Travis County Tax OfficeMarch 15, 2021
Texans who postponed vehicle titling and registration renewal during the pandemic are running out of time. They must make their vehicle registration current and apply for a vehicle title by Wednesday, April 14.
Gov. Greg Abbott rescinded his pandemic disaster declaration that allowed Texans to drive with expired registration stickers and to not title a vehicle within the 30-days from purchase without receiving a ticket or paying financial penalties.
Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector Bruce Elfant says county residents need to become compliant immediately.
“It is not realistic to think if you procrastinate to the last week that we have enough people to service everyone before the deadline,” Elfant said.
Currently, the tax office estimates more than 100,000 county residents need to update their registration renewal and/or apply for a title by the April 14 deadline. “If you miss this deadline, law enforcement can cite you for expired registration and if you failed to apply for a title by April 14, state financial penalties automatically kick in that can cost you up to $250,” Elfant noted.
Applying for a title requires making an appointment for an in-person visit to the tax office. “We are not taking walk-ins,” Elfant added.
Appointments fill up fast, but new slots are added every weekday. Book an appointment at www.TravisCountyTax.org/appointments.
Vehicle owners whose registration stickers are not expired by more than nine months, should get their inspection and renew online at www.Texas.gov. H-E-B, Fiesta Mart and AAA stores in Travis County also can renew vehicle registrations, but customers are required to bring their:
- Complete Texas Department of Motor Vehicle renewal notice
- Signed, passing vehicle inspection document
- Insurance card
- Checkbook
While the governor’s disaster declaration offered a grace period from being ticketed by law enforcement during the pandemic, he did not provide a waiver on sticker expiration dates. For instance, drivers with a September 2020 expiration date who renew this month will receive a new sticker that expires in September 2021.
“Being able to drive your vehicle past the sticker expiration date does not save you money,” Elfant said. “If you are driving with an overdue sticker, please get your inspection and renew your vehicle registration at Texas.gov and pass this information on to friends and family members.”
The online renewal system generates a receipt to carry in the vehicle until the new registration sticker arrives. The receipt is good for a month and serves as proof of registration.
“Renewing online is the safest and easiest way to update your vehicle registration,” Elfant said. “However, once you have passed a vehicle inspection, it is best to wait 48 to 72 hours before trying to renew online as the state motor vehicle database is not updated in real time.”
More information on the April 14 deadline along with answers to frequently asked questions are detailed in a new tax office video. Watch now