No, Texas license plates do not have expiration stickers. Your expiration date lives on a single sticker in the lower-left corner of your windshield, and the plates themselves stay with the vehicle for as long as you own it, unless they get damaged or become unreadable.
Where the Expiration Date Actually Appears
Look at the inside of your windshield, lower-left corner. The registration sticker there shows the month and year your registration expires. A sticker printed “03-27” expires in March 2027.
The same date appears on your registration receipt, which you get after each renewal. Keep that receipt in the glove box as a backup in case the sticker fades or peels.
Why the Plate Itself Carries No Sticker
Before March 2015, Texas drivers ran two windshield stickers, one for registration and one for the annual safety inspection. The state merged them into a single registration sticker under a program called Two Steps, One Sticker.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Vehicle Registration and Inspection Stickers Are Partnering Up Under that setup, you had to pass a safety inspection first, and one sticker then proved both.
On January 1, 2025, Texas eliminated mandatory safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles under House Bill 3297.2Texas Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Changes Take Effect January 2025 The windshield sticker is still the only display item, but for most drivers there is no longer an inspection step behind it. Emissions counties are the exception.
Renewing Before the Sticker Expires
For most Texas drivers, renewal now takes proof of liability insurance and the fees on your renewal notice. No inspection report is needed unless your vehicle is registered in an emissions county.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Register Your Vehicle
You have three ways to renew:
- Online through the TxDMV website, starting 90 days before expiration and up to 12 months after, as long as you haven’t been cited for expired registration. Allow up to three weeks for the new sticker to arrive by mail.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Register Your Vehicle
- By mail to your county tax assessor-collector, sending the renewal notice, proof of insurance, and the fees listed. Emissions-county drivers include a copy of the Vehicle Inspection Report.
- In person at any county tax assessor-collector’s office or approved substation. If you lost the notice, the office can look you up by plate number, VIN, or prior receipt.
The base registration fee for most passenger cars and light trucks (6,000 lbs. or under) is $50.75.4Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Texas Registration Fees Counties may add local fees, typically up to about $10. A $7.50 inspection program replacement fee is also collected at registration; it replaced the old inspection fee when safety inspections ended.2Texas Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Changes Take Effect January 2025
Emissions Counties Still Require Testing
Safety inspections are gone statewide, but 17 Texas counties still require an annual emissions test before renewal. They cover the Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, and El Paso metro areas: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson, and El Paso.5Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Vehicle Emissions Inspections in Texas Bexar County joins the list on November 1, 2026.
If your vehicle is registered in one of these counties, you cannot complete your renewal without a passing emissions test on file. Drivers everywhere else skip inspections entirely.
What Happens If You Drive on an Expired Sticker
Texas gives you five working days after the sticker expires before a citation can issue. Weekends and holidays don’t count against that window.6State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP 502.407 – Operation of Vehicle With Expired License Plate After that, driving with expired registration is an offense that can carry a fine of up to $200 plus court costs.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Register Your Vehicle
On top of any ticket, a delinquent registration adds a 20% surcharge to your normal fee when you go to renew.7State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP 502.045 – Delinquent Registration On a $50.75 base, that runs about $10 extra, and it stacks with the fine and court costs.
Replacing a Lost or Faded Sticker
If your windshield sticker is stolen, destroyed, or too faded to read, you can order a replacement for $6.50: $6.00 for the sticker plus a $0.50 automation fee. Submit Form VTR-60 to your county tax assessor-collector in person or by mail.8Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Replacement License Plates and/or Registration Sticker – Form VTR-60 The fee is non-refundable, and cash isn’t accepted by mail.