Buying a Used Vehicle in Texas: What the TxDMV Tells Buyers in 2026

The title check

The TxDMV's Title Check page walks a buyer through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, the federal consumer protection database created under the 1992 Anti Car Theft Act: get the VIN (from the dashboard, the door jamb, the insurance card or the title), have a credit card ready, choose an approved provider and follow its steps. The report gives the vehicle's title history across states, including whether it was ever held by a junk or salvage yard or declared a total loss by an insurer. The TxDMV lists providers approved by the U.S. Department of Justice for consumers, among them Bumper, Carsforsale, Carvertical, Checkthatvin, Clearvin, Titlecheck.us, Vinaudit, Vindatahistory, Vingurus and Vinsmart, and notes that Carfax, CVR, DMVDesk and Experian supply NMVTIS reports only to dealerships; the complete list is on the NMVTIS site. The TxDMV also recommends a full vehicle history report from a private company and an inspection by a reputable mechanic before the money changes hands, and the title brands guide explains what each brand on the report means.

Buying from a dealer

A licensed Texas dealer files the title application on the buyer's behalf, within 30 days of purchase or 45 days when the dealer finances the sale, so the buyer does not visit the tax office; the TxDMV says to get a receipt showing the vehicle titled in your name. For passenger cars and pickups dealers must post a Buyers Guide stating whether the vehicle is sold as is or with a warranty, and the TxDMV says to read every sales document before signing. Since July 1, 2025 dealers issue metal plates instead of temporary tags. A dealer who has not delivered the title and plates after 30 days can be reported to the TxDMV's Enforcement Division through its online complaint system; the dealer problems guide covers closed dealerships, and the lemon law guide a new vehicle that keeps failing.

Buying from an individual

The TxDMV's advice is to have the seller come to the county tax office, where a representative can say whether the title being signed over is correct and free of salvage or legal issues before the application is filed. From the seller the buyer takes the signed vehicle title with the seller's printed name, signature, the sales date and the odometer reading on the back, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) with the seller's name, signature and the sales price, and any supporting document such as a release of lien or a power of attorney; the buyer keeps a written record of the seller's name and address, the date and the VIN. At the office the buyer adds proof of liability insurance (or applies for title only), a photo ID, and the Vehicle Inspection Report when no current inspection is in the database, with the emissions inspection required in the 17 emissions counties and the commercial inspection for commercial vehicles. The title must be applied for within 30 days or delinquent transfer penalties follow.

The free Vehicle Transit Permit

When the seller keeps the plates, as the TxDMV says the seller should, the buyer prints a Vehicle Transit Permit before driving: free, valid five calendar days from the day it is printed, for one trip between the point of origin and the destination with any intermediate points named, on a passenger vehicle of 6,000 pounds or less or a light truck of 10,000 pounds or less, one permit per vehicle sale, never for a salvage or nonrepairable vehicle. The receipt stays in the vehicle, proof of insurance at the Texas minimums is required, and the vehicle is exempt from inspection while the permit runs. On a weekend sale it covers the drive home until the county office opens.

Bought a vehicle without a title

The TxDMV's bonded title page sets out the bonded title in three steps for a Texas resident or military member stationed in Texas who holds a complete vehicle (frame, body and motor; frame and motor for a motorcycle) that is not junked, nonrepairable or otherwise ineligible. Eligibility. Take or mail to the regional service center serving your county the Bonded Title Application or Tax Collector Hearing Statement of Fact (VTR-130-SOF), any evidence of ownership (bill of sale, invoice, cancelled check), an original release of lien or letter of no interest for any lien less than 10 years old, a photo ID and the $15 fee (check or money order by mail, cash too in person); a vehicle never titled or registered in Texas first needs a VIN inspection by an auto theft investigator on form VTR-68-A. Without a release from a lienholder of 10 years or less the applicant is not eligible and may seek a court order instead. The bond. On approval the TxDMV issues a Notice of Determination (VTR-130-ND) stating the bond amount, one and a half times the vehicle's value by the standard presumptive value, the NADA guide or an appraisal on form VTR-125 within 30 days; the bond is bought from an agency licensed to sell vehicle surety bonds within one year of the notice. The title. Within 30 days of buying the bond, the original notice, the step one documents, Form 130-U, the VTR-68-A if there was no Texas record and a weight certificate for a commercial vehicle go to the county tax office. The other two routes are a court order from a county or district court and a tax collector hearing, a limited service some counties offer.

Avoiding a stolen vehicle

The TxDMV warns that many stolen vehicles are sold to unsuspecting buyers, that knowingly buying one can lead to arrest, and that unknowingly buying one can cost both the car and the money. Its checks: the title and registration match the name and address of the seller; the seller has a fixed address, a place of employment and a phone number; references about past financing and insurance can be verified with the bank or agent; the VIN on the dash is present, secure and unaltered, and the plate is not repainted with numbers that look other than factory-stamped (thieves move VIN plates from wrecked vehicles, so a dealer of the same model or a law enforcement agency can check it); and any deal that seems too good to be true deserves suspicion.

Taxes and fees

On a purchase from an individual the buyer pays motor vehicle sales tax of 6.25 percent of the purchase price or the standard presumptive value, whichever is higher, when the vehicle is titled, plus the title application fee of $28 or $33 by county, the registration fee of $51.75 for a car or light truck, the local fees, the $4.75 processing fee and the inspection fees; the county estimates the tax and says which payments it accepts. A gift from an eligible relative carries a $10 gift tax, and a vehicle bought in another state or country pays the tax difference and follows the out-of-state vehicle guide. Every amount is on the fees page.

Questions about buying a used vehicle

How do I check a title before buying?

Take down the VIN and run it through one of the approved providers the TxDMV lists for the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System, from a couple of dollars, which reports whether the vehicle was ever in a junk or salvage yard or declared a total loss; the TxDMV recommends a mechanic's inspection and a service history report as well. Carfax, CVR, DMVDesk and Experian provide NMVTIS reports only to dealers.

The seller wants to keep the plates. How do I drive home?

Print a free Vehicle Transit Permit from the TxDMV before driving, valid five calendar days for one trip to the county tax office or home, for a passenger vehicle of 6,000 pounds or less or a light truck of 10,000 pounds or less, one per sale.

What if the seller cannot produce a title?

Three options in the TxDMV's FAQ: the bonded title process through a regional service center, a court order awarding ownership, or a tax collector hearing where the county offers one. The TxDMV's advice is never to walk away from a private sale without the title.

How big is the bond?

One and a half times the vehicle's value, set by the standard presumptive value, then the NADA guide, then an appraisal by a licensed dealer or insurance adjuster on form VTR-125; a vehicle 25 years or older with an appraisal under $4,000 is valued at $4,000, and a trailer at $4,000 under 20 feet or $7,000 at 20 feet or more. The bond is bought within a year of the notice from an agency licensed to sell vehicle surety bonds.

How do I avoid a stolen car?

The TxDMV's list: the title and registration should match the seller's name and address; be wary of a seller with no fixed address, job or phone; verify the financing and insurance references; check that the dash VIN plate is present, secure, unaltered and not repainted, comparing it with a dealer or police if in doubt; and distrust a deal too good to be true. Buying a stolen car knowingly can bring arrest; unknowingly, the loss of the car and the money.

What is a Buyers Guide?

The window form dealers must post on used passenger cars and pickups, which tells the buyer whether the vehicle is sold as is or with a warranty; the state itself gives no warranty on a used vehicle.