SUBCHAPTER A GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 502.001 - Definitions
In this chapter: (1) "All-terrain vehicle" means a motor vehicle that is: (A) equipped with a seat or seats for the use of: (i) the...
- Texas Section 502.0021 - Rules And 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 502.00211 - Design Of Registration Insignia
The department shall prepare the designs and specifications to be used as the registration insignia. Transferred, redesignated and amended from Transportation Code, Section 502.052 by...
- Texas Section 502.0023 - Extended Registration Of Commercial Fleet Vehicles
(a) Notwithstanding Section 502.044(c), the department shall develop and implement a system of registration to allow an owner of a commercial fleet to register the...
- Texas Section 502.003 - Registration By Political Subdivision Prohibited
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a political subdivision of this state may not require an owner of a motor vehicle to: (1) register...
- Texas Section 502.004 - Registration Of 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 502.004 - Information On Alternatively Fueled Vehicles
(a) In this section, "alternatively fueled vehicle" means a motor vehicle that is capable of using a fuel other than gasoline or diesel fuel. (b)...
- Texas Section 502.010 - County Scofflaw
(a) A county assessor-collector or the department may refuse to register a motor vehicle if the assessor-collector or the department receives information that the owner...
SUBCHAPTER B REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS
- Texas Section 502.011 - Refusal To Register Vehicle For Nonpayment Of Toll Or Administrative Fee
(a) A county assessor-collector or the department may refuse to register or renew the registration of a motor vehicle if it has received written notice...
- Texas Section 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...
- Texas Section 502.041 - Initial Registration
(a) Notwithstanding Section 502.040, the owner of a vehicle may concurrently apply for a title and for registration through the county assessor-collector of the county...
- Texas Section 502.042 - Title Required For Registration
The department may not register or renew the registration of a motor vehicle for which a title is required under Chapter 501 unless the owner:...
- Texas Section 502.043 - Application For Registration And Certain Permits
(a) An application for vehicle registration or a permit described by Section 502.094 or 502.095 must: (1) be made in a manner prescribed and include...
- Texas Section 502.044 - Registration Period
(a) The department shall designate a vehicle registration year of 12 consecutive months to begin on the first day of a calendar month and end...
- Texas Section 502.045 - Delinquent Registration
(a) A registration fee for a vehicle becomes delinquent immediately if the vehicle is used on a public highway without the fee having been paid...
- Texas Section 502.046 - Evidence Of Financial Responsibility
(a) Evidence of financial responsibility as required by Section 601.051 other than for a trailer or semitrailer shall be submitted with the application for registration...
- Texas Section 502.047 - Registration-based Enforcement Of Motor Vehicle Inspection Requirements
(a) Except as provided by Chapter 548, the department and the Department of Public Safety shall ensure compliance with the motor vehicle inspection requirements under...
- Texas Section 502.048 - Refusal To Register Unsafe Vehicle
The department may refuse to register a motor vehicle and may cancel, suspend, or revoke a registration if the department determines that a motor vehicle...
- Texas Section 502.055 - Determination Of Weight And Seating Capacity
(a) The weight, net weight, or gross weight of a vehicle, as determined by the department, is the correct weight for registration purposes, regardless of...
- Texas Section 502.056 - Disputed Classification Of Vehicle
In a disputed case, the department may determine: (1) the classification to which a vehicle belongs; and (2) the amount of the registration fee for...
- Texas Section 502.057 - Registration Receipt
The department shall issue or require to be issued to the owner of a vehicle registered under this chapter a registration receipt showing the information...
- Texas Section 502.058 - Duplicate Registration Receipt
(a) The owner of a vehicle for which the registration receipt has been lost or destroyed may obtain a duplicate receipt from the department or...
- Texas Section 502.059 - Issuance Of Registration Insignia
(a) On payment of the prescribed fee an applicant for motor vehicle registration shall be issued a registration insignia. (b) On application and payment of...
SUBCHAPTER C SPECIAL REGISTRATIONS
- Texas Section 502.060 - Replacement Of Registration Insignia
(a) The owner of a registered motor vehicle may obtain a replacement registration insignia by: (1) certifying that the replacement registration insignia will not be...
- Texas Section 502.090 - Effect Of Certain Military Service On Registration Requirement
(a) This section applies only to a motor vehicle that is owned by a person who: (1) is a resident of this state; (2) is...
- Texas Section 502.091 - International Registration Plan
(a) The department, through its director, may enter into an agreement with an authorized officer of another jurisdiction, including another state of the United States,...
- Texas Section 502.092 - Nonresident-owned Vehicles Used To Transport Farm Products
(a) The department may issue to a nonresident owner a permit for a truck, truck-tractor, trailer, or semitrailer that: (1) is registered in the owner's...
- Texas Section 502.093 - Annual Permits
(a) The department may issue an annual permit in lieu of registration to a foreign commercial motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer that is subject to...
- Texas Section 502.094 - 72- Or 144-hour Permits
(a) The department may issue a temporary registration permit in lieu of registration for a commercial motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or motor bus that: (1)...
SUBCHAPTER D VEHICLES NOT ISSUED REGISTRATION
- Texas Section 502.095 - One-trip Or 30-day Trip Permits
(a) The department may issue a temporary permit in lieu of registration for a vehicle subject to registration in this state that is not authorized...
- Texas Section 502.140 - Certain Off-highway Vehicles
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person may not register an all-terrain vehicle or a recreational off-highway vehicle, with or without design alterations,...
- Texas Section 502.142 - Manufactured Housing
Manufactured housing, as defined by Section 1201.003, Occupations Code, is not a vehicle subject to this chapter. Transferred and redesignated from Transportation Code, Section 502.0072...
- Texas Section 502.143 - Other Vehicles
An owner may not register the following vehicles for operation on a public highway: (1) power sweepers; (2) motorized mobility devices; (3) electric personal assistive...
- Texas Section 502.144 - Vehicles Operated On Public Highway Separating Real Property Under Vehicle Owner's Control
Where a public highway separates real property under the control of the owner of a motor vehicle, the operation of the motor vehicle by the...
- Texas Section 502.145 - Vehicles Operated By Certain Nonresidents
(a) A nonresident owner of a privately owned passenger car that is registered in the state or country in which the person resides and that...
- Texas Section 502.146 - Certain Farm Vehicles And Drilling And Construction Equipment
(a) The department shall issue specialty license plates to a vehicle described by Subsection (b) or (c). The fee for the license plates is $5...
- Texas Section 502.1515 - Outsourcing Production Of Renewal Notices; Paid Advertising
The board may authorize the department to enter into a contract with a private vendor to produce and distribute motor vehicle registration renewal notices. The...
- Texas Section 502.156 - Statement Required For Rebuilt Vehicles
A county assessor-collector shall require an applicant for registration of a rebuilt vehicle to provide a statement that the vehicle is rebuilt and that states...
- Texas Section 502.1585 - Designation Of Registration Period By Owner
(a) This section applies only to a person who owns more than one motor vehicle or trailer that is subject to registration under this chapter....
- Texas Section 502.168 - Fee: Motor Bus
The fee for a registration year for registration of a motor bus is the fee prescribed by Section 502.252 or 502.253, as applicable. Acts 1995,...
- Texas Section 502.1746 - Voluntary Contribution To Veterans' Assistance Fund
(a) When a person registers a motor vehicle under this chapter, the person is entitled to make a voluntary contribution in any amount to the...
- Texas Section 502.1747 - Voluntary Contribution To Parks And Wildlife Department
(a) When a person registers or renews the registration of a motor vehicle under this chapter, the person may contribute $5 or more to the...
- Texas Section 502.1748 - Disposition Of Certain Voluntary Contributions
If a person makes a voluntary contribution under Section 502.1746 or 502.1747 at the time the person registers or renews the registration of a motor...
SUBCHAPTER E ADMINISTRATION OF FEES
- Texas Section 502.189 - Donor Registry Information
(a) The department, with expert input and support from the nonprofit organization administering the Glenda Dawson Donate Life-Texas Registry under Chapter 692A, Health and Safety...
- Texas Section 502.190 - Schedule Of Registration Fees
The department shall post a complete schedule of registration fees on the Internet. Transferred, redesignated and amended from Transportation Code, Section 502.159 by Acts 2011,...
- Texas Section 502.191 - Collection Of Fees
(a) A person may not collect a registration fee under this chapter unless the person is: (1) an officer or employee of the department; or...
- Texas Section 502.1911 - Registration Processing And Handling Fee
(a) The department may collect a fee, in addition to other registration fees for the issuance of a license plate, a set of license plates,...
- Texas Section 502.192 - Transfer Fee
The purchaser of a used motor vehicle shall pay, in addition to any fee required under Chapter 501 for the transfer of title, a transfer...
- Texas Section 502.193 - Payment By Check Drawn Against Insufficient Funds
(a) A county assessor-collector who receives from any person a check or draft for payment of a registration fee for a registration year that has...
- Texas Section 502.1931 - Disputed Payment By Credit Card Or Debit Card
(a) A county assessor-collector who receives from any person a payment by credit card or debit card for a registration fee for a registration year...
- Texas Section 502.194 - Credit For Registration Fee Paid On Motor Vehicle Subsequently Destroyed
(a) The owner of a motor vehicle that is destroyed to the extent that it cannot afterwards be operated on a public highway is entitled...
- Texas Section 502.195 - Refund Of Overcharged Registration Fee
(a) The owner of a motor vehicle who pays an annual registration fee in excess of the statutory amount is entitled to a refund of...
- Texas Section 502.196 - Deposit Of Registration Fees In State Highway Fund
Except as otherwise provided by this chapter, the board and the department shall deposit all money received from registration fees in the state treasury to...
- Texas Section 502.197 - Registration By Mail Or Electronic Means; Service Charge
Sec. 502.197. REGISTRATION BY MAIL OR ELECTRONIC MEANS; SERVICE CHARGE. Text of subsection effective until the effective date of rules adopted regarding the fee under...
- Texas Section 502.198 - Disposition Of Fees Generally
(a) Except as provided by Sections 502.058, 502.060, 502.1911, 502.192, and 502.357, this section applies to all fees collected by a county assessor-collector under this...
- Texas Section 502.1981 - Calculation Of Additional Fee Amounts Retained By A County
(a) The county tax assessor-collector each calendar year shall calculate five percent of the tax and penalties collected by the county tax assessor-collector under Chapter...
- Texas Section 502.1983 - Deposit Of Fees In Interest-bearing Account
(a) Except as provided by Section 502.357, a county assessor-collector may: (1) deposit the fees in an interest-bearing account or certificate in the county depository;...
- Texas Section 502.1984 - Interest On Fees
(a) A fee required to be sent to the department under this chapter bears interest for the benefit of the state highway fund or the...
- Texas Section 502.1985 - Use Of Registration Fees Retained By County
(a) Money credited to the county road and bridge fund under Section 502.198 may not be used to pay the compensation of the county judge...
- Texas Section 502.1986 - Contingent Provision For Distribution Of Fees Between State And Counties
If the method of distributing vehicle registration fees collected under this chapter between the state and counties is declared invalid because of inequality of collection...
SUBCHAPTER F REGULAR REGISTRATION FEES
- Texas Section 502.199 - 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 502.251 - Fee: Motorcycle Or Moped
The fee for a registration year for registration of a motorcycle or moped is $30. Transferred and redesignated from Transportation Code, Section 502.160 by Acts...
- Texas Section 502.252 - Fee: Vehicles That Weigh 6,000 Pounds Or Less
(a) The fee for a registration year for registration of a vehicle with a gross weight of 6,000 pounds or less is $50.75, unless otherwise...
- Texas Section 502.253 - Fee: Vehicles That Weigh More Than 6,000 Pounds
The fee for a registration year for registration of a vehicle with a gross weight of more than 6,000 pounds is as follows unless otherwise...
- Texas Section 502.254 - Fee: Trailer, Travel Trailer, Or Semitrailer
(a) The fee for a registration year for registration of a trailer, travel trailer, or semitrailer with a gross weight of 6,000 pounds or less...
- Texas Section 502.255 - Truck-tractor Or Commercial Motor Vehicle Combination Fee; Semitrailer Token Fee
(a) This section applies only to a truck-tractor or commercial motor vehicle with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds that is used or...
SUBCHAPTER G ADDITIONAL FEES
- Texas Section 502.256 - Fee: Road Tractor
The fee for a registration year for registration of a road tractor is the fee prescribed by weight as certified by a public weigher or...
- Texas Section 502.356 - Automated Registration And Titling System
(a) In addition to other registration fees for a license plate or set of license plates or other device used as the registration insignia, the...
- Texas Section 502.357 - Financial Responsibility Programs
(a) In addition to other fees imposed for registration of a motor vehicle, at the time of application for registration or renewal of registration of...
- Texas Section 502.358 - Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Surcharge
(a) In addition to the registration fees charged under Section 502.255, a surcharge is imposed on the registration of a truck-tractor or commercial motor vehicle...
SUBCHAPTER H OPTIONAL FEES
- Texas Section 502.359 - Additional Fee For Certain Vehicles Using Diesel Motor
(a) The registration fee under this chapter for a motor vehicle other than a passenger car, a truck with a gross vehicle weight of 18,000...
- Texas Section 502.401 - Optional County Fee For Road And Bridge Fund
(a) The commissioners court of a county by order may impose an additional fee, not to exceed $10, for registering a vehicle in the county....
- Texas Section 502.402 - Optional County Fee For Transportation Projects
Sec. 502.402. OPTIONAL COUNTY FEE FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. (a) This section applies only to: (1) a county that: (A) borders the United Mexican States; and...
- Texas Section 502.403 - Optional County Fee For Child Safety
(a) The commissioners court of a county that has a population greater than 1.3 million and in which a municipality with a population of more...
- Texas Section 502.404 - Voluntary Assessment For Texas Agricultural Finance Authority
(a) When a person registers a commercial motor vehicle under Section 502.433, the person shall pay a voluntary assessment of $5. (b) The county assessor-collector...
- Texas Section 502.405 - Voluntary Contribution To Donor Registry
(a) The department shall provide to each county assessor-collector the educational materials for prospective donors provided under Section 502.189. (b) When a person applies for...
- Texas Section 502.407 - Operation Of Vehicle With Expired License Plate
(a) A person commits an offense if, after the fifth working day after the date the registration for the vehicle expires: (1) the person operates...
- Texas Section 502.410 - Falsification Or 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 502.411 - Bribery Of County Officer Or Agent
(a) A person commits an offense if the person directly or indirectly agrees with the commissioners court of a county or an officer or agent...
- Texas Section 502.412 - Operation Of Vehicle At Weight Greater Than Stated In Registration Application
(a) A person commits an offense if the person operates, or permits to be operated, a motor vehicle registered under this chapter that has a...
SUBCHAPTER I ALTERNATE REGISTRATION FEES
- Texas Section 502.413 - Voluntary Contribution To Special Olympics Texas Fund
(a) When a person registers or renews the registration of a motor vehicle under this chapter, the person may contribute any amount to the Special...
- Texas Section 502.431 - Fee: Motor Vehicle Used Exclusively To Transport And Spread Fertilizer
The fee for a registration year for registration of a motor vehicle designed or modified and used exclusively to transport to the field and spread...
- Texas Section 502.432 - Vehicle Transporting Seasonal Agricultural Products
(a) The department shall provide for a monthly registration period for a truck-tractor or a commercial motor vehicle: (1) that is used exclusively to transport...
- Texas Section 502.433 - Fee: Commercial Farm Motor Vehicle
(a) The registration fee for a commercial motor vehicle as a farm vehicle is 50 percent of the applicable fee under Section 502.252 or 502.253,...
- Texas Section 502.434 - Farm Vehicles: Excess Weight
(a) The owner of a registered commercial motor vehicle, truck-tractor, trailer, or semitrailer may obtain a short-term permit to haul loads of a weight more...
SUBCHAPTER J REGISTRATIONS EXEMPT FROM FEES
- Texas Section 502.435 - Certain Soil Conservation Equipment
(a) The owner of a truck-tractor, semitrailer, or low-boy trailer used on a highway exclusively to transport the owner's soil conservation machinery or equipment used...
- Texas Section 502.451 - Exempt Vehicles
(a) Before license plates are issued or delivered to the owner of a vehicle that is exempt by law from payment of registration fees, the...
- Texas Section 502.452 - Limitation On Issuance Of Exempt License Plates; Seizure Of Certain Vehicles
(a) The department may not issue exempt license plates for a vehicle owned by the United States, this state, or a political subdivision of this...
- Texas Section 502.453 - Government-owned Vehicles; Public School Buses; Fire-fighting Vehicles; County Marine Law Enforcement Vehicles; U
Sec. 502.453. GOVERNMENT-OWNED VEHICLES; PUBLIC SCHOOL BUSES; FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLES; COUNTY MARINE LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES; U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY VEHICLES. (a) The owner of a motor...
- Texas Section 502.454 - Vehicles Used By Nonprofit Disaster Relief Organizations
(a) The owner of a commercial motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer may apply for registration under Section 502.451 and is exempt from the payment of...
- Texas Section 502.455 - Trailers And Semitrailers Owned By Religious Organizations
(a) A trailer or semitrailer may be registered without payment if the trailer or semitrailer is: (1) owned by an organization that qualifies as a...
- Texas Section 502.456 - Emergency Services Vehicles
(a) A vehicle may be registered without payment if: (1) the vehicle is owned or leased by an emergency medical services provider that: (A) is...
SUBCHAPTER K OFFENSES AND PENALTIES
- Texas Section 502.457 - Persons On Active Duty In Armed Forces Of United States
(a) This section applies only to a used motor vehicle that is owned by a person who: (1) is on active duty in the armed...
- Texas Section 502.471 - General Penalty
(a) A person commits an offense if the person violates a provision of this chapter and no other penalty is prescribed for the violation. (b)...
- Texas Section 502.472 - Operation Of Vehicle Under Improper Registration
A person commits an offense if the person operates a motor vehicle that has not been registered or registered for a class other than that...
- Texas Section 502.473 - Operation Of Vehicle Without Registration Insignia
(a) A person commits an offense if the person operates on a public highway during a registration period a motor vehicle that does not properly...
- Texas Section 502.474 - Operation Of One-trip Permit Vehicle
A person commits an offense if the person operates a vehicle for which a one-trip permit is required without the registration receipt and properly displayed...
- Texas Section 502.475 - Wrong, Fictitious, Altered, Or Obscured Insignia
(a) A person commits an offense if the person attaches to or displays on a motor vehicle a registration insignia that: (1) is assigned to...
- Texas Section 502.4755 - Deceptively Similar Insignia
(a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) manufactures, sells, or possesses a registration insignia deceptively similar to the registration insignia of the...
- Texas Section 502.476 - Annual Permits; Offense
A person who violates Section 502.093 commits an offense. Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1296 (H.B. 2357), Sec. 160, eff. January 1,
- Texas Section 502.477 - Nonresident-owned Vehicles Used To Transport Agricultural Product; Offense
(a) A person operating a vehicle under a permit issued under Section 502.092 commits an offense if the person transports farm products to a place...
- Texas Section 502.478 - Commercial Motor Vehicle Used Primarily For Agricultural Purposes; Offense
(a) The owner of a commercial motor vehicle registered under Section 502.433 commits an offense if the person uses or permits the use of the...
- Texas Section 502.479 - Seasonal Agricultural Vehicle; Offense
A person issued a registration under Section 502.432 commits an offense if the person, during the registration period, uses the truck-tractor or commercial motor vehicle...
SUBCHAPTER L REGISTRATION AND TRANSFER OF USED VEHICLES
- Texas Section 502.480 - Violation By County Assessor-collector; Penalty
(a) A county assessor-collector commits an offense if the county assessor-collector knowingly accepts an application for the registration of a motor vehicle that: (1) has...
- Texas Section 502.491 - Transfer Of Vehicle Registration
(a) On the sale or transfer of a vehicle, the registration insignia issued for the vehicle shall be removed. The registration period remaining at the...
- Texas Section 502.492 - Temporary Transit Permit For A Vehicle Purchased
(a) A purchaser may obtain from the department a temporary transit permit to operate a motor vehicle: (1) that is subject to registration in this...