TxDMV says you have 30 days from the move to register the vehicle. You do that at the county tax assessor-collector, with Texas liability insurance and proof that you own the car, such as the title or the registration from the previous state. You are not required to obtain a Texas title. In 18 counties you need a passing emissions inspection first. Commercial vehicles still need a safety inspection. A TxDMV checklist says the non-commercial safety inspection ended on January 1, 2025.
What do I do, in order?
- Get Texas liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, up to $60,000 for everyone injured in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The new-to-Texas page states those figures. The Texas Department of Insurance guide states the same 30/60/25 amounts and says most drivers meet the financial-responsibility law by buying liability insurance.
- If you live in an emissions county, get a passing emissions inspection at a Department of Public Safety certified station before you go to the county. Take proof of insurance to the station. The counties are Bexar, Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson.
- If the vehicle is commercial, get a passing safety inspection as well. The checklist for new Texans says House Bill 3297 eliminated the safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles effective January 1, 2025. If no emissions inspection is required, that checklist says you self-certify the VIN on Form 130-U.
- Visit the county tax assessor-collector. Complete Form 130-U even if you are not titling the car in Texas. The checklist says to mark Registration Purposes Only if you are not surrendering the out-of-state title. Bring the title or the out-of-state registration receipt, the insurance card, and the inspection report if one applies.
- Pay the registration and the new-resident tax the county assesses. Ask to be signed up for eReminder while you are there.
The out-of-state and imported vehicles page is the purchase path, and it is stricter on titling. It says a vehicle must be titled in your name within 30 days of the date of sale to avoid delinquent transfer penalties, and registered within 30 days of bringing it into Texas. A new resident who already owns the car should follow the new-to-Texas page, which says titling is not required. A resident who buys a car out of state should follow the purchase page.
What fees does TxDMV print?
The new-to-Texas page says the base registration fee is $50.75 plus $1 for TexasSure, so state registration is $51.75. Counties may add fees. New-resident sales-tax fees can be $90 or the difference between your previous state's sales tax and the Texas sales tax. The page does not print the Texas percentage or a worksheet. For a commercial vehicle, the state portion of the safety-inspection fee is due at registration. For a non-commercial vehicle, an Inspection Replacement Fee and, if it applies, an Emissions Inspection Fee are due at registration. The page does not print those inspection-fee amounts.
Fully electric cars and trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 10,000 pounds or less pay an annual $200 fee at renewal as of September 1, 2023. Two years of registration on a new electric vehicle is a $400 fee. Standard registration fees still apply. Hybrids, combination-fuel vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, autocycles, and neighborhood electric vehicles are not charged the electric-vehicle fee. Exempt government vehicles and plates such as Disabled Veteran plates are not charged it when no registration fee is due.
County tax offices can issue temporary registration. The new-to-Texas page lists that service and does not say how many days the permit lasts or what it costs. Ask the county. Some county offices require an appointment.
Who is exempt, and what about a shipped car?
Active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces and non-resident full-time students at a Texas college or university are not required to register or title their vehicles in Texas. Everyone else on the new-to-Texas page is on the 30-day clock. A new resident also has 90 days to get a Texas driver license from the Department of Public Safety. That license deadline is not the registration deadline.
A shipped car is delivered to you. You still register within 30 days of becoming a resident, and you still need the emissions inspection if the car will be kept in one of the 18 counties. See car shipping to Texas, the cost page, and emissions when states differ. RideShipper compares quotes. It is not a carrier or a broker, and it does not register the car.