Please review and distribute as appropriate.

Senate Bill 604, enacted by the 86th Legislature, amended Transportation Code, Section 520.005 by adding Subsection (e). This new subsection requires each county tax assessor-collector to make webDEALER available to any licensed motor vehicle dealers (“dealers”) requesting access effective September 1, 2020.

While granting webDEALER access is required, Subsection (e) does not mandate or impact who counties deputize as dealer deputies nor county established dealer deputy requirements. Deputizing a dealer remains at the sole discretion of the county tax assessor-collector’s office.

In an effort to ensure all county tax assessor-collector offices are ready for this requirement, the department is contacting each county not currently setup with webDEALER access. The department will be verifying who will act as the county webDEALER administrator, ensuring this administrator has completed the applicable eLearning Center courses, and verifying access once the administrator is established.

Additionally, the department has created a project team charged with making programming enhancements to webDEALER. Many of these enhancements will address requests made by county tax assessor-collectors and dealers currently utilizing webDEALER.

The Texas dealer associations are aware of this new requirement and may begin notifying their members. This may result in your offices receiving inquiries related to webDEALER access.

To assist county tax assessor-collectors and dealers with initial webDEALER setup, the department has posted “Getting Started with webDEALER” videos at www.TxDMV.gov.

• The county tax assessor-collector version is available on the TAC Hub under the “Webinars & Presentations” tab or https://www.txdmv.gov/tax-assessor-collectors?tab=webinarspresentations.
• The dealer version is available on the Dealers portal under the “webDEALER” tab or https://www.txdmv.gov/dealers?tab=webdealer.

County tax assessor-collector’s offices receiving inquiries from dealers requesting webDEALER access may utilize the dealer version of “Getting Started with webDEALER” video as a resource.

In the coming weeks, “Using webDEALER” videos will also be made available to county tax assessor-collector offices and dealers at the same locations specified above. The department will notify you once these videos are available and provide additional information at that time.

Beginning in May, the department’s 16 Regional Service Center Managers will reach out to each county tax assessor-collector’s office not currently utilizing webDEALER to schedule time to present “Getting Started with webDEALER” and “Using webDEALER” on a more personalized level.

While the requirement to provide webDEALER access to dealers who make a request is not effective until September 1, 2020, there is no prohibition against granting authorization prior to this date. The department encourages you to begin utilizing webDEALER as soon as you are ready.

If you have any questions, please contact your local Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Regional Service Center.

Thank you,

Jeremiah Kuntz, Director

Vehicle Titles and Registration Division

JK:TT:TH

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

Please review and distribute as appropriate.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has received numerous phone calls from motorists who have received citations from law enforcement for registration violations.  We are sending the attached communication to law enforcement officials in order to provide clarification regarding Governor Abbott’s waivers pertaining to vehicle registration.  We ask that you provide the attached notice to your local law enforcement agencies to assist TxDMV in communicating this important message.

Vehicle owners may contact your office due to receipt of a citation for expired registration or for general questions regarding the registration waivers.  We are providing a copy of Governor Abbott’s press release regarding the waivers (attached) for the use of county tax assessor-collectors and for sharing with motorists who have been cited.

For tax assessor-collectors renewing an expired registration while the temporary waiver is in effect, the “Valid Reason” should be selected on the Registration Additional Info REG039 screen in the Registration and Title System.  Also, do not select “Citation/Charge Penalty” on the REG039 screen if the vehicle owner received a citation dated March 16, 2020, or later for expired registration.

The TxDMV will provide notice when normal services resume, and the temporary waivers will remain in effect until 60 days after the notice is provided.  Updated guidance on processing expired registrations, and the selection of “Valid Reason” and “Citation/Charge Penalty,” will be provided to tax assessor-collectors at that time.

Thank you,

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

Attachment

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

Please review and distribute as appropriate.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has received numerous phone calls from motorists who have received citations from law enforcement for registration violations.  We are sending the attached communication to law enforcement officials in order to provide clarification regarding Governor Abbott’s waivers pertaining to vehicle registration.  We ask that you provide the attached notice to your local law enforcement agencies to assist TxDMV in communicating this important message.

Vehicle owners may contact your office due to receipt of a citation for expired registration or for general questions regarding the registration waivers.  We are providing a copy of Governor Abbott’s press release regarding the waivers (attached) for the use of county tax assessor-collectors and for sharing with motorists who have been cited.

For tax assessor-collectors renewing an expired registration while the temporary waiver is in effect, the “Valid Reason” should be selected on the Registration Additional Info REG039 screen in the Registration and Title System.  Also, do not select “Citation/Charge Penalty” on the REG039 screen if the vehicle owner received a citation dated March 16, 2020, or later for expired registration.

The TxDMV will provide notice when normal services resume, and the temporary waivers will remain in effect until 60 days after the notice is provided.  Updated guidance on processing expired registrations, and the selection of “Valid Reason” and “Citation/Charge Penalty,” will be provided to tax assessor-collectors at that time.

Thank you,

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

Attachment

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

Please review the following information and distribute as appropriate.

The latest update to the NMVTIS Guide (attached) is now available via Registration and Title System 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 between Title and Reg).

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

Chapter 1 – Overview
Section 1.5, “State Participation,” was updated with a new map to represent the states participating in NMVTIS.

Chapter 5 – Title Brands
Section 5.1, “NMVTIS Brands,” was updated with a note regarding new odometer brand errors that will reflect on the NMVTIS Inquiry Error Report that were added with Registration and Title System Release 9.5.1.

Chapter 7 – Title Numbers and Issue Date
Section 7.3, “Title Samples and Title Information,” was updated to clarify vehicles with a model year of 1999 or prior are exempt from titling in New Hampshire.

Thank you,

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

JK:TT:KJ

Attachment

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