Form VTR-275: Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information, Fees, and Uses

Form VTR-275, the Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information, is the document you file with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to get a vehicle’s title history, registration data, or ownership details. Download it from the TxDMV website or pick one up at a Regional Service Center, then submit the completed form by mail to the Vehicle Titles and Registration Division in Austin or in person at a regional office.¹ Because the records contain personal information protected by both state and federal law, the form asks you to name a specific legal reason for the request and prove it.

What You Can Request and What It Costs

Pick the right record type up front. Each one has its own fee, and resubmitting is slower than choosing correctly the first time.¹

Title history, $5.75. A chronological list of previous owners and lienholders.
Certified title history, $6.75. The same ownership chain with TxDMV certification, typically needed for court proceedings or legal filings.
Title and registration verification, $2.30. Confirms current or expired registration and title data without the full ownership chain.
Certified title and registration verification, $3.30. The certified version, intended for court use.
Duplicate registration receipt, $2.00. A copy of the receipt for the current registration period.
Other, no set fee. Use this for anything outside the standard categories, such as a list of vehicles registered in your own name.

If a record is going into a legal proceeding, you almost certainly need the certified version. For personal use, like checking a vehicle before buying it, the standard copy is enough.

Filling Out the Form

Form VTR-275 is two pages. Page one collects vehicle information, your contact details, your record choice, and your signature. Page two lists the permitted uses, and you initial the one that fits.

Vehicle Information

At the top of page one, enter as many identifiers as you have: Texas license plate number, year and make, the full 17-character VIN, and the title document number. You don’t need all four, but more identifiers help TxDMV match the right record and reduce the chance of a mismatch.¹

Your Contact Information

Fill in your first, middle, and last name, plus any suffix. If a company is requesting the records, add the business name. Then your current mailing address and phone number. TxDMV mails the records to whatever address you write here, so check it twice.

Record Type

Check the box for the record you want from the fee schedule on the form. If you select Other, attach a written explanation of what you need. A list of vehicles registered in your own name goes under Other.²

Signature and Photo ID

Sign and date the form. Your signature certifies that the information is true and that your purpose is legitimate. Attach a legible copy of a current government-issued photo ID. A driver license, state-issued ID card, or passport all work.¹ If a business is requesting the records, the authorized representative signs and attaches their own ID.

Permitted Uses and Supporting Documents

If you are not the vehicle’s owner or lienholder, you have to initial a permitted use on page two. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 730, the Motor Vehicle Records Disclosure Act, limits who can see personal information in vehicle records and why.³ The federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act does the same at the national level.⁴ Several of the permitted uses require specific supporting documents attached to the form, and missing that attachment is the most common reason a request gets bounced back.

Government agency functions. Any government body, including courts and law enforcement, or a private person acting on behalf of one. No extra documentation specified.
Motor vehicle safety, theft, or emissions. Covers safety investigations, theft recovery, recalls, and emissions monitoring. No extra documentation specified.
Normal course of business. A legitimate business verifying personal information an individual submitted to it. Include the information you want verified so TxDMV can compare it against the record.
Legal proceedings. Use in any civil, criminal, administrative, or arbitral proceeding, including service of process and judgment enforcement. Attach proof of the proceeding or proof that litigation is anticipated.
Research or statistical reports. The personal information cannot be published or used to contact anyone. Attach proof of employment in a research occupation.
Insurance activities. For insurers, insurance support organizations, and self-insured entities doing claims, antifraud, rating, or underwriting work. Provide a Texas Department of Insurance license number (or out-of-state equivalent), the license number the support organization works under, or proof of self-insurance.
Towed or impounded vehicles. For notifying an owner that a vehicle is in storage. Submit a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation license number or out-of-state equivalent.
Licensed private investigators or security services. The request must line up with another permitted use in the statute. Submit your Texas Department of Public Safety license number or out-of-state equivalent.
Toll facility operations. For use connected to a private toll transportation facility. Attach documentation tying the request to toll operations.
Consumer reporting agencies. For purposes permitted under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Submit documentation on official letterhead identifying the permitted use.

If none of these fit, select Other and attach a written explanation. TxDMV will decide whether your purpose qualifies under the statute.¹ Owners and lienholders asking for records on their own vehicle do not need to initial a permitted use; ownership itself is the authorization.

Submitting the Form

By Mail

Send the completed form, a copy of your photo ID, any required supporting documentation, and payment to:¹

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division
Austin, TX 78779-0001

Payment must be a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check made payable to TxDMV. No cash, and no temporary checks; the department will not accept them.⁵ Credit cards are not accepted for mailed requests.

In Person

You can also drop the form off at any TxDMV Regional Service Center. In-person submissions take the same payment methods as mail, plus credit cards with a convenience fee.⁵ Locations are listed on the TxDMV website, and walk-in availability varies, so check whether your nearest office requires an appointment before heading over.⁶

After You Submit

TxDMV checks that your identity matches the photo ID you included and that your stated purpose qualifies. If anything is missing, like the ID copy, supporting documentation for your permitted use, or the correct fee, the department sends the application back for correction rather than processing part of it.²

Once everything clears, the records go in the mail to the address on your form. Under the Texas Public Information Act, agencies have up to 10 business days to respond to a records request, and actual processing depends on how much work the division is handling. In-person submissions at a Regional Service Center can turn around faster than mail, though neither route guarantees same-day results.

Penalties for a False Purpose

Before you sign, know what you’re signing. Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 730, knowingly obtaining or disclosing personal information from a vehicle record for an unauthorized purpose is a criminal offense, with fines the statute authorizes as high as $100,000 for certain violations. Falsely stating your purpose on Form VTR-275 exposes you to prosecution under the same provisions.⁷

Federal law stacks on top. Under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, anyone who knowingly obtains, discloses, or uses personal information from a motor vehicle record for an unauthorized purpose can be sued by the person whose information was misused. A court can award at least $2,500 in liquidated damages per violation, plus punitive damages for willful or reckless conduct, reasonable attorney’s fees, and other equitable relief.⁴

1
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information
2
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Open Records
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Attorney General of Texas. Attorney General of Texas Opinion OR2012-06398
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GovInfo. U.S.C. Title 18 – Crimes and Criminal Procedure
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Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Receiving In-Person Motor Vehicle Services
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Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Regional Service Centers
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State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP 730-007