Texas License Plates: General Issue, Specialty, Transfers and Replacements in 2026

General-issue plates

A set of general-issue plates comes with the vehicle registration, with a number assigned by the TxDMV that cannot be personalized, as its license plates page explains. The current design, the Texas Classic introduced in July 2012, carries two high-visibility security threads embedded in the plate sheeting, the first in the country, so officers can spot legitimate plates. It followed the Lone Star Texas plate of June 2009, the first digital, full-color general-issue plate and the first with seven characters after 33 years exhausted the six-character patterns, chosen by Texans in an online vote but disliked by law enforcement, and the Panoramic Texas plate of 2000, the last stamped, six-character plate, of which 31.5 million sets were made. A new design takes several years to reach every registered vehicle. Texas law requires a front and a rear plate.

Replacing plates

Since November 1, 2016 Texas no longer replaces plates automatically after seven years. An owner whose plates need replacing for cosmetic or readability reasons applies at the county tax office for $6 plus a $0.50 automation fee, used for upgrades to the registration and titling system, with the Application for Replacement License Plate(s) and/or Vehicle Registration Sticker (VTR-60) by mail or the vehicle information in person. Plates that are not kept when a vehicle is sold or disposed of are defaced on the front with permanent black ink or a similar method to prevent fraudulent use; someone who moves out of state may keep the plates as a souvenir or cut them up for recycling.

Transferring plates

The TxDMV calls the transfer simple and free and encourages it because it protects the owner. Plates move between vehicles you own, to a vehicle bought from a dealer (remove them and ask the dealer to transfer them), to a vehicle bought from a private party (register them at the county tax office when titling), to a leased vehicle, and from a jointly titled vehicle to one titled in your name alone if your name has not changed. The county tax office assists and issues a new registration sticker; general-issue plates may only be transferred to passenger vehicles and trucks weighing one ton or less; and the sticker comes off the old windshield when the plates come off.

Specialty and personalized plates

Specialty plates are ordered at MyPlates.com, the state's plate marketing vendor, which checks the availability of a personalized phrase, letter or number combination; the TxDMV must approve every personalized message under its Personalized License Plate Guidelines and Restrictions, the plate fee is collected on top of the registration and other fees, and the TxDMV gives no refunds because each plate is custom made. Specialty plates with random or personalized numbers are issued for one, three or five year terms; the annual renewal notice reminds the owner before the term ends, and a selection not renewed within 60 days of expiration is cancelled by the TxDMV system and becomes available to anyone. A disabled parking plate with the International Symbol of Access is ordered with form VTR-214 in person or by mail at the county office, never online, and the original form or documentation is presented when the plates are picked up. Nonprofit organizations may sponsor a plate under the TxDMV's rules, and specialty plate revenue is published among its reports. The military plates, the Disabled Veteran plate and the surviving spouse and Gold Star plates are on the military vehicle guide.

Auctioned plate numbers

State law lets MyPlates auction license plate numbers, words or phrases, as the TxDMV's plate auctions page explains; the first auction was held on January 13, 2011, and the TxDMV neither schedules nor runs them (MyPlates, (888) 769-7528). A winning bidder gets exclusive rights to the number for a term, chooses a background from the vendor's collection, picks the plates up at the county tax office about six weeks later (they are made at a state prison facility), and is recorded as the owner even if the plates sit unused; vehicle registration is paid separately, and renewal is offered before the term ends. Unlike other personalized plates, auctioned numbers may be transferred by sale, gift or inheritance: the seller gets replacement plates and a sticker at the county, the buyer files the Auction License Plate Number Transfer (VTR-900) and visits the county to use them, and keeps the remainder of the term. A $50 restyle fee puts the number on a different design.

Digital and souvenir plates

State law authorizes digital license plates for a vehicle in a commercial fleet of at least 25 non-apportioned motor vehicles, semitrailers or trailers owned or leased by a business, a vehicle owned or operated by a governmental entity, or a vehicle that is not a passenger vehicle, with a $45 annual administrative fee under the Texas Administrative Code on top of the plate price; the TxDMV says it is working to secure a production partner to keep offering them. Souvenir plates, replicas of many specialty designs, are not street legal and are not registration insignia: $20 for a single plate, $20 more for personalization, with $10 of each replica going to the sponsoring organization's fund and $10 to the TxDMV fund; organizations buy them in lots of 25 or more for fundraising, with the Souvenir License Plate Order Form (VTR-998) mailed to Vehicle Titles and Registration, 4000 Jackson Avenue, Austin, TX 78779-0001.

Questions about Texas plates

Do my plates have to be replaced every seven years?

Not since November 1, 2016. The TxDMV says replacement is no longer automatic; plates that need replacing for cosmetic or readability reasons are replaced at the county tax office for $6 plus a $0.50 automation fee, with form VTR-60.

Can I move my plates to my next car?

Yes, for free, between vehicles you own, to a vehicle bought from a dealer (ask the dealer to transfer them), to a vehicle bought from a private party (register them at the county when titling), to a leased vehicle, or from a jointly titled vehicle to one in your name alone. General-issue plates transfer only to passenger vehicles and trucks of one ton or less, and the county issues a new sticker.

How do I get a personalized plate?

Through MyPlates, the state's plate marketing vendor, which checks availability; the message must be approved by the TxDMV under its personalized plate guidelines, the plate fee is added to the registration fees, terms run one, three or five years, and the TxDMV gives no refunds because the plates are made to order. A selection not renewed within 60 days of expiration is cancelled and released.

Can a plate number be sold?

Only an auctioned plate number, which may be transferred by sale, gift or inheritance with form VTR-900; the buyer gets the remainder of the term and may restyle the design for $50. Other personalized plates cannot be sold.

What is the current plate design?

The Texas Classic, introduced in July 2012, the first plate in the country with two high-visibility security threads in the sheeting. The Lone Star Texas plate of 2009 began the seven-character numbers; the Panoramic Texas plate of 2000 was the last stamped, six-character plate.

Who can have a digital plate?

A vehicle in a commercial fleet of at least 25 non-apportioned vehicles or trailers, a government vehicle, or a non-passenger vehicle, for a $45 annual administrative fee plus the plate price; the TxDMV says it is working to secure a production partner to keep offering them.