How Much Does It Cost To Register a Car in Texas From Out of State
Registering a vehicle imported into Texas from another state involves several mandatory fees payable to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and your local county tax assessor-collector office. Understanding these costs is essential for new residents and anyone bringing a vehicle into the state.
Cost of Registering Out-of-State Vehicles in Texas
Title Application Fee
When applying for a Texas title, you must pay a title application fee at your county tax assessor-collector's office. The fee is either $28 or $33, depending on your county of residence. Counties that require emissions testing typically charge the $33 fee, while all other counties charge $28.
Motor Vehicle Sales Tax or Use Tax
Texas imposes a motor vehicle sales and use tax of 6.25 percent on vehicles brought into the state, as established under Chapter 152 of the Texas Tax Code. The tax amount is calculated based on the vehicle's purchase price or the Standard Presumptive Value, whichever is greater.
For vehicles purchased in another state, Texas residents may claim a credit for sales or use taxes paid to the other state. The Texas use tax rate is 6.25 percent of the sales price, less any credit for taxes legally paid to another state, Puerto Rico, or any U.S. possession or territory.
Payment must be made within 30 calendar days from the date the vehicle is brought into Texas, or within 60 calendar days for active duty military personnel.
New Resident Tax
The new resident tax is a $90 fee that applies in lieu of the motor vehicle use tax. This tax is due when a new Texas resident brings a vehicle into the state that was previously registered in their name in another state or foreign country.
The $90 new resident tax must be paid within 30 calendar days from the vehicle's first use in Texas (60 calendar days for active duty military personnel). This tax is paid directly to the county tax assessor-collector when titling and registering the motor vehicle.
New residents do not receive credit for motor vehicle tax paid to another state or foreign country when paying the new resident tax. If the vehicle was not previously registered in the new resident's name in another state, the motor vehicle use tax applies instead of the new resident tax.
Registration Fee
The base registration fee, as prescribed by Chapter 502 of the Texas Transportation Code, varies by vehicle type:
| Vehicle Type | Annual Registration Fee |
|---|---|
| Passenger vehicles and light trucks (6,000 lbs. or less) | $50.75 |
| Vehicles weighing 6,001 to 10,000 lbs. | $54.00 |
| Trailers and travel trailers (6,000 lbs. or less) | $45.00 |
| Motorcycles and mopeds | $30.00 |
| Vehicles weighing 10,001 to 18,000 lbs. | $110.00 |
| Vehicles weighing 18,001 to 25,999 lbs. | $205.00 |
| Vehicles weighing 26,000 to 40,000 lbs. | $340.00 |
| Vehicles weighing 40,001 to 54,999 lbs. | $535.00 |
| Vehicles weighing 55,000 to 70,000 lbs. | $740.00 |
| Vehicles weighing 70,001 to 80,000 lbs. | $840.00 |
TexasSure Insurance Verification Fee
An additional $1 fee is included with the base registration fee for the TexasSure electronic insurance verification program. This fee supports the maintenance and operations of the Insurance Verification Project and other Department of Public Safety programs.
Processing and Handling Fee
A mandatory processing and handling fee of $4.75 applies to each registration transaction. This fee covers the costs of processing vehicle registration, including state and county services, creation of renewal notices, registration stickers, and other related materials.
Inspection Program Replacement Fee
Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas law mandates an inspection program replacement fee of $7.50 for all non-commercial vehicles. This fee is collected at the time of vehicle registration and replaces the previous safety inspection requirement for most vehicles.
For new vehicles issued two years of registration, the inspection program replacement fee is $16.75 (covering the two-year period).
Emissions Inspection Fee
Vehicles registered in the following 17 counties must undergo emissions testing: Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson.
The actual emissions inspection test costs vary by county grouping:
| County Group | Maximum Inspection Cost |
|---|---|
| Emissions-only vehicles (El Paso, Travis & Williamson counties) | $11.50 |
| Emissions-only vehicles (Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston areas) | $18.50 |
Local County Fees
Counties may assess local fees ranging from $0 to $31.50. These fees typically include:
- County road and bridge fund fee (up to $10)
- Transportation project fee for certain counties (up to $20)
- Child safety fee (up to $1.50)
The total local fee varies by county. For example, Harris County charges $11.50, Dallas County charges $11.50, Tarrant County charges $10, Bexar County charges $21.50, Travis County charges $11.50, El Paso County charges $20, and Hidalgo County charges $20.
Electric Vehicle Fee
Fully electric vehicles with a gross weight of 10,000 lbs. or less are subject to an annual electric vehicle fee of $200, assessed at the time of registration renewal. New electric vehicles are assessed a $400 fee for two years of registration. This fee applies in addition to all standard vehicle registration fees.
The electric vehicle fee does not apply to hybrid vehicles, combination fuel type vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, autocycles, neighborhood electric vehicles, governmental vehicles with exempt registration, or vehicles with Disabled Veteran or other meritorious military license plates.
Registration Transfer Fee
When transferring current registration from a previous owner to a new owner, a registration transfer fee of $2.50 is charged in addition to the title application fee and other applicable fees.
County Tax Assessor-Collector Offices
The following offices process vehicle title and registration transactions in major Texas cities:
Harris County Tax Office
1001 Preston Street, Houston, TX 77002
Phone: (713) 274-8000
Official Website: Harris County Tax Office
Dallas County Tax Office
500 Elm Street, Suite 3300, Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7811
Official Website: Dallas County Tax Office
Tarrant County Tax Office
100 E. Weatherford Street, Fort Worth, TX 76196
Phone: (817) 884-1100
Official Website: Tarrant County Tax Office
Bexar County Tax Office
233 N. Pecos La Trinidad, San Antonio, TX 78207
Phone: (210) 335-2251
Official Website: Bexar County Tax Office
Travis County Tax Office
2433 Ridgepoint Drive, Austin, TX 78754
Phone: (512) 854-9473
Official Website: Travis County Tax Office
Collin County Tax Office
900 E. Park Boulevard, Suite 100, Plano, TX 75074
Phone: (972) 547-5020
Official Website: Collin County Tax Office
El Paso County Tax Office
301 Manny Martinez Drive, 1st Floor, El Paso, TX 79905
Phone: (915) 273-3430
Official Website: El Paso County Tax Office
Denton County Tax Office
1505 E. McKinney Street, Denton, TX 76209
Phone: (940) 349-3500
Official Website: Denton County Tax Office
Fort Bend County Tax Office
1317 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, TX 77469
Phone: (281) 341-3710
Official Website: Fort Bend County Tax Office
Hidalgo County Tax Office
2804 S. Business Highway 281, Edinburg, TX 78539
Phone: (956) 318-2157
Official Website: Hidalgo County Tax Office
