Registration and Title Bulletin #047-07

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.

PURPOSE
To inform you of the notice sent to Texas motor vehicle dealers concerning procedural changes regarding application and issuance of dealer personalized license plates, and Dealer Title Application (DTA) procedures.

DETAILS
The Vehicle Titles and Registration Division informed the dealer community that, effective January, 2008, the application and issuance process for dealer personalized license plates will be handled at the county tax assessor-collector’s office in which they are located. We also informed the dealers that the plates will no longer be mailed directly to them and that they should contact the county tax assessor-collector’s office approximately two weeks after application is made.

COUNTY ACTION
It will be the county’s responsibility to verify the dealer’s General Distinguishing Number (GDN) certificate is current. This will be accomplished by having the dealer present their current GDN certificate or by referencing the Motor Vehicle Division’s “Statewide Dealer List”. If the dealer is not listed, the dealer number can be verified by contacting the Motor Vehicle Division toll free at 1-877-366-8887.

Effective January 1, 2008, the Motor Vehicle Division’s “Statewide Dealer List” will be available on the web here. Click on the link “Statewide Dealer List”. This information will be available as a downloadable Excel file. If you are unable to access this information electronically through the TxDOT website, you may request the information on diskette or in hard copy by contacting Carla Gonzales at (512) 416-4853. This information will be updated on a weekly basis.

Expiration of dealer personalized license plates will coincide with the GDN certificate expiration. A license plate sticker will be issued through RTS which will display the dealer’s GDN instead of the last 8 digits of the vehicle identification number.

As prorated fees are not offered for these plates, the full annual fee will be collected regardless of when these plates are issued during the twelve month period the dealer license is valid. The fee for initial applications will be $85.30, which consists of:

• Dealer Plate Fee - $45
• Personalized License Plate Fee - $40
• Reflectorization Fee of $0.30

In the event dealer personalized license plates are lost or damaged, the dealer can request replacement dealer personalized plates for a fee of $90.30, which consists of:

• Dealer Plate Fee - $45
• Personalized Plate Fee - $40
• Replacement Cost - $5
• Reflectorization Fee - $0.30

The dealer community was also informed that, with the statewide implementation of specialty license plates, title transactions involving the transfer of specialty license plates are not to be processed using DTA. Any transaction for which a specialty plate is assigned to a vehicle must be processed at the county tax assessor-collector’s office utilizing the Form VTR-31-RTS, Tax Collector’s Receipt for Texas Title Application/Registration/Motor Vehicle Tax. For your convenience, we have attached copies of the DTA notice and letter to all motor vehicle dealers concerning personalized dealer license plates.

CONTACT
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please contact your local Vehicle Titles and Registration Division Regional Office. You may also call Mike Craig, Deputy Director, at (512) 465-7570.

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.