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If you purchased a vehicle in another country, you are required to meet all
federal and state importation requirements before you can title and/or register
it in the state of Texas. You must follow these steps to legally operate your
vehicle.
Step 1: Properly import your vehicle
Your vehicle must meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS)
established by the
National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
More information concerning duty or other Customs matters is available from
U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Step 2: Get a vehicle/VIN inspection
Your vehicle must pass a Texas vehicle safety inspection and a visual
verification of the vehicle identification number (VIN).
You can have your vehicle inspected by any Texas-approved
Safety Inspection Station. Visit the
Texas Department of Public Safety
for inspection stations in your area.
You must also have your vehicle inspected by one of the following law
enforcement agencies.
- Municipal Police Auto Theft Unit
- County Sheriff's Department Auto Theft Unit
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Department of Public Safety Motor Vehicle Theft Services
- The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Vehicle Theft Investigators
Step 3: Apply for Texas vehicle title/registration
After your vehicle passes customs, federal and state inspection, take the
following forms, along with proof of insurance, to your
county tax office:
- United States Department of Transportation
Form HS-7, “Application for (Declaration) Importation of Motor Vehicles
and Motor Vehicle Equipment Subject to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety, Bumper
and Theft Prevention Standards”
- If the imported vehicle is under bond, an original bond release letter
from the United States Department of
Transportation
- Vehicle Identification Certificate (Form VI-30-A), completed by a
Safety
Inspection Station
- The inspection report on the bottom of
Form VTR-68-A,
“Application for a Reassigned Number”, completed by a law enforcement
agency’s auto theft unit. Note: U.S. military personnel, including immediate
family members, returning to Texas military bases are not required to submit
a completed form VTR-68-A. Please refer to our
Military Packet for more
information.
- A completed
Form 130-U, “Application for Texas Certificate of Title”
(Instructions for filling out the
form)
- Provide the vehicle's odometer reading if it is less than 10 years old.
- Present the ownership document. You must provide a certified English
translation of any document printed in any language except English.
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