Texas Car Shipping: Advice for Transporting Vehicles into the Lone Star State

If you're moving to Texas, you will need a vehicle. It's a simple fact of life. As the second largest state in the U.S. in terms of geography, 3,200 miles of Interstate highway, and a woefully inadequate urban transit system, Texans need vehicles like they need food and water. There is no better way to ensure that you will have a comfortable, familiar vehicle in Texas - at the lowest cost -- than to transport your own into the state.

Texas' Established Port System

Many non U.S. residents and even quite a few U.S. residents are surprised to learn that Texas, the land of cowboys and sagebrush, actually has a large international port system. Galveston, Houston, and Pt. Arthur are all highly developed ports with state-of-the-art docks and facilities. Galveston alone handles hundreds of thousands of car imports per year. So, if you're importing from outside of the U.S., Texas is the best "hidden secret" of the vehicle importation trade.

Texas Vehicle Registration

Within 30 days of moving to Texas, you must register your vehicle with the Texas Department of Transportation (www.txdot.gov).

Registration is a multi-stage process, which begins with an emissions test. Traditionally, Texas has been lax in requiring smog tests for newly registered and currently registered vehicles. But with global warming pressures of late, they have begun to conform with other states' requirements. Diesel-powered vehicles and motorcycles do not have to be inspected. Also, vehicles only in certain highly populated counties must be inspected (Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, Williamson and El Paso).

After passing the emissions test, you must take your proof of auto insurance (this is required by law) and the emissions certificate to your local county tax office, along with your out-of-state title. Registration forms will be available there for you to complete, along with a request for fees ranging from $28 to $33 and a new resident tax of $90.

Finally, visit your local Texas Department of Public Safety office and obtain a driver's license. Like the registration, this must be done within 30 days of moving into the state. But the great news is that if you already have a valid out-of-state driver's license, you might be able to waive out of the written and driving exam.