Need to register or renew your vehicle in Texas? You can now do so in any county.
A new Texas law allows drivers to register, renew and title their vehicles in counties other than their own.
SB 876 lets people apply for vehicle title, initial registration and renewal registration to any county tax assessor-collector. But there’s a catch: The county tax assessor-collector has to be willing to accept the transaction.
Previously, Texas drivers were required to register in their county of residence.
Registration and title fees for transactions on or after March 1 are determined by your resident county, regardless of where it’s processed.
“Senate Bill 876, enacted by the 87th Legislature, allows counties to process vehicle titles, initial registration, and renewal registrations for individuals and businesses who reside outside their county,” said TxDMV spokesperson Wendy Cook in a statement to the Star-Telegram. “The bill was effective March 1, 2022, and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) implemented the bill’s requirements by completing related system programming and rule adoptions in February.”
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles says it is in the process of changing administrative rules and programming the department’s automated systems to accommodate the changes necessary for SB 876.
“The department attempted to automate system changes as much as possible to streamline transaction processes for stakeholders,” Cook said. “TxDMV is providing virtual training opportunities to county tax assessor collector offices on this type of transaction processing. Each county independently decides to participate in the program and can change their decision at any time.”
