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 majority of the manual revisions include changes from the 86th Legislative Session. The following are brief summaries of the chapters updated in the January 2020 revision.

Chapter 3 – Disabled Persons
Section 3.8, “Plates and Placards,” was updated as a result of House Bill (HB) 3163, to specify that the Persons with Disabilities License Plates and Placards (Form VTR-429) brochure must be given to customers when issuing a Disabled Parking Placard and Disabled Person license plates, as detailed in Registration and Title Bulletin (RTB) #006-19.

Chapter 9 – Registration Fees
Section 9.3, “Trailer or Semitrailer Fees,” was updated to add a new subsection regarding extended trailer registration as a result of HB 1262 and detailed in RTB #009-19.

Chapter 18 – Specialty and Personalized Plates
Section 18.2, “Personalized License Plates,” was updated to specify that a Dealer Personalized License Plate replacement can be requested through each local county tax office. The proper way to collect fees in the Registration and Title System for Dealer Personalized License Plates was also updated.

Chapter 19 – Military Specialty License Plates
Section 19.2, “General Application Procedures,” was updated as a result of HB 3163, to specify the Persons with Disabilities License Plates and Placards (Form VTR-429) brochure must be given to customers when issuing Disabled Veteran specialty license plates, as detailed in RTB #006-16.

Chapter 20 – Restricted Distributions Specialty License Plates
Section 20.5, “Occupational License Plates,” was updated as a result of HB 3343 to add the Peace Officer Purple Heart specialty license plate.

Thank you,

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

JK:TT:TM

Attachment

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

The RTS Windows 10 Migration will be postponed through the holidays until January 3, 2020. Texas Department of Motor Vehicles staff will be reaching out to those counties originally scheduled during this time to coordinate a new migration date.

Please contact Schon Connaker, the Windows 10 Project Manager, at 512-465-1447 if you have any questions.

Please review and distribute as appropriate.

Registration and Title Bulletin (RTB) #006-19, dated August 22, 2019, provided information related to the application for Disabled Person license plates and Disabled Parking Placards. The RTB included information about House Bill 3163, which requires the department to provide information on laws governing parking for persons with disabilities and instructions for reporting alleged violations. The required informational brochure was not finalized when RTB #006-19 was distributed.

The informational brochure, Persons with Disabilities License Plates and Placards (VTR-429), is finalized and an initial supply should be distributed to county tax assessor-collector offices beginning late December 2019. The brochure must be given to customers when issuing a Disabled Placard or Disabled Person or Disabled Veteran license plates.

Thank you,
Jeremiah Kuntz, Director
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division

JK:TT:TM

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

Please review and distribute as appropriate.

The Registration and Title System (RTS) Release 9.5, scheduled for deployment December 16th, will include programming changes to implement House Bill (HB) 1548 and HB 3842, enacted by the 86th Legislature. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) Board must adopt administrative rules to implement these legislative items. Rule changes were proposed at the August 2019 TxDMV Board Meeting, and the rules were scheduled for adoption in December 2019. However, the adoption of the rules was postponed to allow additional time for further public comment. Due to this, the rules are expected to be scheduled for adoption at an early 2020 TxDMV Board meeting. The programming implemented with RTS Release 9.5, as outlined below, should not be used at this time. The department will provide further communication to notify you when RTS can be used to process these transactions.

HB 3842 authorizes the department by administrative rule to establish titling requirements and waive fees paid to a dealer by the purchaser when an out of business dealer failed to apply for title on the purchaser’s behalf as required by Transportation Code, §501.0234. HB 3842 also allows for waiving the fees for the issuance of one 30-Day permit. RTS Release 9.5 facilitates waiving fees paid to a dealer during a title application and for issuance of one 30-Day permit by adding a “Dealer Closure” checkbox in RTS. As noted above, there will be no change to the process for handling transactions when a dealer has gone out of business until rules have been adopted. You should not select this checkbox at this time. A Registration and Title Bulletin (RTB) will be distributed providing further guidance on HB 3842 closer to the effective date of the rules.

HB 1548 resulted in several changes for off-highway vehicles and golf carts. HB 1548 allows an off-highway vehicle to be operated on roads when the vehicle displays an Off-Highway Vehicle license plate. Off-highway vehicles are defined as an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), recreational off-highway vehicle (ROV), utility vehicle (UTV), or sand rail. HB 1548 also requires a golf cart operated on roads to display a Golf Cart license plate.

RTS Release 9.5 includes the functionality to issue plates to off-highway vehicles, but do not issue plates to these vehicles as the rules for HB 1548 must be adopted and in effect before the plates can be issued. The department will notify you when the rules authorizing issuance of Off-Highway Vehicle license plates to off-highway vehicles are effective. Also, an RTB providing detailed guidance on HB 1548 will be distributed closer to the effective date of the rules. An initial order of the new Off-Highway Vehicle and redesigned Golf Cart license plates will be shipped to your county before the effective date of the rule.

Your office should continue to operate as it does today regarding the issuance of Golf Cart license plates. Counties that currently issue Golf Cart plates with inventory on hand should continue to issue the same plates. Counties that currently do not issue Golf Cart plates should delay issuance until you receive your initial order of the redesigned Golf Cart license plate.

Thank you,

Jeremiah Kuntz, Director
Vehicle Titles and Registration Division

JK:TT:TM

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