in any calendar month in the state using the vehicle. Each occasional trip into the state may not exceed 5 days.
A non-resident owner of a privately owned passenger car that is not registered in the state or country in which the person resides and that is not operated for compensation may operate the car in this state for the period in which the car’s license plates are valid.
Exempt from this are active-duty members of the US Armed Forces and full-time students from another state attending a Texas college or university.
A resident of an adjoining state or country may operate a privately owned and registered vehicle to go to and from the person’s place of regular employment and to make trips to purchase merchandise if the vehicle is not operated for compensation.
Military personnel on active duty in Texas may maintain home state vehicle registration as long as the plates are current.
Registration Type
Vehicle registration is annual, based on weight and applicable county and local fees.
Emissions Inspection
Designated vehicles registered in designated counties must pass an emissions inspection prior to registration. The emissions inspection is required annually, in conjunction with a safety inspection.
Designated counties include: Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, El Paso, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson.
Designated vehicles are vehicles capable of being powered by gasoline, from 2 through 24 years old, and registered in or required to be registered and primarily operated in a designated county.
A vehicle is eligible for a waiver if it failed both its initial emissions inspection and re-test, and the owner incurred emission-related repair expenses of at least $450.
Visit the Texas Department of Public Safety for more information on emissions inspections in the state.
OBD is utilized as part of the state emissions inspection process.
Safety Inspection
An annual safety inspection is required as a prerequisite to registering a vehicle. Valid out-of-state safety inspection certificates will not be honored on vehicles that are required to be registered. Every motor vehicle, trailer, pole trailer, or mobile home registered in the state must be inspected at an inspection station or by an inspector annually.
The initial safety inspection period for new passenger cars and light trucks is 2 years.
A trailer or travel trailer with a gross weight of 4,500 pounds or less is exempt from the safety inspection requirement.
The DMV may refuse to register a motor vehicle and may revoke a registration if the DMV determines that the vehicle is unsafe, improperly equipped, or otherwise unfit to be operated on a public highway.
Proof of insurance or financial responsibility is required before an inspection certificate will be issued.
A vehicle that is inspected and is subsequently involved in an accident affecting the safe operation of an item of inspection must be reinspected following repair. The reinspection must be at an inspection station and must be treated and charged as an initial inspection.
Title and Registration Fees
AUTOMOBILE
Title Fee: 6.25% sales tax on purchase price or presumptive value.
Registration Fee: For vehicles under 6,000 lbs. $50.75 + local and county fees.
MOTORCYCLE
Title Fee: 6.25% sales tax on purchase price or presumptive value.
Registration Fee: $30.00 plus local and county fees.
DUPLICATES
Plate Fee: $9.00
Registration Fee: $3.00
Driver’s License Fee: $11.00
Title Fee: $2.00
Special Plates: $30.00–$795.00