Nueces County, TX
HomeCounty Services ยป Tax Assessor/Collector
FAQ Motor Vehicle
Print
Share & Bookmark
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
General Questions
Expand/Contract Questions and Answers
- Follow the same procedures as with any motor vehicle
I am disabled and would like to obtain license plates with the international symbol of access. What should I do?
Texas law allows disabled residents to obtain (a) one set of plates with the international symbol of access plus one placard, or (b) two placards. A placard may be displayed in any vehicle being used to transport the disabled person. If the vehicle does not have disabled-person license plates, the law requires that the placard be displayed on the rear-view mirror whenever the vehicle is parked in a disabled-person parking space. A disability statement form is available from the Nueces County Tax Office. The applicant's physician must complete the form, or provide a written prescription. The permanent disabled placards are issued free of charge. Temporary placards (6 months) are $5.00 each. Placards must be renewed every four years. There is an exchange fee of 30 cents (1.00 processing fee if done through the mail) for a set of disabled-person license plates, if the registration is current. Additional sets of disabled person plates may be obtained for vehicles specially equipped for operation by a person who has lost the use of one or both legs.
For more information on disabled person placards and license plates, please see the Frequently Asked Questions About Disabled Person Placards/License Plates provided by the Texas Department of Transportation.
What should I do if my license plates are damaged or stolen, or I need to replace a windshield validation sticker?
You can obtain replacement plates or validation stickers at the Nueces County Tax Office. If your plates are damaged or you are only missing one plate, bring in your current registration receipt and fill out a replacement affidavit. There will be a $6.30 fee.
Yes, insurance must be on the vehicle the permit is for.
What does "Registration Purposes Only" mean? What are the circumstances for this type of transaction?
"Registration Purposes Only" means that the vehicle is registered, but not titled, in Texas. This type of ownership document may be requested when a vehicle that was registered or titled in another state is subject to registration in Texas but the owner or operator cannot or does not wish to surrender the negotiable out-of-state evidence of ownership in order to obtain a Texas negotiable title.
You may obtain an Application for Personalized License Plates (VTR 35a) from the Nueces County Tax Office or any VTR Regional Office. There is a charge in addition to the regular registration fee. The amount charged for personalized and special plates varies according to the type ordered. In some cases, the applicant must meet eligibility requirements before applying for special plates. Follow the instructions on the forms. See the Special License Plates Listing for pictures of the specialty plates that are available in Texas. Some special plates are available at the Nueces County Tax Office.
Yes, the most-requested forms are available for download at http://www.txdmv.gov/.
Title Questions
Expand/Contract Questions and Answers
- Complete the Application for Certified Copy of Title (Form 34) which is available at any Nueces County Tax Office. Make sure it has been signed by the registered owner(s) or lien holder. Mail the form and the $2 fee (no cash) to the address shown on the bottom of the form. For same-day service, an owner, lien holder, or verified agent of either may apply at a VTR Regional Office, and pay a $5.45 fee. These applicants must provide valid personal identification that includes a photograph issued by an agency of the State of Texas or the United States government. If a person is acting as an agent, he or she must provide proof, verifiable by telephone, that he or she is authorized to pick up the copy of the title. Otherwise, the application will be held for four days before the copy is issued and mailed.
- The seller must write the purchaser's name and address, the odometer reading and date of sale in the title assignment. Purchaser and seller must each sign both the title and the title application form (Form 130-U). Both signed documents must be given to the purchaser, along with the registration receipt. The purchaser must then go to any Nueces County Tax Office location and file the title application. Proof of current insurance will be required. The fee is $33, plus motor-vehicle sales tax (6.25 percent). There is also a $2.50 registration fee. If the license is not current, there may be a registration fee. When you purchase a vehicle from a licensed Texas dealer located in Nueces County, the dealer is required to complete all the paperwork necessary to title and register the vehicle in your name. The dealer is also required to file the documents with the Nueces County Tax Office within 20 business days of the date you purchased the vehicle.
I've bought a vehicle and I have liability insurance on another car. What document can I use to show proof of financial responsibility when I transfer title and registration?
The personal automobile policy for any other vehicle an individual owns provides 30- day coverage after an additional vehicle has been acquired. Therefore, a copy of the personal automobile insurance policy or the card issued for the policy is acceptable as proof of financial responsibility.- Customers should receive their titles within three weeks from the day the application was filed. Contact the Nueces County Tax Office and ask to have the record checked.
- This occurs if you have not advised the State of Texas that your lien has been satisfied. To remove the lien information, fill out a Title Application Form (130-U). Submit the application, title and a release of lien to the Nueces County Tax Office. The fee for this service is $13.00. The state of Texas will mail a title to you that does not show a lien.
- A statement of fact will be required. This statement must address the discrepancy and must be acknowledged by both the seller and the buyer involved in the transaction in which the error was made.
If my odometer reading is not available, what am I required to enter on the Odometer Disclosure Statement?
The Odometer Disclosure Statement should contain an explanation from the seller as to why a mileage reading is not available. If there is a reading of any sort displayed on the odometer, this reading must be disclosed, and an indication as to whether the mileage is actual, not actual, or exceeds mechanical limits must be made.I sold my vehicle several months ago, but the registration and title have not been changed to reflect the new owner's name and address. I'm, getting notices about parking tickets involving that vehicle and the registration renewal notice has also come to me. What can I do?
It is likely the new owner has not transferred title into his or her name. Contact the Nueces County Tax Office or VTR Regional Office and fill out the Motor Vehicle Transfer Notification (Form VTR-346). Or write a letter to: Texas Department of Transportation, Vehicle titles and Registration division, Attention: Customer Information Services Branch, Austin, TX 78779-0001. Your letter must provide the vehicle description (year, make, vehicle identification number), date of sale, and purchaser's name and address. Upon receipt of the fee and the form or letter, the State will place a notation on the motor vehicle record stating that the vehicle has been transferred. The fee for this service is five dollars ($5.00). Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Texas Department of Transportation.How do I sell a vehicle that is registered and titled in a former spouse's or a deceased spouse's name?
If the divorce decree awards the vehicle to you, provide the Nueces County tax Office with a certified copy of the decree and apply for title. If the decree does not award the vehicle to you, a properly assigned title will be required. In the case of a deceased spouse, the ownership will be determined based on whether there is a will, trust, etc. Contact the Nueces County Tax Office or a VTR Regional Office for help.- Contact the Nueces County Tax Office and we'll help you resolve the problem.
Can a certificate of title be issued to a vehicle which is displaying $6.30 Machinery License Plates?
No. Vehicles issued the $6.30 distinguishing Machinery License Plate cannot be titled under the Certificate of Title Act.- For information about rebuilt and salvage vehicles, contact our office (361) 888-0459.
- If a salvaged vehicle for which a salvage title certificate has green issued is repaired and placed in operable condition by a salvage yard or by a purchaser of such salvaged vehicle, the salvage yard or the person or firm who purchased and repaired the vehicle (Texas licensed dealers excepted) must apply for title and registration in their name. The following must support the application for title:
- A salvage certificate
- A form 61- Rebuilder's Affidavit
- An inspection report completed by a law enforcement officer verifying the vehicle identification number (VIN). The inspection report may be made either on the reverse side of the title in the space provided or on the department's prescribed form, VTRD-75-1. In lieu of the VIN inspection by a law enforcement officer, a pencil tracing of the VIN may be submitted. However, in situations when a pencil tracing cannot be made, the applicant must execute a Statement of Physical Inspection (Form VTR-20). In either case an Identification Certificate Form (VI-30-A) must be submitted, showing that the vehicle has been safety inspected.
- An odometer statement
- A copy of the current license receipt
- If the vehicle for which the salvage certificate has been issued has a non-conforming USA VIN, proof of compliance with the Texas Department of Transportation safety regulations is required.
- In any case when a negotiable title is issued and a Salvage Certificate is in evidence, the negotiable title will contain a notation to indicate that the vehicle was previously damaged. "Flood Damaged" will be shown, when applicable, or "Reconditioned" will be shown unless there is different notation ("Rebuilt," "Reconstructed", etc.) required. These notations are carried permanently in the master title records and will appear on all subsequent titles.
- Valid proof of financial responsibility, covering the described vehicle, in the applicants name.
What information is required and who is authorized to execute a Statement of Fact should one be required to correct an error on a title assignment?
The statement must certify to the correct information and must include a description of the vehicle identification number and the date the statement was executed. Only the seller is authorized to execute the Statement of Fact. However, if the Statement of Fact is required for the odometer disclosure portion of the assignment, in addition to the seller's signature, the buyer must also acknowledge the statement.- The title law protects ownership rights for more that 15 million vehicles in Texas. Therefore, the statutes require transfer of ownership by proper execution of certain ownership documents. When these specific documents are incomplete or unavailable, Texas Statues require that the applicant apply for a Tax Collector's hearing or bonded title.
- A bonded title is a notation on a title document, as well as on the motor vehicle records, which indicates that a Certificate of Title surety Bond has been surrendered in support of the application for title. The bond is issued in the title applicant's name, for a three-year period. The notation (bonded title) is renewed for another three-year period. The bond is required by statue in cases where proper ownership documents are unavailable. Purpose of a bonded title is to protect previous and future owners of the vehicle, as well as lien holders, from potential claims.
License/Registration Questions
Expand/Contract Questions and Answers
- Follow the instructions on the renewal notice. Send the renewal notice, registration fee and all requested information to the Nueces county Tax Office. Add an additional $1.00 for the processing and mailing fee. Include a photocopy of your current insurance card to show proof of financial responsibility. Please make your check payable to Nueces County Tax Assessor-Collector. Our mailing address is Tax Assessor-Collector, 901 Leopard, Corpus Christi, Texas 78401.
- A vehicle registration period is for 12 consecutive months or any portion thereof. Registration for vehicles registered during August will expire on July 31.
- State law makes the fee structure for passenger vehicles different from that of trucks. Passenger vehicle registration is determined by the manufacturer's model year. The annual license fee for trucks is $25.00 plus an amount based on the empty weight of the vehicle and its net carrying capacity
- The following vehicles may be operated upon the highway without registration:
- A farm trailer or farm semi-trailer used in farming operations that does not exceed 4,000 pounds gross weight
- A farm tractor used in a farming operation and not "for hire" and
- Implements of husbandry (those devices used to till the soil and harvest crops)
I'm going out of town for vacation and my registration will expire while I am gone. May I renew it in advance?
No. However, the Tax Office can mail your renewal to almost any location in the world.- Before it can be registered, your vehicle must pass State of Texas vehicle safety inspection and a visual verification of the vehicle identification number. These services are available at state-approved Safety Inspection Stations. If you are leasing the vehicle you must have the vehicle inspected in Texas.
The inspection facility will provide you with a Vehicle Identification Certificate (Form VI-30-A). You must submit this form to the Nueces County Tax Office along with an Application for Certificate of Title. You must also submit your out-of-state title, or out-of-state registration, with the signed Application. If your vehicle is leased, a copy of the lease agreement and a copy of the bill of sale through which the leasing company purchased the vehicle will be required. A New Resident Fee of $90.00 will be due. Title and registration fees are due at the time the application for title is made. You may do this in person at any Nueces County Tax Office or by mail. Proof of liability insurance is required in Texas in order for these services to be provided. If you have out-of-state insurance you will need to bring the policy when registering the vehicle. Will my proof of insurance from either out-of-state or out-of-the-country be acceptable to cover a vehicle required to be registered in Texas? If so, should approval be based on the minimum amounts of coverage required in Texas?
The Texas Department of Insurance is unaware of provisions in the law which limit proof of liability coverage to Texas companies. Nothing less than the minimum limits as prescribed by law are acceptable as minimum amounts of coverage in Texas.For how long may a new Texas resident operate his or her vehicle in this state while displaying current out-of-state license plates?
He or she can operate the vehicle for a period of thirty days after establishing residence or entering gainful employment, after which time the vehicle must be registered in Texas.- Your vehicle registration can be renewed at any of the Nueces County Tax Office locations, by using your license receipt from the previous year, the title, or the license plate number along with proof of insurance and identification. Your registration can be verified electronically by Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate number. The Department of Transportation can also mail you another renewal notice, depending on the amount of time remaining before your registration expires. Just call the Nueces County Tax Office (361) 888-0459 and we'll help you correct the problem.
I moved to another location within Texas. How can I be sure that my registration renewal notice will get to me when the time comes?
Your mail will be forwarded if you filed a Change of Address Form with the U.S. Postal Service. However, the registration record will not be updated in the State's system. Contact this office or one of ____ VTR Regional Offices and fill out the Notice of Address Change for Texas Motor Vehicle Registration (Form BTR-146). Or, write a letter to: Texas Department of Transportation, Vehicle Titles and Registration Division, Attention: Customer Information Services Branch, Austin, TX 78770-0001. They will take the information you have provided and update your vehicle registration record accordingly. You must provide the description of each vehicle you own. You may also call their Customer Help Desk at (512) 465-7611, TDD (512) 302-2110.I did not receive my renewal notice and my registration has expired. Why am I being forced to pay a 20% penalty?
The 20% penalty is required by law if a vehicle is driven on public highways with expired registration after the five-day grace period.- Yes. A vehicle may be operated for five days after its registration expires without penalty.
- Anyone who re-registers after the five-day grace period can fill out a Non-Use Affidavit (Form 64), or sign the Non-Use Affidavit located on the back of the RTS 500 Receipt, if the vehicle has not been driven. The Nueces County Tax Office will then pro-rate the registration fees for the remainder of the vehicle's assigned registration year.