Texas Auto Help
Texas car rules with deadlines and fees from TxDMV, TCEQ, DPS and TDLR: registration, the end of safety inspections, emissions tests, towing and storage limits, tow hearings and the Lemon Law. Information only.
Key facts (each checked against its source)
- Since January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles in Texas no longer need a safety inspection before registration. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
- Bexar County joined the emissions test program on November 1, 2026, as the 18th Texas emissions county. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
- You may drive up to five working days after registration expires. After that, a citation can be up to $200. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
- New residents have 30 days to register a vehicle and 90 days to get a Texas driver license. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
- A buyer must title the vehicle in their name within 30 days of the sale. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
- Maximum private property tow fee for a vehicle up to 10,000 lbs: $272, unless a city or county sets less. (source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation)
- Lemon Law complaints cost $35 and are due within six months of the earliest of warranty end, 24 months or 24,000 miles. (source: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
Registration and title
- When is my Texas registration due, and what if it is late?: Registration expiration, the online renewal window, the five working day grace period and the citation amount, from TxDMV.
- I just moved to Texas. What are the vehicle deadlines?: 30 days to register, 90 days for a Texas driver license, insurance minimums and the new resident tax fee, from TxDMV.
- Buying or selling a car in Texas: title and transfer deadlines: The 30 day title rule, the Vehicle Transfer Notification, sales tax and how long a title takes, from TxDMV.
Inspections and emissions
- Do I still need a vehicle inspection in Texas?: Safety inspections ended for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025. Emissions tests continue in 18 counties, now including Bexar.
- Texas emissions test: cost, timing and retests: Station fee caps by area, the state fee at registration, the 90 day window and the free retest, from TCEQ, TxDMV and DPS.
- Bexar County emissions testing: required from November 1, 2026: What San Antonio area drivers pay and when the first test is due, from TxDMV RTB 003-26, TCEQ and DPS.
- Towed from a private lot in Texas: what can they charge?: Statewide maximum tow and drop fees, the not fully hooked up rule and how you pay, from TDLR.
Towing, hearings and the Lemon Law
- Texas vehicle storage lot fees and getting your car back: Daily storage, notification and impoundment fee caps, release hours and ID, from TDLR.
- How to challenge a tow in Texas (tow hearing): Where and when to request a tow hearing, the filing fee and hearing timing, from TDLR and Occupations Code 2308.
- Texas Lemon Law: tests, deadline and fee: Which vehicles qualify, the four times, safety hazard and 30 day tests, the six month deadline and $35 fee, from TxDMV.
- Texas vehicle fees at a glance: Registration, inspection, emissions, towing, storage and Lemon Law fees in one table, one official source per row.
Texas cities
All questions (FAQ) · All sources
Sources
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV): Register Your Vehicle (checked November 1, 2026)
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV): Registration and Title Bulletin RTB 003-26: Bexar County Emissions Testing Requirements (PDF) (checked November 1, 2026)
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV): New to Texas (checked November 1, 2026)
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV): Buying or Selling a Vehicle (checked November 1, 2026)
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): Towing and Vehicle Storage: Consumer Information (checked November 1, 2026)
- Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV): Lemon Law (checked November 1, 2026)
Last updated: