Licensing Your Vehicle: Quick Tips to Get on the Road

The ins and outs of car ownership can sometimes feel endless. Between researching and buying a new car to knowing about and procuring insurance, driver’s licenses and car licenses, there’s a lot of information that you have to know. One of the most essential components of car ownership is licensing your vehicle. If you don’t know how to register your vehicle, or even what that is, now is the time to learn. Here are a few quick and easy tips to get you started.

What does it mean to register your vehicle?

Just like a person needs a license to drive, so does a car. Licensing, or registering, your vehicle is something that must be done upon purchase, when you move to a new state or annually. In each case, you’ll receive a sticker to place on your license plate. It will give the month and date your vehicle is valid through. For example, if your sticker had “10” and “15”, you would have a vehicle license good through October 31st, 2015. By that date you would need to renew your registration or face the consequences.

What are the penalties for not registering your vehicle?

You must have the title to the vehicle in order to officially own it, and unless you won’t be driving the vehicle, you have to have a current registration. If you don’t have your vehicle registered, you face getting a ticket. The tickets are around $200.

When do you need to license your vehicle?

You’ll need to register your vehicle:

• Upon purchase, or transfer of title. If you buy from a car dealership, this is typically done for you. You may need to pick up your actual plates though.
• Each year by the end of your registration month. You can do your renewal in person, by mail or online.
• When you move to Texas, you must register your vehicle within 30 days of establishing your residency.

Licensing your vehicle: How to register a car, truck or motorcycle in Texas

You have a few different scenarios in which you’ll need to register your vehicle. Upon purchase, when you move to Texas or renewing each year. Depending on the scenario, you may need a few things, which include ID, proof of insurance, a completed application for Texas Certificate of Title, and Certificate of Inspection. You’ll also need to pay the car registration fees, which can run anywhere from $30-$50. You may have additional fees for transfers of title or inspections. The process is as follows:

Initial Registration

• Get your vehicle inspected. It must be performed at an official inspection station, or by an official DPS (Department of Public Safety) individual. You’ll receive a Certificate of Inspection once you’ve passed inspection.
• Fill out a vehicle title/registration form
• Visit your County Tax Office and bring the odometer reading (if the vehicle is less than 10 years old), your paperwork and proof of insurance

New to Texas

• Bring all of the above, plus your original out-of-state vehicle title, or proof of purchase and a registration document

Renewals

In the mail you’ll receive a letter that tells you your renewal deadline date, the fee, the requirements for emissions/safety inspections and contact information for your County Tax Office. Once you’ve fulfilled any inspection requirements you can register a few different ways.

• By mail – Send payment, the renewal notice and a copy of your insurance card, plus a $1 mail fee to your County Tax Office
• In-Person – Head to the nearest County Tax Office and bring the renewal notice, proof of insurance, any required certificate of inspection and cash, check or credit card for payment
• Online – Using the Texas Department of Transportation website, follow the steps to renew your vehicle

Stay up-to-date

If you do better with e-mails than snail mail, make sure to sign up for eReminders. You’ll need the last four digits of your VIN number, your license plate number and your e-mail.

Once you’ve been through the process, it becomes easier. Remember if you have any questions, you can contact the DMV or your local County Tax Office. Once your new sticker is adhered to your license plate (simply follow the instructions you’ll receive with the stickers), your car is legal to be on the roads.