Roy’s Taxi
90 East Avenue, Austin
512-482-0000
Taxi VIP
10616 Mellow Meadows, Austin
888-869-4703
Texas Style Limousines
8760 Research Boulevard #A
512-797-4831
Time Warner Cab
7130 Howerington Circle, Austin
512-928-1531
Yellow Cab
10630 Joseph Clayton,
Bldg A, Austin
512-452-9999
TRAIN SERVICE
Amtrak
250 N. Lamar Blvd.
(5th & Lamar), Austin
512-476-5684, 800-872-7245
www.amtrak.com
DRIVER’S LICENSE AND
VEHICLE REGISTRATION
New Texans need a new driver’s license
within 90 days of arrival. Car inspection, registration, and proof of insurance
are all required before a license can be
issued. Full-time college students can
continue to use the license issued in
your home state.
COSTS
Fees for licenses are $25 and are good
for six years. Motorcycle licenses are
$15, and commercial licenses are $61.
Renewals are $25 for basic and $8 for
motorcycle. Duplicate licenses or change-of-address are $10 each.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION
OFFICES (by county)
Bastrop
803 Pine Street
512-332-7261
First off, new Texas residents must get their vehicle safety inspected by a Texas
Department of Public Safety-accredited local inspection station, which can be
found online at www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/inspection/new_locator.asp.
Depending on the county in which they live, new residents may also have to get an
emissions test. Counties around the Greater Austin area that require emissions testing
are Williamson and Travis. Testing consists of one of two methods, On-Board
Diagnostics (OBDII), which handles 1996 and newer vehicles, and TSI. Should the
vehicle fail emissions, motorists can find a local accredited repair facility by visiting
www.txdps.state.tx.us/rsd/vi/misc/rerf/emissionRepairLocator.aspx
Upon passing inspection and, if necessary, emissions, motorists must then go to their
local county tax office ( txdmv.gov/tax-assessor-collectors/county-tax-offices) to register
and title their vehicle. Both inspection/emissions and registration/titling must be
completed within 30 days of the new residents’ arrival. In either case, vehicle owners
must present proof of financial responsibility for the vehicle at the time of testing. In
addition, motorists need to bring the following other items with them to the tax office:
• The inspection certification,
• Proof of liability insurance,
• Completed Form 130-U
• The vehicle’s odometer reading if it is less than 10 years old,
• An original out-of-state title, proof of registration, proof of sales tax payment
or current foreign/military ownership document
• If you do not possess the title to the car because it has a lien, you must also
complete Form VTR- 272
Motorists should also expect to pay the following fees:
• Registration fee,
• Title application fee of $28 or $33, depending on the county
• New resident sales tax of $90.
Additional fees may be due at the time of registration,. In addition, new Texas residents
need to be aware that, for their vehicles to be legal, they must have both a front and
back license plate. This is of particular importance to anyone moving from a state that
only requires a rear license plate. For more information, contact your county tax office.
For information about the new resident tax, contact the Comptroller of Public Accounts.
EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE
There are two exceptions to the inspection and registration process, however.
Active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces and non-resident, full-time students
attending a Texas college or university are not required title or register their
vehicles in the state.
BY THE WAY…
It goes without saying that new Texas residents must get a Texas drivers license upon moving
to the state. In this case, however, there is a little more breathing room in which to work in
that one must attain said license within 90 days of moving to the Lone Star State. For more
information, go to www.txdps.state.tx.us/DriverLicense/index.htm.
THE OL’ IRON HORSE
VEHICLE INSPECTION AND REGISTRATION
Source: www.txdmv.gov/vehicles/drivers/new_residents.htm
