April 2020 Registration Manual Update

Please review and distribute as appropriate.

The latest update to the Motor Vehicle Registration Manual (attached) is now available via Registration and Title System (RTS) workstations and at www.txdmv.gov.

We welcome your feedback and encourage you to email any comments or suggestions to VTR_Title_Reg-Manual-Update@txdmv.gov (please note the underscores between VTR and Title and Title and Reg).

Updates for this release are marked with red change bars in the text.

The following are brief summaries of the chapters updated in the April 2020 revision.

Chapter 6 – Exempt License Plates
Section 6.1, “General Provisions,” was updated to specify the inscription requirements for vehicles issued exempt registration do not apply to vehicles owned by the federal government and its subsidiary agencies.

Section 6.2, “Application for Standard Exempt License Plates,” was updated as a result of House Bill (HB) 2315, to specify exempt plates may be obtained for travel trailers used by a government agency to provide temporary housing in response to a natural disaster or other declared emergency.

Chapter 10 – General Provisions
Section 10.12, “Communication Impediment,” was updated to specify the communication impediment indicator can be added to the vehicle record even if the individual with the impediment is not the recorded owner. This section also specifies that the Certification of a Communication Impediment (Form VTR-216) must be returned to the customer after verifying the certification and selecting the check box in the Registration and Title System (RTS).

Chapter 16 – Temporary Permits
Section 16.1, “Temporary 72-Hour or 144-Hour Permits,” was updated to specify that temporary permits should be printed on plain paper and not VTR-500-RTS paper when possible.

Section 16.2, “One-Trip (single trip) or 30-Day Trip Permits,” was updated as a result of HB 3842, to specify marking the “Dealer Closure” check box in RTS results in waiving all fees associated with the issuance of one 30-Day Permit.  The “Dealer Closure” check box in RTS should be used only when the customer presents a department-issued letter stating the dealership has gone out of business and the fees may be waived.

Thank you,

Jeremiah Kuntz, Director
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles

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If you have any questions concerning this communication, please contact your local TxDMV Regional Service Center.