SUBCHAPTER A GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 501.001 - Short Title
This chapter may be cited as the Certificate of Title Act. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
- Texas Section 501.002 - Definitions
In this chapter: (1) "Certificate of title" means a printed record of title issued under Section 501.021. (2) "Credit card" means a card, plate, or...
- Texas Section 501.003 - Purpose
This chapter shall be liberally construed to lessen and prevent: (1) the theft of motor vehicles; (2) the importation into this state of and traffic...
- Texas Section 501.004 - Applicability
(a) Except as provided by this section, this chapter applies to all motor vehicles, including a motor vehicle owned by the state or a political...
- Texas Section 501.0041 - Rules; Forms
(a) The department may adopt rules to administer this chapter. (b) The department shall post forms on the Internet and provide each county assessor-collector with...
- Texas Section 501.005 - Conflicts With Business & Commerce Code
Chapters 1-9, Business & Commerce Code, control over a conflicting provision of this chapter. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
- Texas Section 501.006 - Alias Title
On receipt of a verified request approved by the executive administrator of a law enforcement agency, the department may issue a title in the form...
SUBCHAPTER B CERTIFICATE OF TITLE REQUIREMENTS
- Texas Section 501.008 - Title For Autocycle
(a) In this section, "autocycle" means a motor vehicle, other than a tractor, that is: (1) designed to have when propelled not more than three...
- Texas Section 501.021 - Title For Motor Vehicle
(a) A motor vehicle title issued by the department must include: (1) the legal name and address of each purchaser and seller at the first...
- Texas Section 501.022 - Motor Vehicle Title Required
(a) The owner of a motor vehicle registered in this state: (1) except as provided by Section 501.029, shall apply for title to the vehicle;...
- Texas Section 501.023 - Application For Title
(a) The owner of a motor vehicle must present identification and apply for a title as prescribed by the department, unless otherwise exempted by law....
- Texas Section 501.0234 - Duty Of Vehicle Dealer On Sale Of Certain Vehicles
(a) A person who sells at the first or a subsequent sale a motor vehicle and who holds a general distinguishing number issued under Chapter...
- Texas Section 501.0235 - Personal Identification Information For Obtaining Title
(a) The department may require an applicant for a title to provide current personal identification as determined by department rule. (b) Any identification number required...
- Texas Section 501.024 - Title Receipt
(a) A county assessor-collector who receives an application for a title shall issue a title receipt to the applicant containing the information concerning the motor...
- Texas Section 501.025 - Manufacturer's Certificate Required On First Sale
A county assessor-collector may not issue a title receipt on the first sale of a motor vehicle unless the applicant for the title provides the...
- Texas Section 501.027 - Issuance Of Title
(a) On the day that a county assessor-collector issues a title receipt, a copy of the title receipt and all evidence of title shall be...
- Texas Section 501.0275 - Issuance Of Title For Unregistered Vehicle
(a) The department shall issue a title for a motor vehicle that complies with the other requirements under this chapter unless: (1) the vehicle is...
- Texas Section 501.0276 - Denial Of Title Receipt, Title, Or Record Of Title For Failure To Provide Proof Of Emissions Testing
A county assessor-collector may not issue a title receipt and the department may not issue a certificate of title for a vehicle subject to Section...
- Texas Section 501.028 - Owner's Signature
On receipt of a certificate of title, the owner of a motor vehicle shall write the owner's name in ink in the space provided on...
- Texas Section 501.029 - Acceptable Proof Of Ownership
The board by rule may provide a list of the documents required for the issuance of a receipt that evidences title to a motor vehicle...
- Texas Section 501.030 - Motor Vehicles Brought Into State
(a) Before a motor vehicle that was last registered or titled in another state or country may be titled in this state, the county assessor-collector...
- Texas Section 501.031 - Rights Of Survivorship Agreement
(a) The department shall include on each title an optional rights of survivorship agreement that: (1) provides that if the agreement is between two or...
- Texas Section 501.032 - Assignment Of Vehicle Identification Number By Department
(a) On proper application, the department shall assign a vehicle identification number to a travel trailer, a trailer or semitrailer, a frame, or an item...
- Texas Section 501.033 - Assignment Of Identification Number By Department
(a) A person determined by law enforcement or a court to be the owner of a motor vehicle, travel trailer, semitrailer, or trailer, a part...
- Texas Section 501.0331 - Motor Number Required For Registration
A person may not apply to the county assessor-collector for the registration of a motor vehicle from which the original motor number has been removed,...
- Texas Section 501.0332 - Application For Motor Number Record
(a) To obtain a motor number assigned by the department, the owner of a motor vehicle that has had the original motor number removed, erased,...
- Texas Section 501.034 - Issuance Of Title To Government Agency
The department may issue a title to a government agency if a vehicle or part of a vehicle is: (1) forfeited to the government agency;...
- Texas Section 501.035 - Title For Former Military Vehicle
(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the department shall issue a title for a former military vehicle if all requirements for issuance of a title are...
- Texas Section 501.036 - Title For Farm Semitrailer
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the department may issue a title for a farm semitrailer with a gross weight of more than...
- Texas Section 501.037 - Title For Trailers
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the department may issue a title for a trailer that has a gross vehicle weight of 4,000...
SUBCHAPTER C REFUSAL TO ISSUE, REVOCATION, SUSPENSION, OR ALTERATION OF CERTIFICATE
- Texas Section 501.038 - Certificate Of Title For Custom Vehicle Or Street Rod
(a) In this section, "custom vehicle" and "street rod" have the meanings assigned by Section 504.501. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, if...
- Texas Section 501.051 - Grounds For Refusal To Issue Or For Revocation Or Suspension Of Title
(a) A title may be refused, canceled, suspended, or revoked by the department if: (1) the application contains a false or fraudulent statement; (2) the...
- Texas Section 501.052 - Hearing On Refusal To Issue Or Revocation Or Suspension Of Title; Appeal
(a) An interested person aggrieved by a refusal, rescission, cancellation, suspension, or revocation under Section 501.051 may apply for a hearing to the county assessor-collector...
- Texas Section 501.0521 - Court Ordered Title Changes
(a) A justice of the peace or municipal court judge may not issue an order related to a title except as provided by Chapter 47,...
SUBCHAPTER D SALES OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRANSFERS OF TITLE
- Texas Section 501.053 - Filing Of Bond As Alternative To Hearing
(a) As an alternative to the procedure provided by Section 501.052, the person may obtain a title by filing a bond with the department if...
- Texas Section 501.071 - Sale Of Vehicle; Transfer Of Title
(a) Except as provided in Section 503.039, a motor vehicle may not be the subject of a subsequent sale unless the owner designated on the...
- Texas Section 501.072 - Odometer Disclosure Statement
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the seller of a motor vehicle sold in this state shall provide to the buyer, on a form...
- Texas Section 501.0721 - Delivery Of Receipt And Title To Purchaser Of Used Motor Vehicle
A person, whether acting for that person or another, who sells, trades, or otherwise transfers a used motor vehicle shall deliver to the purchaser at...
- Texas Section 501.073 - Sales In Violation Of Chapter
A sale made in violation of this chapter is void and title may not pass until the requirements of this chapter are satisfied. Acts 1995,...
- Texas Section 501.074 - Transfer Of Vehicle By Operation Of Law
(a) The department shall issue a new title for a motor vehicle registered in this state for which the ownership is transferred by operation of...
SUBCHAPTER E NONREPAIRABLE AND SALVAGE MOTOR VEHICLES
- Texas Section 501.076 - Limited Power Of Attorney
(a) An owner who has a contractual option to transfer ownership of a vehicle in full or partial satisfaction of the balance owed on the...
- Texas Section 501.091 - Definitions
In this subchapter: (1) "Actual cash value" means the market value of a motor vehicle. (2) "Casual sale" means the sale by a salvage vehicle...
- Texas Section 501.09111 - Rights And Limitations Of Nonrepairable Vehicle Title, Nonrepairable Record Of Title, Salvage Vehicle Title, Or Salvage Record Of Title
(a) A person who owns a nonrepairable motor vehicle: (1) is entitled to possess, transport, dismantle, scrap, destroy, record a lien as provided for in...
- Texas Section 501.09112 - Appearance Of Nonrepairable Vehicle Title Or Salvage Vehicle Title
(a) The department's printed nonrepairable vehicle title must clearly indicate that it is the negotiable ownership document for a nonrepairable motor vehicle. (b) A nonrepairable...
- Texas Section 501.09113 - Out-of-state Salvage Or Rebuilt Salvage Vehicle
(a) This section applies only to a motor vehicle brought into this state from another state or jurisdiction that has on any title or comparable...
- Texas Section 501.0925 - Insurance Company Not Required To Surrender Certificates Of Title In Certain Situations
(a) An insurance company that acquires, through payment of a claim, ownership or possession of a motor vehicle covered by a certificate of title that...
- Texas Section 501.0935 - Issuance Of Title To Salvage Pool Operator
(a) In this section, "salvage pool operator" has the meaning assigned by Section 2302.001, Occupations Code. (b) This section applies only to a salvage pool...
- Texas Section 501.095 - Sale, Transfer, Or Release
Sec. 501.095. SALE, TRANSFER, OR RELEASE. (a) If the department has not issued a nonrepairable vehicle title, nonrepairable record of title, salvage vehicle title, or...
- Texas Section 501.097 - Application For Nonrepairable Vehicle Title Or Salvage Vehicle Title
Sec. 501.097. APPLICATION FOR NONREPAIRABLE VEHICLE TITLE OR SALVAGE VEHICLE TITLE. Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1136 (H.B....
- Texas Section 501.099 - Sale Of Export-only Motor Vehicles
(a) This section applies to a nonrepairable motor vehicle or a salvage motor vehicle that is offered for sale in this state to a person...
- Texas Section 501.100 - Application For Regular Certificate Of Title For Salvage Vehicle
(a) The owner of a motor vehicle for which a nonrepairable vehicle title issued prior to September 1, 2003, or for which a salvage vehicle...
- Texas Section 501.1001 - Salvage Motor Vehicles Or Nonrepairable Motor Vehicles For Insurance Companies Or Self-insured Persons
Sec. 501.1001. SALVAGE MOTOR VEHICLES OR NONREPAIRABLE MOTOR VEHICLES FOR INSURANCE COMPANIES OR SELF-INSURED PERSONS. Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg.,...
- Texas Section 501.1002 - Owner-retained Vehicles
Sec. 501.1002. OWNER-RETAINED VEHICLES. Text of subsection as amended by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1136 (H.B. 1422), Sec. 3 (a) If an insurance...
- Texas Section 501.1003 - Salvage Dealer Responsibilities
(a) If a salvage vehicle dealer acquires ownership of a nonrepairable motor vehicle or salvage motor vehicle for the purpose of dismantling, scrapping, or destroying...
- Texas Section 501.104 - Rebuilder To Possess Title Or Other Documentation
(a) This section applies to a person engaged in repairing, rebuilding, or reconstructing more than five motor vehicles, regardless of whether the person is licensed...
- Texas Section 501.107 - Applicability Of Subchapter To Recycler
(a) This subchapter does not apply to a sale to, purchase by, or other transaction by or with, a metal recycler except as provided by...
- Texas Section 501.108 - Record Retention
(a) Each licensed salvage vehicle dealer, used automotive parts recycler, or insurance company that sells a nonrepairable motor vehicle or a salvage motor vehicle at...
- Texas Section 501.109 - Offenses
(a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) applies to the department for a title for a motor vehicle; and (2) knows or...
SUBCHAPTER F SECURITY INTERESTS
- Texas Section 501.110 - Enforcement Of Subchapter
(a) This subchapter shall be enforced by the department and any other governmental or law enforcement entity, including the Department of Public Safety, and the...
- Texas Section 501.111 - Perfection Of Security Interest
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person may perfect a security interest in a motor vehicle that is the subject of a first...
- Texas Section 501.112 - Sale Or Security Interest Not Created By Certain Vehicle Leases
Notwithstanding any other law, an agreement for the lease of a motor vehicle does not create a sale or security interest by merely providing that...
- Texas Section 501.113 - Recordation Of Security Interest
(a) Recordation of a lien under this chapter is considered to occur when: (1) the department's titling system is updated; or (2) the county assessor-collector...
- Texas Section 501.114 - Assignment Of Lien
(a) A lienholder may assign a lien recorded under Section 501.113 without making any filing or giving any notice under this chapter. The lien assigned...
- Texas Section 501.115 - Discharge Of Lien
(a) When a debt or claim secured by a lien has been satisfied, the lienholder shall, within a reasonable time not to exceed the maximum...
- Texas Section 501.116 - Cancellation Of Discharged Lien
The department may cancel a discharged lien that has been recorded on a title for 10 years or more if the recorded lienholder: (1) does...
SUBCHAPTER G ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 501.117 - Electronic Lien System
(a) The department by rule shall develop a system under which a security interest in a motor vehicle may be perfected, assigned, discharged, and canceled...
- Texas Section 501.132 - Duplicate Title Receipt
Except as otherwise provided by department rule, the department may not issue a duplicate title receipt unless the original title receipt or certificate of title...
- Texas Section 501.134 - Lost Or Destroyed Certificate Of Title
(a) If a printed title is lost or destroyed, the owner or lienholder disclosed on the title may obtain, in the manner provided by this...
- Texas Section 501.135 - Record Of Stolen Or Concealed Motor Vehicle
(a) The department shall: (1) make a record of each report to the department that a motor vehicle registered in this state has been stolen...
- Texas Section 501.138 - Collection And Disposition Of Fees
(a) An applicant for a title, other than the state or a political subdivision of the state, must pay a fee of: (1) $33 if...
SUBCHAPTER H PENALTIES AND OTHER ENFORCEMENT PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 501.139 - Electronic Funds Transfer
A county assessor-collector that transfers money to the department under this chapter shall transfer the money electronically. Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch....
- Texas Section 501.145 - Filing By Purchaser; Application For Transfer Of Title
(a) Not later than the later of the 30th day after the date of assignment on the documents or the date provided by Section 152.069,...
- Texas Section 501.146 - Title Transfer; Late Fee
(a) If the application for the transfer of title is not filed during the period provided by Section 501.145, the late fee is to be...
- Texas Section 501.147 - Vehicle Transfer Notification
(a) On receipt of a written notice of transfer from the seller of a motor vehicle, the department shall indicate the transfer on the motor...
- Texas Section 501.148 - Allocation Of Fees
(a) The county assessor-collector may retain as commission for services provided under this subchapter half of each late fee. (b) The county assessor-collector shall report...
- Texas Section 501.151 - Placement Of Serial Number With Intent To Change Identity
(a) A person commits an offense if the person stamps or places a serial number on a vehicle or part of a vehicle with the...
- Texas Section 501.152 - Sale Or Offer Without Title Receipt Or Title
(a) Except as provided by this section, a person commits an offense if the person: (1) sells, offers to sell, or offers as security for...
- Texas Section 501.153 - Application For Title For Stolen Or Concealed Vehicle
A person commits an offense if the person applies for a title for a motor vehicle that the person knows is stolen or concealed in...
- Texas Section 501.154 - Alteration Of Certificate Or Receipt
A person commits an offense if the person alters a manufacturer's certificate, a title receipt, or a title. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec....
- Texas Section 501.155 - False Name, False Information, And Forgery
(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly provides false or incorrect information or without legal authority signs the name of another person...
- Texas Section 501.156 - Duty Of Transporters To Determine Right Of Possession; Offense
(a) The master or captain of a ship or airplane or a person who owns or controls the operation of a ship or airplane, in...
- Texas Section 501.157 - Penalties
(a) Unless otherwise provided by this chapter, an offense under this chapter is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $1 or...
- Texas Section 501.158 - Seizure Of Stolen Vehicle Or Vehicle With Altered Vehicle Identification Number
(a) A peace officer may seize a vehicle or part of a vehicle without a warrant if the officer has probable cause to believe that...
- Texas Section 501.161 - Execution Of Transfer Documents; Penalty
(a) A person who transfers a motor vehicle in this state shall complete in full and date as of the date of the transfer all...
- Texas Section 501.162 - Motor Number Required For Registration; Penalty
A person commits an offense if the person violates Section 501.0331. An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not...
SUBCHAPTER I ELECTRONIC TITLING SYSTEM
- Texas Section 501.163 - Application For Motor Number Record; Penalty
A person who fails to comply with Section 501.0332 commits an offense. An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of...
- Texas Section 501.171 - Application Of Subchapter
This subchapter applies only if the department implements a titling system under Section 501.173. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1290 (H.B. 2017),...
- Texas Section 501.172 - Definitions
In this subchapter: (1) "Document" means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and...
- Texas Section 501.173 - Electronic Titling System
(a) The board by rule may implement an electronic titling system. (b) A record of title maintained electronically by the department in the titling system...
- Texas Section 501.174 - Validity Of Electronic Documents
(a) If this chapter requires that a document be an original, be on paper or another tangible medium, or be in writing, the requirement is...
- Texas Section 501.175 - Recording Of Documents
(a) Under the titling system, the department may: (1) receive, index, store, archive, and transmit electronic documents; (2) provide for access to, and for search...
- Texas Section 501.176 - Payment Of Fees By Electronic Funds Transfer Or Credit Card
(a) The department may accept payment by electronic funds transfer, credit card, or debit card of any title or registration fee that the department is...
- Texas Section 501.177 - Service Charge
If, for any reason, the payment of a fee under this chapter by electronic funds transfer, credit card, or debit card is not honored by...
- Texas Section 501.178 - Disposition Of Fees
All fees collected under this subchapter shall be deposited to the credit of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd...
- Texas Section 501.179 - Relation To Electronic Signatures In Global And National Commerce Act
This subchapter modifies, limits, and supersedes the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (15 U.S.C. Section 7001 et seq.) but does not...