Proof of vehicle registration in Texas comes in two pieces: the sticker on your windshield and the registration receipt (sometimes called the registration card). If either is lost, damaged, or expired, you can replace it through your county tax assessor-collector office online, by mail, or in person. Online works only when you’re renewing. For a duplicate of a lost receipt or a replacement sticker outside of renewal, you’ll need mail or a counter visit.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. FAQs
The Two Documents That Count as Proof
The registration sticker displays your license plate number, county of registration, and part of your Vehicle Identification Number. The receipt carries more detailed information about the vehicle and the registered owner. Commercial vehicles are required to keep the receipt in the vehicle at all times, and it’s worth doing the same in a personal vehicle so you have it if you’re pulled over or in a collision.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. FAQs
If you renew online, the email confirmation you receive is valid proof of registration for up to 31 days while the physical sticker is in the mail.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. FAQs
What to Have Ready
Whichever method you use, gather these first:
- Your Vehicle Identification Number, printed on the dashboard near the windshield or on the driver-side door jamb
- Your license plate number
- A valid government-issued photo ID such as a Texas driver’s license
- Proof of Texas liability insurance at or above state minimums: $30,000 for injuries to one person, $60,000 total per accident, and $25,000 for property damage2Texas Department of Insurance. Auto Insurance Guide
- Payment for the applicable fee
A replacement sticker costs $6.50 (a $6 replacement charge plus a $0.50 automation fee). A duplicate registration receipt costs $2.00.
Getting Proof Online
The TxDMV online portal accepts renewals up to 90 days before your registration expires.3Texas.gov. Texas Vehicle Registration Enter your license plate number and the last four digits of your VIN, then pay by credit or debit card.4Travis County Tax Office. Vehicle Registration Renewal, Online The email confirmation you get back is your proof for the next 31 days while your new sticker is mailed.
The online path is renewals only. It can’t produce a duplicate of a lost receipt, and it can’t order a replacement sticker if yours was lost or damaged mid-cycle. For those situations, use mail or go in person.
If your vehicle is registered in a designated emissions county, the system will require a passing emissions inspection before it lets you renew. Bexar County joins the list of emissions counties in 2026.5Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Changes Take Effect January 2025
Getting Proof by Mail
To replace a lost or damaged sticker, complete Form VTR-60, the Application for Replacement License Plate(s) and/or Vehicle Registration Sticker.6TxDMV.gov. Application for Replacement License Plates and/or Vehicle Registration Sticker (Form VTR-60) Include a check or money order for $6.50 made out to your county tax assessor-collector.
For a duplicate registration receipt, use Form VTR-275, the Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information, and include a copy of your photo ID along with $2.00.7TxDMV.gov. Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information (Form VTR-275)
Mail the completed form to your local county tax assessor-collector office. Plan on about three weeks for processing, printing, and delivery.8Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Where’s My Sticker?
Getting Proof in Person
For same-day proof, visit a county tax assessor-collector office or one of the 16 TxDMV Regional Service Centers located across the state.9Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Receiving In-Person Motor Vehicle Services Bring your photo ID, your insurance information, and the fee. Payment options depend on the county but generally include cash, checks, money orders, and cards, sometimes with a small surcharge on card payments. You leave with your replacement sticker or receipt in hand.
Grocery Store and Retail Partners
Many counties let you renew registration at partner locations such as Kroger, H-E-B, Tom Thumb, Randalls, and AAA offices. These are convenient for a clean renewal: bring your renewal notice, insurance proof, and ID, and you’ll get a sticker on the spot. They cannot issue duplicate receipts, and they cannot handle a renewal if your notice has any remarks on it, such as an emissions flag or a scofflaw hold. In those cases, go to the county tax office instead.
Fees at a Glance
- Replacement sticker: $6.50
- Duplicate registration receipt: $2.00
- Base annual registration for a passenger car or truck at 6,000 pounds or less: $50.75, plus local county fees and the $7.50 inspection program replacement fee10TxDMV.gov. Schedule of Texas Registration Fees
- Motorcycles and mopeds: $30.00 base registration
- Late renewal penalty after a citation: 20% of the registration fee11Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Collection of the Late Registration Penalty
Driving Without Valid Registration
Driving in Texas without valid registration is a misdemeanor. Operating a vehicle without displaying license plates can bring a fine of up to $200, though a court can dismiss the charge if you correct the problem before your first court appearance and pay a reimbursement fee of no more than $10.12State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 504.943 – Operation of Vehicle Without License Plate
Expired registration citations work similarly. Courts will generally dismiss the ticket if you renew promptly after the stop and show proof. You’ll still owe the 20% late renewal penalty at the county tax office and a small administrative fee to the court. Wait too long and you pay the full fine. If you’re pulled over with expired tags, renew right away rather than waiting for your court date.
Situations That Don’t Use These Paths
New Texas residents have 30 days to register a vehicle brought in from another state, and this has to be done in person at a county tax office with Form 130-U, your out-of-state title, ID, and proof of Texas insurance.13Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. New to Texas14TxDMV.gov. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (Form 130-U) Neither online nor mail is available for that initial transaction.
If you just bought a vehicle from a private seller, the previous owner’s sticker and receipt are not your proof of registration. You have 30 days to apply for a new title and registration in your name using Form 130-U at the county tax office.15Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Buying or Selling a Vehicle