A Texas certificate of title is the state’s official proof of who owns a motor vehicle, and you get one by filing Form 130-U with your county tax assessor-collector within 30 days of buying the vehicle, together with the signed title from the seller, a valid photo ID, proof of Texas liability insurance, the title application fee, and 6.25% motor vehicle sales tax. Miss that 30-day window and penalties start the next day; file on time and the title is mailed to you (or your lienholder) after the state verifies the VIN.
What to Bring to the County Tax Office
The core document is Form 130-U, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration. It asks for the vehicle identification number, odometer reading, purchase price, and buyer and seller information.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration You can download it from the TxDMV website or pick one up at the county office.
Along with the completed form, bring:
- The title signed over to you by the seller. Texas law requires the current owner on the title to submit a transfer of ownership before the vehicle can be sold again, and without a properly signed title the county office will reject your application.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 501.071 – Sale of Vehicle; Transfer of Title
- A government-issued photo ID. Beginning March 5, 2026, enhanced ID rules take effect for initial registration transactions, which may mean a REAL ID-compliant license, a valid U.S. passport, or another document from the TxDMV accepted list.3Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Identification Requirements for Vehicle Registration Transactions
- Proof of current Texas liability insurance in the applicant’s name.
If you cannot appear in person, a designated representative can sign for you using Form VTR-271, the Limited Power of Attorney for motor vehicle transactions. Both the owner and the representative submit photocopies of their IDs, and signatures must be original, in black or blue ink, with no alterations.4Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Limited Power of Attorney for Eligible Motor Vehicle Transactions
What It Costs
The title application fee is either $28 or $33, depending on your county. Your county tax assessor-collector can confirm which rate applies, and some counties add small automation or processing fees on top.1Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for Texas Title and/or Registration All fees are due when you submit the application.
The larger expense for most buyers is motor vehicle sales tax at 6.25% of the purchase price.5Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle – Sales and Use Tax For a used vehicle bought from a private party, the tax is calculated on whichever is higher: the price you actually paid, or 80% of the vehicle’s standard presumptive value (SPV), a market-based figure Texas calculates for each used vehicle. If you paid less than 80% of the SPV, you can submit a certified appraisal within 30 days of purchase using Form 14-128 to lower the taxable amount, though the tax can never fall below what you actually paid.6Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Private-Party Purchases and Standard Presumptive Values
The 30-Day Deadline
You have 30 calendar days from the date the seller signed the vehicle over to apply for title and registration. Active-duty military personnel get 60 days. New Texas residents also have 30 days after moving to register an out-of-state vehicle.7Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. New to Texas
Miss the deadline and two separate penalty clocks start. The title transfer penalty is $25 on day 31, plus another $25 for each additional 30-day period you remain delinquent, capped at $250. Separately, unpaid sales tax picks up a 5% penalty past the 30-day mark, which rises to 10% of the tax owed after another 30 days, with a $1 minimum. State law sets these amounts, and the county tax office cannot waive them regardless of the reason for the delay.8Travis County Tax Office. Vehicle Title Transfer Fees and Penalties
Submitting the Application and What Happens Next
You file everything with your county tax assessor-collector, either in person or by mail. Walking in lets a clerk check your paperwork on the spot, which catches errors before they turn into delays. The state then runs the VIN against its records to confirm the vehicle isn’t stolen and that the details match. Processing takes several weeks, after which the physical title is mailed to you, or to your lienholder if the vehicle is financed.
Texas eliminated most non-commercial vehicle safety inspections as of January 1, 2025, so you no longer need a passing safety inspection before registering, though a $7.50 replacement fee is collected at registration. Commercial vehicles still require a safety inspection, and vehicles garaged in designated emissions counties still need emissions testing.9Texas Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Changes Take Effect January 2025
Gifting a Vehicle to a Family Member
A vehicle given to a close relative is not taxed at the full 6.25% rate. Texas charges a flat $10 gift tax instead, provided the relationship qualifies.10Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle Tax Guide – Gift Tax Eligible relationships include spouse; parent or stepparent; child or stepchild; sibling; grandparent or grandchild (including in-laws and greats); father-, mother-, son-, daughter-, brother-, or sister-in-law; a guardian; a qualifying 501(c)(3) nonprofit; and certain trusts.
Transfers between aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins do not qualify. Those are taxed as regular sales at 6.25%, potentially based on the SPV rather than the stated price. To claim the gift exemption, submit Form 130-U with a gift affidavit.10Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. Motor Vehicle Tax Guide – Gift Tax
Bringing a Vehicle from Another State
If you bought a vehicle out of state, you have 30 days from the date of sale to apply for a Texas title.11Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Out of State and Imported Vehicles Bring the standard title documents plus the original out-of-state title and proof that sales tax was paid in the other state; otherwise you’ll owe Texas sales tax. For non-commercial vehicles, you self-certify the VIN on Form 130-U. Vehicles kept in an emissions county must pass an emissions inspection before registering.
Vehicles imported from another country require a VIN inspection by a trained auto theft investigator from either law enforcement or the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The investigator completes Form VTR-68-A, which you submit with your title application. U.S. military personnel returning to a Texas base are exempt.11Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Out of State and Imported Vehicles
Clearing a Paid-Off Lien
Once you pay off a vehicle loan, your lender provides a release of lien. To get a clean title in your name only, submit Form 130-U with the original lien release, your photo ID, and the $33 title application fee at your county tax office.12Travis County Tax Office. Vehicle Title, Add or Remove a Lien Holder
If the lender held your title and it has since been lost, visit a TxDMV Regional Service Center and file Form VTR-34 (certified copy application) along with the lien release, paying the $5.45 in-person fee. The lien release itself must include the VIN, year, make, and model; the lienholder’s name and address; the date the lien was satisfied; and an original signature from the lienholder’s authorized agent. Photocopied signatures are not accepted, and if the lienholder is an individual, a copy of their photo ID must accompany the release.13Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Prescribed Form for Release of Lien (VTR-266)
Replacing a Lost or Damaged Title
If your title is lost, stolen, or damaged, request a certified copy using Form VTR-34. The fee is $2 by mail or $5.45 in person at a TxDMV Regional Service Center.14Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Application for a Certified Copy of Title You’ll provide vehicle details and a valid photo ID. Any recorded liens must be satisfied before a replacement can be issued, and the certified copy voids every previously issued version of the title. In-person visits turn around faster. Mail requests go to the TxDMV office in Wichita Falls.15Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Get a Copy of Your Vehicle Title
Transferring a Title After the Owner Dies
The path depends on whether the title included a right of survivorship and whether the estate goes through probate.
Right of Survivorship
If the co-owners signed a Right of Survivorship Ownership Agreement (Form VTR-122), ownership passes automatically to the surviving co-owner. The survivor applies for a new title by submitting Form 130-U with the completed VTR-122 and a copy of the death certificate.16Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rights of Survivorship Ownership Agreement for a Motor Vehicle This path avoids probate for the vehicle.
Affidavit of Heirship
With no survivorship agreement and no probate, the heir can use an Affidavit of Heirship (Form VTR-262). If there is a surviving spouse, only the spouse completes the form, unless the deceased had children from another relationship, in which case those children must also sign. If there is no surviving spouse, all of the deceased’s children must sign. Each signature must be notarized, and the affiant section cannot be completed through a power of attorney.17Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Affidavit of Heirship for a Motor Vehicle
If the estate has been probated, the executor or administrator uses certified Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration instead of the heirship affidavit. Either path still requires Form 130-U, proof of insurance in the applicant’s name, and a lien release if one is on record.
Rebuilt Salvage Vehicles
A vehicle previously branded as salvage and then repaired needs a Rebuilt Vehicle Statement (Form VTR-61) submitted with the standard title application. The form requires a detailed account of the work performed and the source of major components, and ownership evidence (bill of sale or title) is required for any engine, frame, or body used in the rebuild. The state treats falsifying this information as a third-degree felony.18Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Rebuilt Vehicle Statement Once issued, the title carries a permanent “Rebuilt Salvage” notation that follows the vehicle for life and affects its resale value.19Cornell Law Institute. 43 Texas Administrative Code 217.89 – Rebuilt Salvage Motor Vehicles If you’re buying a rebuilt vehicle, read the title before closing.