News
Check back here for more news and information!
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Revised Registration Fees Effective September 1, 2011
HB2553 enacted during the 81st Legislature included legislation to simplify and standardize registration fees.
The new registration fees will begin appearing on August registration renewals, which have a registration effective date of September 1, 2011.
Trucks and trailers weighing 0-6,000 lbs will now have a flat registration rate versus registration based upon weight.
Passenger vehicles weighing 0-6,000 lbs will now have a flat registration rate versus registration based upon the model year.
Trucks,trailers, and passenger vehicles weighing over 6,000 lbs will now have a flat registration rate based upon their weight classification.
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Renew your registration by phone. Here's how:
1. You must be a resident of TRAVIS county.
2. Have your license plate number and VIN number ready (Your VIN number is located on your insurance card).
3. You must have at least the minimum amount of liability insurance required by Texas law. As part of the renewal process the TexasSure Vehicle Insurance Verification Program will automatically check that you have insurance coverage.
4. You must have a valid credit card. VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover cards are accepted for phone renewals. The total amount you owe will include a $3 card processing fee.
Ready to Renew?
Call us at 512-443-4885
(This service is available Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm)
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My Plates available for online ordering beginning November 19, 2009
Plates issued by My Plates, a license plate marketing vendor recently contracted by TxDMV, offers a wider array of colors and designs for license plates. A portion of the revenue from My Plates’ sales will be deposited into the state’s General Revenue Fund, which provides services for all Texans.
My Plates is offering five categories of plates:
- Background (Non Personalized)
- Custom- (Personalized with 3 letters plus 2 or 3 numbers in a set pattern. Example: AAA11 or AAA111 or personalized with up to 6 letters and numbers on the generic plate design)
- T-Plates (Premium) -(Personalized up to 7 letters and numbers. First character is a T)
- Luxury (Personalized with up to 6 letters and numbers)
- Freedom (Personalized with up to 7 letters and numbers)
Plate prices range from $55 to $795 and price depends on the plate category, the number of characters offered for personalization and whether the plate is purchased for use for one, five or ten years.
The vendor also will sell $40 souvenir plates, which are not street legal, but can be personalized.
Online ordering of My Plates can be done at MyPlates
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Mechanic's Lien Law Change Effective September 1, 2009
House Senate Bill 543, enacted by the 81st Legislature, Regular Session, amended Section 70.006 of the Property Code and becomes effective on September 1, 2009. This legislation adds new responsibilities, for both the holders of a mechanic*s lien and the county tax assessor-collectors, to provide information to the owner(s) and lienholder(s) of a motor vehicle subject to a mechanic*s lien.
HOLDER OF A MECHANIC*S LIEN RESPONSIBILITIES:
The person filing the mechanic*s lien is required to notify the owner(s) and lienholder(s) of record by certified mail, return receipt requested, no later than 30 days after the charges accrue. The notice must also be sent to the address that appears on the work order authorizing possession, if the address on the work order is different than the address on the motor vehicle record. The notification must include the address where the repairs were made, the legal name of the person that holds
the possessory lien, the taxpayer or employer identification number of the person that holds the possessory lien, and a signed copy of the work order authorizing repairs.
The person filing the lien is now required to submit to the county tax assessor-collector*s office, in the county in which the repairs were made, an administrative fee of $25, a copy of their notification, and a signed copy of the work order.
Providing false or misleading information in the notice can result in a Class B misdemeanor.
Not later then the 30th day after charges accrue, the holder of the mechanic*s lien shall make the motor vehicle available for inspection by the owner(s) or lienholder(s) of record to verify the repairs made.
COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:
Not later than the 10th day after receiving notification from the holder of the mechanic*s lien, the county tax assessor-collector is required to send by certified mail with return receipt requested, copies of work order and notification to the owner(s) and lienholder(s) of record.
To assist you in preparing the required county notification letter, we drafted the attached template that includes all required information and was reviewed and approved by several tax assessor collectors that you may choose to use.
Form VTR-265-M, Mechanic*s Lien Foreclosure will be updated in the near future to reflect these changes.__________________________________________________________________
Gift Tax Law for Motor Vehicles Changed Effective September 1, 2009
House Bill 2654 Effective September 1, 2009 establishes new criteria for determining when a transaction qualifies as a gift for motor vehicle tax purposes.
See the Sales Tax, Gift Tax and SPV section on our Q&A page for details.
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Department of Motor Vehicles Created (TxDMV)
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will exist as a "stand-alone" state agency on November 1, 2009. The Texas DMV was created by the Texas Legislature in House Bill 3097, passed during the 81st Legislative Session and signed into law by the Governor on June 19, 2009.
Areas of TXDOT being transferred to TxDMV include Motor Vehicles, Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention, Vehicle Titles and Registration, and Motor Carrier operations.
You can learn more about the new TxDMV at TxDMV
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You may now renew your boat registration online!
You may now renew your boat registration online using your credit card through this link at Texas Parks and Wildlife: Online Boat Registration Renewal
You can also update your address and order additional ID cards when you renew your registration.
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