Texas DMV: Driver Licenses, Vehicle Registration, Titles, Fees and Offices in 2026

Who does what in Texas

Driver licenses, ID cards, learner and commercial licenses, driving tests, election identification certificates: the Texas Department of Public Safety, Driver License Division, at its driver license offices. DPS says every in-office service, drive tests included, is by appointment, booked on its appointment scheduler, with a limited number of same-day appointments at most offices. DPS calls its Mega Centers its premier locations.

Vehicle registration, registration renewal, title transfers, license plates, disabled parking placards, temporary permits, address changes on a vehicle record: the county tax assessor-collector, an elected county officer whose office processes these transactions for the TxDMV. The TxDMV lists the office for each of the 254 counties, and SearchSystems carries each one with its address, phone and site.

Replacement titles, bonded title rejection letters, title error investigations, title history inquiries, apportioned registration, vehicle transfer notifications: the TxDMV's regional service centers, open 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, walk-ins served and appointments given priority.

Boats, boat motors and personal watercraft are registered and titled with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, not the TxDMV, according to the TxDMV's registration page. Driver education schools and courses are licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which DPS links to from its driver education page.

What you can finish without an office visit

DPS lists its online options on its online services page: renewing a driver license, CDL or ID card, changing the address on the card, tracking a card that was renewed or changed, checking lawful presence status, requesting a driver record, checking driving eligibility and fees owed, paying reinstatement fees, requesting a hearing, and the appointment scheduler itself. The license transactions run through Texas by Texas (TxT), the state's account-based digital assistant at Texas.gov; a renewal or a replacement with no change to the front of the card can be ordered there with the card number, date of birth, the last four digits of the Social Security number and the audit number from the card. DPS also announced Virtual Issuance on its online application and Virtual Issuance page: eligible customers with REAL ID compliant records will complete renewals, replacements and address changes with a License Permit Specialist over a mobile device instead of in an office.

The TxDMV's online services cover registration renewal (through TxT or the classic renewal site, 90 days before the expiration date to 12 months after it), the renewal recipient address change, the vehicle transfer notification after a sale, regional service center appointments, specialty plates through MyPlates, and the switch to electronic renewal notices. Registration renewal is also done by mail to the county tax office, in person at the county office or an approved substation, and in some counties at a grocery store with the renewal notice.

Driver licenses and ID cards

DPS issues four non-commercial classes, set by the vehicle's weight rating and passenger count on its license classes page: Class C for a single vehicle or combination not in Class A or B, Class B for a single vehicle of 26,001 pounds or more or a bus seating 24 or more, Class A for a combination of 26,001 pounds or more with a towed unit over 10,000 pounds, and Class M for motorcycles. A first license takes an office visit with proof of citizenship or lawful presence, two Texas residency documents, identity documents, a Social Security number, proof of Texas registration and insurance for each vehicle owned, and, for applicants under 25, a driver education certificate; the knowledge and driving tests follow, and the card arrives by mail in two to three weeks. The driver license page lays out each step, and the renewal page the online, phone, mail and office renewals.

The fee for a new license or a renewal is $33 at ages 18 to 84, and the card lasts eight years. Under 18 it is $16 and expires on the 18th birthday; at 85 and older it is $9 for two years. A replacement, an address change or a name change is $11. An ID card is $16 ($6 at 60 and older) for six years. A $1 administrative fee is inside each amount and is not charged by mail. Every Texas card issued since October 10, 2016 with a star in a circle in the upper right corner is REAL ID compliant, as DPS explains on its REAL ID page.

Vehicle registration, titles and inspections

The base registration fee for a car or light pickup is $50.75, plus $1 for the TexasSure insurance verification program, so the state line on a renewal notice reads $51.75; counties add local fees of $0 to $31.50, and a $4.75 processing and handling fee applies. Pickups from 6,001 to 10,000 pounds pay a $54 base fee, motorcycles and mopeds $30, trailers up to 6,000 pounds $45, and fully electric cars and trucks of 10,000 pounds or less an added $200 a year ($400 on a new vehicle's two-year registration). Since January 1, 2025 no safety inspection is required for a non-commercial vehicle; the state collects a $7.50 inspection replacement fee at each renewal ($16.75 on a new vehicle), an emissions inspection is still required in the 17 counties named on the registration renewal page, and commercial vehicles still need a passing commercial inspection. Source: the TxDMV's registration page.

A vehicle bought from an individual must be titled in the buyer's name within 30 days of the sale, with a signed title, Form 130-U, proof of insurance, and motor vehicle sales tax of 6.25 percent on the price or the standard presumptive value, whichever is higher. The title application fee is $28 or $33 depending on the county. The seller files a vehicle transfer notification within 30 days to stop liability for tickets and tolls. A lost title is replaced with a certified copy for $2 by mail or $5.45 at a regional service center. The TxDMV's buying or selling page is the source; SearchSystems' title guide, buying guide and selling guide go through each case.

The fees people look up most

The complete DPS and TxDMV schedules, the temporary permit prices and the ways each office takes payment are on the Texas DMV fees page.

Offices, hours and holidays

The DPS office locator returned 236 driver license offices when searched county by county on October 14, 2026, in 187 of the 254 counties; each office page on SearchSystems carries its hours Monday to Saturday, its phone and DPS's own notes for that office, such as a lunch closure. All 254 county tax offices are listed with their address, phone, fax and site, and the 17 open TxDMV regional service centers with their counties. Start on the Texas DMV offices list.

State offices are closed on the 2026 state holidays listed by the State Auditor's Office: January 1 (New Year's Day), January 19 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), February 16 (Presidents' Day), May 25 (Memorial Day), September 7 (Labor Day), November 11 (Veterans Day), November 26 (Thanksgiving Day), November 27 (the day after Thanksgiving), December 24 (Christmas Eve), December 25 (Christmas Day), and January 1, 2027. On four more state holidays the schedule requires only a skeleton crew (March 2 (Texas Independence Day), April 21 (San Jacinto Day), June 19 (Emancipation Day) and August 27 (LBJ Day)), so an office may be open with limited staff. The TxDMV regional service centers also close on their staff development day and from 8 to 9 am on the second Wednesday of each month. County tax offices keep their county's calendar.

Driver and vehicle records

DPS sells driver records online at Texas.gov and by mail, never in an office: a status record (Type 1) for $4, a three-year history (Type 2) for $6, a certified three-year history (Type 2A) for $10, a list of all crashes and violations (Type 3) for $7, its certified version (Type 3A, the only type accepted for a defensive driving course) for $10, and a certified abstract of the complete record (Type AR) for $20, as listed on the DPS driver record page. The online order needs the card number, the audit number from the card, the date of birth and the last four digits of the Social Security number.

Vehicle records, a copy of a registration receipt ($2) and a title history come from the TxDMV with the Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information (Form VTR-275), at a county tax office or a regional service center, as its in-person services page explains. The driving record guide covers the DPS record types and corrections.

Every Texas DMV guide on SearchSystems

Each of these 44 pages is written from the Texas DPS or TxDMV pages read on October 14, 2026, with the official page linked where each fact appears; the office pages, one for every DPS driver license office, county tax office and TxDMV regional service center, are on the offices list.

Licenses, ID cards and drivers

• ID cards: How to Apply, Documents, Fees, the Online Trade-In at 65
• REAL ID: The Star, the May 7, 2025 Rule, How to Get a Compliant Card
• Teen learner license: Requirements at 15, VOE, Restrictions, How to Apply
• Provisional license: Teen Driver Requirements, Restrictions, Driving Test
• Driver education and the ITD video: Teen and Adult Courses, the ITD Video, Third Party Testing
• Knowledge and driving tests: How to Schedule, What to Bring, Vehicle Rules, the Knowledge Test
• Replace a lost license or ID: Online, at an Office, After a Theft, $11
• Change your name or address: Online, by Mail, In Person, $11
• Motorcycle license: Safety Course, Skills Test, Minors, Restrictions, Fees
• Commercial license (CDL): CLP, Classes, Tests, ELDT, Hazmat, Fees
• CDL medical rules and disqualifications: Medical Certificates, Restriction Codes, Disqualifications, Clearinghouse
• Senior drivers: Renewal at 79, Two-Year License at 85, the ID Trade at 65
• Driver records: The Six Types, $4 to $20, Order Online or by Mail, Corrections
• Occupational license: Court Petition, SR-22, $10 Fee, Interlock Rule
• DWI and ALR suspensions: Periods, the 15-Day Hearing, $125 Fee, Interlock
• Reinstatement and the SR-22: Fees, SR-22, Where to Send Documents
• Medical conditions and driving: DPS Evaluations, the Medical Advisory Board
• Limited term licenses and lawful presence: Visitors, Lawful Presence, DHS Checks
• Election identification certificate: Free Voter ID, Who Qualifies, How to Apply

Vehicles, titles and plates

• Register a vehicle: County Tax Office, First-Time Registration, Fees, Record Changes
• Vehicle titles and transfers: The 30-Day Rule, Form 130-U, Fees, Liens, Gifts, Brands
• Replacement title: Certified Copy, $2 by Mail or $5.45 in Person
• Buying a used vehicle: Title Check, Private Sale Paperwork, Transit Permit, Bonded Title
• Selling a vehicle: Vehicle Transfer Notification, the 30-Day Rule, Plates, Paperwork
• License plates: Replacements, Transfers, Personalized and Auction Plates
• Disabled parking placards: Red and Blue Placards, VTR-214, Veterans
• Temporary permits: Transit Permit, 30-Day and One-Trip Plates, 72-Hour Permits
• Inspections and emissions counties: No Safety Inspection, 17 Emissions Counties, the $7.50 Fee
• Insurance requirements: 30/60/25 Minimums, Proof at Registration, TexasSure, SR-22
• Out-of-state and imported vehicles: 30-Day Deadlines, VIN Inspection, Fees
• Liens: Form 130-U, VTR-267, the 10-Day Release
• Trailers: The 4,000-Pound Rule, Assembled and Farm Trailers
• Assembled vehicles and VINs: Kit Cars, Street Rods, Form VTR-68-A
• Off-highway vehicles and golf carts: Titles, Plates, Road Rules, Equipment
• Salvage, rebuilt and title brands: The Three-Step Rebuild, Junk, Odometer and Flood Brands
• Gifts, inheritance and divorce: $10 Gift Tax, Heirship Affidavit
• Lemon law: Which Vehicles Qualify, the Repair Tests, the $35 Complaint, Remedies
• Dealer problems: No Title After 30 Days, Closed Dealers, Fee Waivers, Complaints
• Abandoned vehicles: The 48-Hour Definition, Certificate of Authority, VTR-71-2

Services, moving and the military

• Online services and appointments: Texas by Texas, the Scheduler, Virtual Issuance
• Renew from out of state: Mail Packet, DL-64, Military Rules
• New to Texas: Register Your Car in 30 Days, Get a License in 90, Fees, Inspections
• Veterans and military licenses: Free License, Designations, Waivers
• Military vehicles and plates: Stationed in Texas, Transfers, Plates

Questions people ask about the Texas DMV

Is there a DMV office in Texas?

Not one that does everything. Driver licenses and ID cards come from the Texas Department of Public Safety at its driver license offices. Vehicle registration, titles, plates and placards are handled by the tax assessor-collector of each of the 254 counties on behalf of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, and the TxDMV's own regional service centers take replacement titles and title problems. The offices list has all three kinds.

How long do I have after moving to Texas?

The TxDMV gives 30 days to register a vehicle after the move, and DPS gives 90 days to get a Texas driver license; an out-of-state license stays valid for driving during those 90 days. The new to Texas guide walks through both.

Can I renew my driver license without an office visit?

Usually, if the last renewal was in person, the license is a Class C, M or CM (or a CDL without a hazmat endorsement), you are under 79, a U.S. citizen with a Social Security number on file, and the license is not expired by more than two years. The renewal runs through Texas by Texas at Texas.gov or by phone at 1-866-357-3639 (1-866-DL RENEW). The full list is on the license renewal page.

Is there a grace period on vehicle registration?

Five working days. The TxDMV says a vehicle may be driven up to five working days after the registration expires without penalty, and after that a citation of up to $200 is possible. Online renewal stays open for 12 months after expiration unless a citation was issued; the registration renewal page has the rest.

Do I still need a vehicle inspection?

Not a safety inspection for a non-commercial vehicle: that requirement ended January 1, 2025. An emissions inspection is still required before registration in 17 counties (Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson), and every commercial vehicle still needs a passing commercial inspection. A $7.50 inspection replacement fee is collected with each annual registration instead.

What does a Texas driver license cost?

$33 for a new license or a renewal at ages 18 to 84, good for eight years; $16 under 18; $9 at 85 and older, good for two years; $11 for a replacement. An ID card is $16 ($6 at 60 and older). The fees page carries every DPS and TxDMV fee.

Which phone numbers reach the agencies?

The TxDMV answers at 1 (888) 368-4689 (1-888-DMV-GOTX), Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm Central, and at (512) 465-3000. DPS runs license renewals by phone at 1-866-357-3639 (1-866-DL RENEW) and takes other driver license questions through the customer service form on its site.