Sec. 502.040. REGISTRATION REQUIRED; GENERAL RULE. (a) Not more than 30 days after purchasing a vehicle or becoming a resident of this state, the owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer shall apply for the registration of the vehicle for:
(1) each registration year in which the vehicle is used or to be used on a public highway; and
(2) if the vehicle is unregistered for a registration year that has begun and that applies to the vehicle and if the vehicle is used or to be used on a public highway, the remaining portion of that registration year.
(b) The application must be accompanied by personal identification as determined by department rule and made in a manner prescribed by the department:
(1) through the county assessor-collector of the county in which the owner resides;
(2) if the county in which the owner resides has been declared by the governor as a disaster area, through the county assessor-collector of a county that is one of the closest unaffected counties to a county that asks for assistance and:
(A) continues to be declared by the governor as a disaster area because the county has been rendered inoperable by the disaster; and
(B) is inoperable for a protracted period of time; or
(3) if the county assessor-collector's office in which the owner resides is closed for a protracted period of time as defined by the department, to the county assessor-collector of a county that borders the county in which the owner resides who agrees to accept the application.
(c) A provision of this chapter that conflicts with this section prevails over this section to the extent of the conflict.
(d) A county assessor-collector, a deputy county assessor-collector, or a person acting on behalf of a county assessor-collector is not liable to any person for:
(1) refusing to register a vehicle because of the person's failure to submit evidence of residency that complies with the department's rules; or
(2) registering a vehicle under this section.
Transferred, redesignated and amended from Transportation Code, Section 502.002 by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1296 (H.B. 2357), Sec. 78, eff. January 1, 2012.
Amended by:
Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1135 (H.B. 2741), Sec. 63, eff. September 1, 2013.
Section: Previous 502.00211 502.0023 502.003 502.004 502.010 502.011 502.040 502.041 502.042 502.043 502.044 502.045 502.046 502.047 NextLast modified: September 28, 2016