Registration and Title Bulletin #012-06

These documents contain text of correspondence sent by TxDOT to the county tax assessor-collectors, statutory agents who provide vehicle registration and titling services for citizens in Texas. This information is provided to apprise the general public of issues affecting the state’s vehicle titling and registration process.

DETAILS
Replacement fees for personalized license plates are determined by the need expressed by the owner of the PLPs. In instances when personalized license plates are lost, stolen, or damaged, the procedure for obtaining replacement license plates is as follows:

• The owner obtains regular replacement license plates from the county tax office (Refer to Transportation Code §504.002[8]),
• The statutory fee of $5.30 is collected,
• The owner submits a written request to the department (Special Plates Branch) for replacement PLPs accompanied by a copy of the registration receipt showing the initial set of PLPs were replaced with regular replacement plates,
• Replacement PLPs are manufactured and sent to the county tax office,
• The owner is notified to pick up the replacement PLPs at the county tax office, and
• The regular replacement license plates are surrendered and the replacement PLPs are issued along with a new validation sticker.

NOTE: If department records indicate the vehicle displaying the PLPs has been reported stolen, replacement PLPs will not be issued until the vehicle is recovered or the PLPs have expired.

If the owner requests replacement PLPs for cosmetic reasons, Transportation Code, §504.101(d) states: "The department may not issue a replacement set of personalized license plates to the same person before the sixth anniversary of the date of issuance unless the applicant for issuance of replacement plates pays an additional fee of $30."

CONTACT
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact your local Vehicle Titles and Registration Division Regional Office.

In some cases the Registration and Title Bulletins (RTB) contain attachments. If you require a copy of the original signed RTB and the attachments, please e-mail us and include the RTB number. Repeat requests are subject to charges in accordance with Open Record policies. A subscription service is also available for an annual fee of $250. Subscribers will automatically receive all RTB mailings as they are issued.