NEWS RELEASE

Texas Communities Combat Crime
Thanks to New Grant Funding 

You can protect yourself from auto burglary and theft

(AUSTIN, Texas – July 9, 2020) Watch out, auto burglars and thieves! Texas communities are fighting back. At its board meeting today, the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority (MVCPA) awarded annual grants to help prevent and reduce statewide motor vehicle crime.

The grants support local law enforcement efforts to prevent Texans from experiencing over $1 billion in losses caused each year from motor vehicle crime.

Grant Recipients:

• City of Austin: $414,319
• City of Beaumont: $508,623
• City of Brownsville: $889,225
• Burnet County: $192,400
• City of Corpus Christi: $395,356
• City of Dallas: $601,250
• Dallas County: $519,480
• City of Eagle Pass: $120,250
• City of El Paso: $894,145
• Galveston County: $451,354
• Harris County: $743,052
• City of Houston: $957,190
• City of Laredo: $658,970
• Lubbock County: $389,151
• City of Mansfield: $288,600
• Montgomery County: $324,640
• City of Paris: $102,654
• City of Pasadena: $73,112
• Potter County: $347,960
• City of San Antonio: $769,600
• Smith County: $320,146
• Tarrant County: $1,101,971
• Travis County: $607,154
• City of Victoria: $148,840
• Total: $11,819,442

These agencies collaborate regionally and with each other to establish evidence based, strategy driven and community focused solutions networks. They improve coordination, deploy equipment and provide clear messaging to community groups to end motor vehicle crime across Texas.

“With these grants, local communities can respond in a coordinated effort to solve statewide motor vehicle crime,” said Laredo Assistant Chief of Police Mike Rodriguez.

The taskforces recovered more than 11,000 vehicles in fiscal year 2019, made thousands of arrests and distributed materials and messages to their communities to help remind people to lock their cars. Based on state data, there are nearly 200,000 motor vehicle burglaries and more than 67,000 stolen vehicles every year.

The Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, a division of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, funds local law enforcement taskforces across the state every year. The funds come from a $4 fee that MVCPA collects from motor vehicle insurance companies. A large part of the fee collected also supports emergency rooms and trauma centers throughout Texas.

The Texas Legislature established MVCPA in 1991 to create a statewide effort to reduce auto theft. The Authority is comprised of governor-appointed members from insurers, law enforcement and the public along with a designee from the Texas Department of Public Safety.

For more information about how to protect yourself from motor vehicle crime, visit MVCPA online at www.txdmv.gov/motorists/consumer-protection/auto-theft-prevention.

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Media Contact:            Customer Contact:                          
Media@TxDMV.gov     AskDMV@TxDMV.gov
(512) 465-1484              1-888-368-4689

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The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles registers and titles motor vehicles, licenses motor vehicle dealers, credentials motor carriers, issues oversize/overweight permits, investigates complaints against dealers and motor carriers, and awards grants to law enforcement agencies to reduce vehicle burglaries and thefts. Learn more at www.TxDMV.gov.

NEWS RELEASE

Temporary Waiver of Vehicle Title and Registration Requirements
Remains in Effect

(AUSTIN, Texas – July 3, 2020) Texans still get a break from certain vehicle title and registration requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The temporary waiver announced by Governor Greg Abbott on March 16, 2020, remains in effect.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) will provide a notification when normal services resume, allowing the public 60 days from then to conduct any overdue title and registration transactions.

The waiver covers the following services:

• Initial vehicle registration.
• Vehicle registration renewal.
• Vehicle titling.
• Renewal of permanent disabled parking placards.
• 30-day temporary permits.

Texans with overdue transactions are encouraged to renew their registration online at www.TxDMV.gov and www.Texas.gov, or by mail. 

Most in-person vehicle title and registration services are handled by county tax offices. For the status of county tax offices, Texans should visit www.TxDMV.gov/covid-19 or contact their county tax office directly.

The following transactions are available in-person by appointment only at TxDMV regional service centers:

• Replacement titles.
• Bonded title notices of determination.
• Title histories.
• Temporary permits.
• Assigned/reassigned numbers.
• Registration refund authorizations.
• Investigation and resolution of Texas title errors.

To schedule a same-day or next-day appointment, visit www.TxDMV.gov/appointment.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles does not issue driver licenses or state ID cards. Texans should contact the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for these services.

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Media Contact:            Customer Contact:                          
Media@TxDMV.gov     AskDMV@TxDMV.gov
(512) 465-1484              1-888-368-4689

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The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles registers and titles motor vehicles, licenses motor vehicle dealers, credentials motor carriers, issues oversize/overweight permits, investigates complaints against dealers and motor carriers, and awards grants to law enforcement agencies to reduce vehicle burglaries and thefts. Learn more at www.TxDMV.gov.