I bought a 1948 Dodge Custom sedan when I was out of state in September 2024. I had to get it to Texas, get a Texas title, register it, and apply for the appropriate license plate. With the elimination of state inspections beginning January 1, 2025 and some counties still requiring emissions testing, nothing was clear. Even the advice that I found in online forums was speculative at best. No one seemed to know how to navigate the process. Now that I’ve successfully done it myself, here’s how you register a classic car in Texas in 2025.
Please note that to be considered “Classic” or “Antique” in Texas, the car must be 25 years old or older.
Where do I go?
In Texas, there are three different entities charged with regulating drivers and their vehicles. The Department of Public Safety handles driver’s licenses. The Department of Motor Vehicles handles titles and registrations. However, in Texas, you’ll actually take your documentation and form of payment to your County Tax Assessor’s office.
You can mail the required documents but I highly recommend against it. It’ll just take that much longer, especially if the application isn’t accepted. Mailing it also opens up the risk of lost documents.
What documents do I need to take with me?
- Title
- Proof of Insurance
- Your ID
- Title/Registration Form
- License Plate Application*
As far as documents go, these are all you need. The Application for Texas Title and/or Registration (130-U) is a fairly versatile form. Whether you need a title only, title and registration, or registration only depends on your situation.
I already have a title in my name.
In Texas, you do not need to have a Texas title for your vehicle if you already have it titled in your name from another state. However, you will still need to bring that title with you when you apply for registration. You’ll need to use the 130-U form to apply for “Registration Purposes Only”.
I purchased the car and am registering it for the first time.
Here, you definitely need both title and registration. Make sure that the title can be your bill of sale and document some information at the time of sale. It needs to have the agreed upon purchase price, odometer reading, reported sale date, the prior owner’s signature. Make sure that the odometer reading that you enter on the application form matches the reading written on the title.
You will be surrendering that tile and can expect your new title in the mail.
I purchased the car but only want to title it, not register it yet.
There’s a few things you should know if this is the boat you’re in:
It is common practice to transfer the title of a project car when you are ready to register it. I have seen cars with decades-old titles because the car hasn’t been on the road for a long time. Often times, it’s changed hands a few times but no one transferred the title because it wasn’t ready to drive. Many don’t see a point to going through the hassle and paying fees when it’s not being driven. As long as you have a signed title from the seller, not titling it yet is typically low risk.
I’m sure there are plenty of scenarios where buttoned up paperwork is in your best interest. Perhaps it’s a collector car that will be in your will to one of your children. Maybe it’s for asset-tracking purposes. Ultimately, If you want to make sure the car is legally documented as yours, titling it is a good idea.
If you decide to hold off on titling it until you can drive it, you could pay more in fees. If the sale date written on the title is more than 30 days prior to paying the taxes on the sale, Texas adds a late penalty. A fee of 5% of the tax will be added on to your total fees. Typically, the seller will only sign the title so you can fill out the sale price and date yourself.
If you do decide to apply for a title only, you will be surrendering that tile and can expect your new title in the mail. If you go in person, you’ll walk out with your stickers and a temporary tag for immediate use. This assumes that you’ve brought the proper documentation and completed the forms correctly.
What license plate options do I have?*
Now that we have the title and registration needs straightened out, next is the license plate. This also depends on how you plan to use the car.
Standard Plates
For standard plates, or your typical vehicle registration, you don’t actually need a separate license plate application.
Classic Plates
Plates that say “Classic” on them require an Application for Classic Plates. Classic plates will still require annual renewal just like standard plates but have a distinct advantage over antique plates. There is no limitation on how you use a car with classic plates. You can drive it every day or even advertise your business with it.
It does also have one aesthetic advantage over standard plates. You can use embossed “year of make” plates on the car as the officially registered plates. Take my 1948 Dodge for example. If I find 1948 Texas plates that are in good condition, I can use those plates. Year of make plates would require approval. You would need to bring the plates with you so the office could verify their condition, year, and authenticity. They can’t be replicas.
Antique Plates
Antique plates require an Application for Antique License Plate. It also places certain limitations on how you can use the vehicle. According to the Motor Vehicle Registration Manual from October 2024, it can only be used “exclusively for exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest and is not used for regular transportation.” It also can’t “carry advertising.”
Antique plates are registered for a 5 year period for a much lower fee. You are also only issues one plate for the back of the car instead of two. Other registrations require a plate for the front and a plate for the back.
Many drivers admit to registering with antique plates but not sticking to those limitations. Most reported that they had not had any issues with being pulled over by police. This is probably accurate but I’d rather be safe than sorry if I’m driving the car frequently. If you’re pulled over for speeding on a Tuesday evening commute, that extra charge is low-hanging fruit. Rush hour on a Tuesday is not likely a time for “exhibitions, club activities, parades, and other functions of public interest.”
Of course, with antique registration, you also have the option to use embossed year of make plates. The same stipulations apply as mentioned above.
Custom Vehicle or Street Rod Plates
In Texas, a Custom Vehicle is defined as “a vehicle that is at least 25 years old and of a model year after 1948; or manufactured to resemble a vehicle that is at least 25 years old and of a model year after 1948, and that has been altered from the manufacturer’s original design or has a body constructed from materials not original to the vehicle.”
A Street Rod is defined as “a vehicle that was manufactured before 1949; or after 1948 to resemble a vehicle manufactured before 1949, and that has been altered from the manufacturer’s original design, or has a body constructed from materials not original to the vehicle.”
Registering a “custom vehicle” or “street rod” requires the ASE Safety Inspection and Application for Custom Vehicle or Street Rod License Plates form. On top of typical registration and annual renewals, TxDMV also requires a “an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Safety Inspection, conducted by an ASE Certified Master Technician.” The ASE Certified Master Technician will complete page 2 of that form.
Do I need emissions testing?
Nope. This was not clear to me as I tried to find answers to my questions online. I called the DMV directly and asked this question over the phone to get a clear answer on this.
Only the following counties in Texas require emissions testing in 2025: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Harris, Tarrant, Brazoria, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, and Rockwall. Bexar County will require emissions testing starting on November 1, 2026. However, when your vehicle is 25 years old or older, you DO NOT need emissions testing at all. Even in those counties.
