Texas DMV Fees in 2026

Driver license and ID card fees

Source: the DPS driver license fees page, read on October 14, 2026. DPS says a $1 administrative fee is included in each amount and not charged for a transaction by mail. A driving test payment is good for 90 days, with the expiration date on the receipt.

Commercial driver license fees

The CDL guide explains the permit, the tests and the training rule.

Driver records, reinstatement and special licenses

From the DPS driver record page and its reinstatement fees FAQ. DPS says each enforcement action type carries its own fee (an ALR plus an SR-22 suspension means $225), that Texas law allows no reduction, waiver or installment, and that disabled veterans pay them too.

Vehicle registration fees

From the TxDMV's registration page and license plates page, read on October 14, 2026. Heavy vehicles from 6,001 to 80,000 pounds fall into seven weight classes.

Title, sales tax and transfer fees

From the TxDMV's buying or selling page, copy of title page, bonded title page, FAQ and lemon law page. The title guide and the replacement title guide explain each.

Plates, placards and temporary permits

From the TxDMV's license plates page, disabled parking page, temporary registration page and troops page. The TxDMV says it does not refund specialty plate orders.

How each office takes payment

DPS driver license offices: credit cards, cash, checks, money orders and tap-to-pay including Apple Pay and Google Pay, with the $1 administrative fee inside each amount; renewals by mail go by check or money order payable to Texas DPS.

County tax offices: the TxDMV says acceptable forms of payment vary by county and to ask the office; a replacement sticker fee is payable to the county by check or money order, or cash in person.

TxDMV regional service centers: cash, checks, debit or credit cards and money orders, with a convenience fee on cards, and for temporary permits only certified checks, money orders, cash or escrow funds. Mailed TxDMV fees: personal check, cashier's check or money order payable to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, no cash, no temporary checks, no cards, non-refundable, up to two weeks of mailing and processing, as the TxDMV's in-person services page says.

Online: license renewals and driver records take MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express; reinstatement payments add a $5.75 convenience fee; the TxDMV says a service charge may be included on a card payment at a county office.

Questions about Texas DMV fees

Why is the title fee $28 in one county and $33 in another?

The TxDMV lists the title application fee as $28 or $33 depending on the county, and says the fee is assessed on the applicant's local county tax office. Contact the county for the exact amount; each county page on the offices list carries the phone.

How is the sales tax figured on a used car bought from a person?

At 6.25 percent of the purchase price or the standard presumptive value, whichever is higher, paid when the vehicle is titled; the TxDMV's home page carries the SPV calculator. A gift between spouses, parents, grandparents, children, siblings, guardians, an estate or a 501(c)(3) carries a $10 gift tax instead.

Can I pay a reinstatement fee at a driver license office?

No. DPS says its offices handle only license and ID issuance and renewal; reinstatement fees are paid online on the License Eligibility page with a $5.75 convenience fee, applied immediately, or by mail to Central Cash Receiving, PO Box 15999, Austin, TX 78761-5999, with 21 business days of processing.

What does a DPS office take for payment?

Credit cards, cash, checks, money orders and tap-to-pay including Apple Pay and Google Pay, according to the DPS fee page; at a driving test appointment DPS says credit cards are preferred and money orders, cashier's and personal checks for the exact amount are accepted.

What does a TxDMV regional service center take?

Cash, checks, debit or credit cards and money orders for its services, with a convenience fee on cards; for temporary permits the TxDMV says the centers take certified checks and money orders, cash or escrow funds and not personal checks or credit cards. Mailed fees go by personal check, cashier's check or money order, never cash, and are non-refundable.

Is any fee waived for veterans?

A veteran with a service-connected disability of at least 60 percent, honorably discharged, receiving disability compensation and not required to register as a sex offender pays no DPS fee for a driver license or ID, though not for a CDL, and reinstatement fees are never waived. Disabled Veteran plates and other meritorious military plates skip the electric vehicle fee and some parking charges.