New Texans get only 30 days to drive legally

STAR-TELEGRAM ^ | 1/14/07 | DOMINGO RAMIREZ JR.

[Dubya]

For those of you who just moved to Texas, welcome to the Lone Star State.

Now, you need to hurry and get all that paperwork done to drive legally.

A new Texas resident has 30 days to complete requirements including obtaining insurance coverage, a vehicle safety inspection, vehicle registration and a driver's license.

If you don't, you could be fined.

Military personnel and full-time out-of-state college students are exempt from getting a title and registration in Texas.

"Many people assume the same laws in their state apply here, but it's not the case," said Kim Sue Lia Perkes, a spokeswoman with the vehicle titles and registration division of the Texas Department of Transportation in Austin. "Every state has its own set of conditions."

Insurance

Texas requires at least liability insurance for motor vehicle registration, a driver's license and a vehicle safety inspection.

State law requires:

$20,000 bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident.

$40,000 bodily injury to or death of two more persons in one accident.

Annual vehicle safety inspection

Every vehicle registered in Texas and driven on public roads must pass an annual safety inspection. Some counties also require emissions tests.

Motorists must have proof of insurance for an inspection.

Vehicle title and registration

Residents should file an application for a Texas certificate of title and vehicle registration with the county tax assessor-collector.

Be sure to provide proof of insurance and out-of-state titles.

Before going to the tax assessor-collector's office, call for information on fees and addition paperwork you may need.

Driver's license

Motorists have 30 days to obtain a Texas driver's license if they plan to live in Texas and have a valid out-of-state driver's license.

"Most of the time drivers who move here from out of state believe they are OK until their out-of-state license expires," said trooper Lonny Haschel of the Department of Public Safety. "That's just not the case."

To obtain a Texas license, motorists must provide proof of identity and a Social Security number; vehicle owners must also bring Texas registration and proof of insurance.

There's a fee for the license.

For more information, contact the vehicle titles and registration division of the Texas Department of Transportation, 512-465-7611, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, 512-424-2000.

Texas Department of Public Safety, www.txdps.state.tx.us

Texas Department of Transportation, www.dot.state.tx.us

IN THE KNOW

Other Texas requirements

License plates must be displayed at the front and rear of the vehicle.

Display a current Texas registration sticker.

Keep proof of insurance in the vehicle.

Display a valid safety inspection sticker.

Report a change of vehicle ownership to the Texas Department of Transportation or county tax assessor-collector.

Seat-belt use is mandatory for the driver and front-seat passengers. Safety restraints are mandatory for all children younger than 4.

If you have a traffic accident that does not cause injuries, do not wait for the police to arrive before moving vehicles away from traffic. If vehicles can be driven, state law requires that they be moved to a safe location.

SOURCE: Texas Department of Public Safety Domingo Ramirez Jr., 817-685-3822 ramirez@star-telegram.com

[dangus]

Same law has been in place for a long time in Virginia

[AnAmericanMother]

Georgia makes you get it all done in 30 days, and has for a long time.

[stevie_d_64]

I'm sure the folks moving in are grateful for the heads up...

But like the "dangus" said, this has been in place for some time...

And actually existing residences also have to notify a change of address within 30 days as well...

I believe all in all that is plenty of time regardless of the situation...

Whats the prob Dubya??? Honest..I'm not trying to get a dig on you or anything...What happened??? Just curious...

[ApplegateRanch]

"Most of the time drivers who move here from out of state believe they are OK until their out-of-state license expires,"

No state I've lived in has allowed more than 30 days for this stuff, and some less.

I guess most of the the drivers moving there are the ignorant ones, then.

When I moved to Oregon, I had two weeks to change it all over, once I claimed residency; and when I bought a car in California I had 14 days to get it licensed and insured in Oregon.

For a while, California was enforcing a 14 day rule, and even citing people for being illegally 'foreign unlicensed' "residents" if they bought "too much" stuff at the supermarket, even though it was to help their adult kids out, and didn't have CA plates. The theory was, visitors/vacationers wouldn't buy a full shopping cart of food, if they weren't planning to stay!

Here in SD we have 30 days to report address changes & get our licenses/registrations updated; and insurance coverage must be continuous.

I can't believe Texas gets so many uninformed people moving there from other states. Mexico, maybe; but other states??

[norton]

bookmarking:
still have hopes to move to hill country,
with about eight cars & an SUV.

[goldstategop]

As soon as you move into a new home, its time to take care of the formalities at the local DMV - get new registration papers, exchange your drivers' license and get new plates. Its the law no matter where you move in the country.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Drivers are not a problem, aimers are the problem.

[353FMG]

Are these laws also applicable to illegal aliens?

[Condor51]

¿Cuál está 'Legally '?
No hablo inglés.

¿Sin embargo, puede usted decirme donde se localiza la oficina del bienestar?

Gracias,
Jose Maria Gomez Sanchez

[freeangel]

Maybe Georgia law says you should. I see many regular drivers in the area go way past 2 years and of course it doesn't even apply to the ILLEGALS loophole at the present.

[napscoordinator]

Can this really be very hard. Call insurance company and verbally change the insurance, take the car to a garage and get the inspection done, and finally go to DMV and change the diver's license over. I guess another test could be involved, but after driving for awhile even that should not be too difficult. 30 days is quite a long time to get those items done IMHO.

[FreePaul]

Are these laws also applicable to illegal aliens?

No. The old laws didn't seem to apply to illegals so I suspect these won't either.

[deport]

2008 also brings change courtsey the Feds..............

Drivers license changes will cost you time -- and money

Nancy Holland

Beware. Big changes are coming for anyone with a Texas drivers license or state ID. If you thought you could avoid the lines at the DMV and renew by mail -- think again. A new federal law will force you to renew the license in person.

Beginning in 2008, every driver will have to get a new license -- even if their old one hasn't expired.

Right now states have different requirements to get a license.

But Congress, driven by Homeland Security concerns, recently passed the Real ID act. That means Texas will have the same standards as California, New York and all the other states.

Right now, a new Texas license costs $24. That may seem like a bargain under the new federal law because it didn't give states money to make changes.

That is up to Texas to figure out.

"We have anticipated a very rough estimate of $167 million the first year and $101 million every year thereafter," said Judy Brown with the DPS Driver's License Division.

It won't just cost money -- it will cost you time.

You won't be able to renew online or even change your address. That means the DMV lines will likely be out the door and around the building.

In January, DPS will go to the legislature to ask for 500 more people to handle the load.

"In the future, we'll have to reprocess all your credentials. We're anticipating the time will quadruple," said Brown.

"The standing in line part is going to be difficult but I think as long as we have security, we can't have enough security," said Sheryl Young, a Texas driver.

Whether you think it's worth it, doesn't really matter. Not only do you need the license to drive -- you won't be able to get on an airplane without the Real ID.

[Kimmers]

I appreciate the heads up since I will moving there this summer....

[PAR35]

Same law has been in place for a long time in Virginia

It's been the law in Texas for almost 20 years that I know of as well.

Not sure why anyone would think this is news.

[FreePaul]

Sometime in 1937/1938 when may family moved to Texas I went with my mother to the court house where she filled out forms and got my father a driver license for the twenty five cents fee. I don't know why she didn't get one for herself. A year or so later she had to take a written test and drive around the block to get her license. There were a lot of people moving to Texas then and cars with out of state plates were frequently stopped.

[AnAmericanMother]

If they stop you, they will bust you for it.

Otherwise of course, there's no way to know.

[Cobra64]

But if you're a Wetback, you're okay. Right? Surely there's an amnesty clause in there somewhere.

[Dubya]

Are these laws also applicable to illegal aliens?

I don't think so.