Registering a Vehicle in Texas

[JustMe]

[And before you ask, I know perfectly well how to change oil and filters. I just got oil running down my arm into my shirt one too many times.

- Jim

HA! Just because we own a shop doesn't mean that I do it!! I won't even change a tire--I told my husband that is why we have wreckers!

me

[Jumping Frog]

It has been a while since I've done this, but it's complicated. IIRC the steps are:

1. Move to Texas (physically).
2. Get car insurance.
3. Get a Texas driver license.
4. Get the vehicle inspected.
5. Get the title transfer.

Each of these steps is a prerequisite for the next one. In other words, you can't do anything else until you show proof of insurance.

http://www.txdmv.gov/vehicles/registration/faq.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

This process is expensive—hundreds of dollars. When we moved here in 1995 I laid down at least two grand for fees, deposits, and miscellaneous extortion.

A little confusion on the order. Titling/registration must come before driver license.

I moved three cars to Texas and got a Texas DL within the last 12 months.

1. Close on a house or sign a lease, i.e., know what your new Texas address will be.
2. Have the vehicles physically present in Texas..
3. Get the vehicle inspected.
4. Get car insurance. (inspected and insurance can be in either order).
5. Go to County Tax office and get vehicle titled, registered and new plates.
6. Depending upon county, it will cost approx $120 to title the out-of-state vehicle and about $60 to register it.
7. After you have your vehicles titled, registered and plated, then get the Texas driver license. You have to provide proof of registration and insurance for all your vehicles to get a driver license.
8. The Texas Driver License in this post-9/11 has stringent identification document requirements that are adhered to within the letter of the law. Easiest for you if you have a US Passport and Social Security card. Otherwise, you'll need original birth certificate or certified copy, plus Social Security card, plus one other secondary document. Plus, you need to prove your residency in Texas with two documents.

Some pertinent links:

http://www.txdmv.gov/vehicles/drivers/new_residents.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLice ... icense.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLice ... NonCDL.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Look, you are an attorney so you are used to getting documentation to meet legal requirements. If you are precise about getting and presenting the correct documents on the first try, then figure it will take part of 3 different days to complete all this. One for inspection, one for titling/registration, and one for driver license. Show up any any of these places and stand in line for 2 hours to find your documentation isn't acceptable is a royal pain in the derriere.

I was lucky in that I owned all three vehicles outright, with no liens, and had a clean title for each. Also, make sure your California titles are in the exact same name as the name on your passport or original birth certificate. There are a lot of people who drop a "Jr." or add a middle name, for example. If you have a spouse who has taken your surname, she'll need a copy of the marriage license showing the new name and her maiden name to match against the birth certificate when proving citizenship.

Good luck.

[seamusTX]

Get car insurance. (inspected and insurance can be in either order).

I have had something like 30 vehicle inspections in Texas now, and they wanted to see the insurance every time.

After all these years I'm vague on how long our insurance lasted after we moved from Illinois. I think it was something like 30 days after we sold our house there. That would depend upon our specific policy at that time, of course.

We did everything real fast. We arrived in Texas December 22, 1995, and closed on the house early in February 1996. I didn't get much sleep.

- Jim

[JALLEN]

A little confusion on the order. Titling/registration must come before driver license.

I moved three cars to Texas and got a Texas DL within the last 12 months.

1. Close on a house or sign a lease, i.e., know what your new Texas address will be.
2. Have the vehicles physically present in Texas..
3. Get the vehicle inspected.
4. Get car insurance. (inspected and insurance can be in either order).
5. Go to County Tax office and get vehicle titled, registered and new plates.
6. Depending upon county, it will cost approx $120 to title the out-of-state vehicle and about $60 to register it.
7. After you have your vehicles titled, registered and plated, then get the Texas driver license. You have to provide proof of registration and insurance for all your vehicles to get a driver license.
8. The Texas Driver License in this post-9/11 has stringent identification document requirements that are adhered to within the letter of the law. Easiest for you if you have a US Passport and Social Security card. Otherwise, you'll need original birth certificate or certified copy, plus Social Security card, plus one other secondary document. Plus, you need to prove your residency in Texas with two documents.

Some pertinent links:

http://www.txdmv.gov/vehicles/drivers/new_residents.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLice ... icense.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLice ... NonCDL.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Look, you are an attorney so you are used to getting documentation to meet legal requirements. If you are precise about getting and presenting the correct documents on the first try, then figure it will take part of 3 different days to complete all this. One for inspection, one for titling/registration, and one for driver license. Show up any any of these places and stand in line for 2 hours to find your documentation isn't acceptable is a royal pain in the derriere.

I was lucky in that I owned all three vehicles outright, with no liens, and had a clean title for each. Also, make sure your California titles are in the exact same name as the name on your passport or original birth certificate. There are a lot of people who drop a "Jr." or add a middle name, for example. If you have a spouse who has taken your surname, she'll need a copy of the marriage license showing the new name and her maiden name to match against the birth certificate when proving citizenship.

Good luck.

Well, I can tell you our cars are not titled in the exact same name as the passports, or birth certificate. They may not be in exactly the same name, counting middle initial and Srs, etc. between the three of them, and my D/L! My wife's birth certificate is French; at least mine is Texan. I haven't seen my original SS card in decades, maybe since the Nixon Administration. I don't think I will need one as I will be surrendering a valid CA D/L, if I read the site correctly.

The problem is that when I was born, I wasn't a Senior. When I got my driver's license in Texas, in the Eisenhower Administration, I wasn't a senior, either, nor when I got the CA D/L.

Maybe I'll just sneak in across the border.

[seamusTX]

You can get a replacement Social Security card:
http://ssa-custhelp.ssa.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/251" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There has to be a way to deal with the other stuff by signing affidavits or something. People use variations of their name all the time. Women get married or divorced while they already own a car. As you say, men become "Sr." and Juniors become II, etc.

- Jim

[Jumping Frog]

Well, I can tell you our cars are not titled in the exact same name as the passports, or birth certificate. They may not be in exactly the same name, counting middle initial and Srs, etc. between the three of them, and my D/L! My wife's birth certificate is French; at least mine is Texan. I haven't seen my original SS card in decades, maybe since the Nixon Administration. I don't think I will need one as I will be surrendering a valid CA D/L, if I read the site correctly.

Yeah, it's frustrating.

I went to the titling office in Ohio before moving and had all my cars re-titled in the name that matches our documents. It was a $5 fee per car, IIRC. My birth certificate & passport had "Jr.", but I dropped the "Jr." 25 years ago when my dad died. My wife did not have a middle name at birth, but had used her confirmation name on her drivers license, marriage license, etc for the previous 40 years.

Her Texas driver license does not include the middle name and my DL now says "Jr."

Here are the documents required for a drivers license:

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/driverlice ... ements.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you do not have a passport, surrendering your CA DL will be a "Supporting Document". From the website:

An applicant must present either: two secondary documents or one secondary and two supporting documents to establish identity

You'll still need your birth certificate and one other supporting document. See the list of acceptable documents linked above.

As far as the SS card, you must prove your social security number. Since that is one of the supporting documents accepted above, it is convenient to kill two birs with one stone. However, if you do not have one there are other documents proving your SSN that are accepted, such as a DD-214, Medicare/Medicaid card, etc. Here is the list you can use when you prove your SSN:

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLice ... number.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[texasag93]

Does California have a 30 day temporary registration? That may be a way to get around the 1 year renewal. They may also have a refund policy if the car is transferred during the year on a pro rated basis.

Call the registration office and ask.

[JALLEN]

Does California have a 30 day temporary registration? That may be a way to get around the 1 year renewal. They may also have a refund policy if the car is transferred during the year on a pro rated basis.

Call the registration office and ask.

I discovered today that while there is no 30 day permit apparently, there is a one way trip permit for $15. That might suffice. I just have to get the permit before registration expires, then lay low afterwards until I'm ready to leave. All I need is to make it to Yuma!

[Bullwhip]

I heard California makes you pay all back years of registration even if your car wasn't on the road (junker, restoration, whatever). If you can get that 30 day temporary, do it, or they won't release title to Texas.

Another good reason to get out of Commiefornia.

Inspection: yes, definitely have to show proof of insurance at inspection, or they won't' even look at it. Just has to match the VIN, doesn't have to be with Texas plates.

[talltex]

I think it's around $100 to register an out-of-state car, but each county can set its own rates. I wouldn't know about heavy vehicles.

The inspection can be $10 to over $100 depending up whether you have to get an emission test.

Also insurance here is costly. I don't know how it will compare to where you live. Houston is like the insurance fraud capital of the world, and it is reflected in the rates of everyone who lives within commuting distance.

In my opinion, trying to do this from out-of-state is an unnecessary uphill battle. You have 90 days to do everything legally. About a million people a year move into Texas. It's not like you're coming from Mars.

- Jim

I'm a long time dealer in Texas and this is incorrect...all registrations are set by the State of Texas...in the past the fees did vary according to the weight rating , but only on trucks..all passenger cars were the same price...currently all vehicles up 10,000lb GVW, regardless of weight, both car and truck, cost $62.75 for the license plates for a 12 month period. That money goes directly to the DMV in Austin, the county merely collects and forwards it. The county doesn't have any control over the amount charged. There is a $30.50 charge to transfer the title...that's a one time charge to issue a Texas title to replace the one from out of state. The inspection fee is also set by the state...the individual shop performing the inspection has no leeway in the amount charged...they get to keep a small fee for performing the safety inspection or the emmission certification...the bulk of the money is forwarded to Austin. You are NOT required to have a Texas drivers license at time of registration, just proof of insurance. The only additional charge for it being from out of state is getting an "out of state inspection certificate at the same time you get the safety inspection...this only costs $1.00 additonal. You can do all of this in a couple of hours when you get here...no need to worry about it beforehand. As long as your plates are not expired and you still have a valid out of state license and proof of insurance you are unlikely to get a ticket whether it's within 90 days or not.

[talltex]

Let me amend that...you can do all of it in a couple of hours if you are NOT moving into a metro area....out in the rural counties, you can be in and out of the tax office ( for license plates you go to the county tax assessor's office, not the county clerk's office) in 10 minutes with your plates in hand. The driver's license change can take longer because of the ID requirements...again, it will be much quicker and easier in a rural county...you can obtain your driver's license in ANY county in the state...doesn't have to be in the county of residence. As long as you're not in an air quality district metro area, the safety inspection and out of state certificate shouldn't take more than 15-20 minutes unless the shop is backed up at first or last of month with people trying to get inspected at the last minute, or right after it expired.

[Ameer]

You can do all of this in a couple of hours when you get here...no need to worry about it beforehand. As long as your plates are not expired and you still have a valid out of state license and proof of insurance you are unlikely to get a ticket whether it's within 90 days or not.

That's probably true but he said in the first post that his plates expire in May. The whole point of doing it early is to avoid paying California for a whole year if he's moving to Texas soon.

My car registration is due in May here. I would rather not pay fees to California in May for a year's registration, plus smog check, only to move to Texas the next month and pay all over again. From what I read on the websites, to register in Texas the car must be inspected, in Texas. Is this correct? Any exceptions, etc?

[Ameer]

Let me amend that...you can do all of it in a couple of hours if you are NOT moving into a metro area....out in the rural counties, you can be in and out of the tax office ( for license plates you go to the county tax assessor's office, not the county clerk's office) in 10 minutes with your plates in hand.

I did two in Houston and was out in less than 20 minutes each time. The trick is going at a slow time, not during lunch.

[i8godzilla]

I'm a long time dealer in Texas and this is incorrect...all registrations are set by the State of Texas...in the past the fees did vary according to the weight rating , but only on trucks..all passenger cars were the same price...currently all vehicles up 10,000lb GVW, regardless of weight, both car and truck, cost $62.75 for the license plates for a 12 month period. That money goes directly to the DMV in Austin, the county merely collects and forwards it. The county doesn't have any control over the amount charged. There is a $30.50 charge to transfer the title...that's a one time charge to issue a Texas title to replace the one from out of state. The inspection fee is also set by the state...the individual shop performing the inspection has no leeway in the amount charged...they get to keep a small fee for performing the safety inspection or the emmission certification...the bulk of the money is forwarded to Austin. You are NOT required to have a Texas drivers license at time of registration, just proof of insurance. The only additional charge for it being from out of state is getting an "out of state inspection certificate at the same time you get the safety inspection...this only costs $1.00 additonal. You can do all of this in a couple of hours when you get here...no need to worry about it beforehand. As long as your plates are not expired and you still have a valid out of state license and proof of insurance you are unlikely to get a ticket whether it's within 90 days or not.

My Daughter and SIL moved to TX 18 months ago from OH. They were hit with a $90.00 new resident fee. In March, we transferred the title/registration of the truck we had registered in TN. The county clerk told me that since we were TX residents that they could waive the new resident fee as long as I could prove that we paid sales tax in the state where the truck was purchased. I had the original bill of sale and it was not a problem.