Title TN, Transportation Code

Sec. 503.005. NOTICE OF SALE OR TRANSFER. (a) A manufacturer or dealer shall immediately notify the department if the manufacturer or dealer transfers, including by sale or lease, a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer to a person other than a manufacturer or dealer. (b) The no…

Sec. 503.006. NOTICE OF CHANGE OF ADDRESS. A dealer or manufacturer who has been issued dealer's, converter's, or manufacturer's license plates shall notify the department of a change to the dealer's, converter's, or manufacturer's address not later than the 10th day after the da…

Sec. 503.007. FEES FOR GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER. (a) The fee for an original general distinguishing number is $500 for the first year and $200 for each subsequent year for which the number is valid. (b) The fee for the renewal of a general distinguishing number is $200 a yea…

Sec. 503.008. FEES FOR LICENSE PLATES. (a) The fee for: (1) a dealer's license plate issued under Section 503.061 is $20 a year; and (2) a dealer's temporary license plate issued under Section 503.062 is $10. (b) The fee for a manufacturer's license plate is $40 a year. (c) The f…

Sec. 503.009. PROCEDURE FOR CERTAIN CONTESTED CASES. (a) The board may conduct hearings in contested cases brought under this chapter as provided by this chapter and Chapter 2301, Occupations Code. (b) The procedures applicable to a hearing conducted under this section are those …

Sec. 503.010. TERM OF GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER, LICENSE, OR LICENSE PLATE. Each general distinguishing number, license, or license plate issued under this chapter is valid for the period prescribed by the commission. Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 732 (H.B. 2651), …

Sec. 503.011. PRORATING FEES. If the board prescribes the term of a general distinguishing number, license, or license plate under this chapter for a period other than one year, the board shall prorate the applicable annual fee required under this chapter as necessary to reflect …

Sec. 503.012. COLLECTED MONEY. Section 403.095, Government Code, does not apply to money received by the department and deposited to the credit of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles fund in accordance with this chapter. Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 732 (H.B. 2651)…

Sec. 503.013. DEALER TRANSFER OF CERTAIN ASSEMBLED VEHICLES PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, "assembled vehicle" and "replica" have the meanings assigned by Section 731.001. (b) Ownership of an assembled vehicle, other than a replica, may not be transferred to or by a dealer unde…

Sec. 503.021. DEALER GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER. A person may not engage in business as a dealer, directly or indirectly, including by consignment, without a dealer general distinguishing number in one of the categories described by Section 503.029(a)(6) for each location from…

Sec. 503.022. WHOLESALE MOTOR VEHICLE AUCTION GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER. A person may not engage in the business of conducting a wholesale motor vehicle auction without a wholesale motor vehicle auction general distinguishing number for each location from which the person con…

Sec. 503.023. DRIVE-A-WAY OPERATOR LICENSE. A person may not engage in business as a drive-a-way operator without a drive-a-way in-transit license. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 503.024. EXCLUSIONS FOR DEALER. (a) A person is not required to obtain a dealer general distinguishing number if the person: (1) sells or offers to sell during a calendar year fewer than five vehicles of the same type that are owned and registered in that person's name; or (…

Sec. 503.025. WHOLESALE MOTOR VEHICLE AUCTION EXCEPTION. A person exempt under Section 503.024(d) is not required to obtain a wholesale motor vehicle auction general distinguishing number. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.

Sec. 503.026. REQUIREMENT FOR EACH TYPE OF DEALER VEHICLE. A person must obtain a dealer general distinguishing number for each type of vehicle the person intends to sell. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 871, Sec. 1,…

Sec. 503.027. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO DEALER LOCATION. (a) A dealer must hold a general distinguishing number for a consignment location unless the consignment location is a wholesale motor vehicle auction. (b) If a person is not otherwise prohibited from doing business as a dea…

Sec. 503.028. REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO WHOLESALE MOTOR VEHICLE AUCTION LOCATION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), the department may not issue more than one general distinguishing number for a location for which the wholesale motor vehicle auction general distinguishing …

Sec. 503.029. APPLICATION FOR DEALER GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER. (a) An applicant for an original or renewal dealer general distinguishing number must submit to the department a written application on a form that: (1) is provided by the department; (2) contains the information…

Sec. 503.0292. FINGERPRINTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN DEALERS. (a) This section applies only to a person who is an applicant for or holds a dealer general distinguishing number for 75 or more locations. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, the department may require a person descr…

Sec. 503.0295. INDEPENDENT MOBILITY MOTOR VEHICLE DEALERS. A person who seeks to act as an independent mobility motor vehicle dealer shall provide with each application for a general distinguishing number and each renewal application: (1) a written statement that the dealer: (A) …

Sec. 503.0296. INDEPENDENT MOTOR VEHICLE DEALER EDUCATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENT. (a) The department by rule shall require that an applicant for an original or renewal general distinguishing number who proposes to be an independent motor vehicle dealer complete web-based educat…

Sec. 503.030. APPLICATION FOR WHOLESALE MOTOR VEHICLE AUCTION GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER. (a) An applicant for an original or renewal wholesale motor vehicle auction general distinguishing number must submit to the department an application that contains: (1) the information r…

Sec. 503.031. APPLICATION FOR DRIVE-A-WAY IN-TRANSIT LICENSE. (a) An applicant for a drive-a-way in-transit license must submit to the commission an application containing the information required by the commission. (b) The license application must be accompanied by the registrat…

Sec. 503.032. ESTABLISHED AND PERMANENT PLACE OF BUSINESS. (a) An applicant for a dealer general distinguishing number or wholesale motor vehicle auction general distinguishing number must demonstrate that the location for which the applicant requests the number is an established…

Sec. 503.033. SECURITY REQUIREMENT. (a) The department may not issue or renew a motor vehicle dealer general distinguishing number or a wholesale motor vehicle auction general distinguishing number unless the applicant provides to the department satisfactory proof that the applic…

Sec. 503.034. ISSUANCE AND RENEWAL OR DENIAL OF DEALER OR WHOLESALE MOTOR VEHICLE AUCTION GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER. (a) The department shall deny an application for the issuance or renewal of a dealer general distinguishing number or a wholesale motor vehicle auction general…

Sec. 503.035. ISSUANCE AND RENEWAL OF DRIVE-A-WAY IN-TRANSIT LICENSE. The department shall issue to an applicant on the filing of the application and the payment of the fee a drive-a-way in-transit license and in-transit license plates. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff.…

Sec. 503.036. REASSIGNMENT OF EVIDENCE OF OWNERSHIP; DEALER CATEGORIES. (a) The holder of a franchised motor vehicle dealer's general distinguishing number may buy, sell, or exchange new or used motor vehicles and reassign a manufacturer's certificate of origin, certificate of ti…

Sec. 503.037. RIGHTS OF WHOLESALE MOTOR VEHICLE AUCTION. (a) A person who holds a wholesale motor vehicle auction general distinguishing number may accept on consignment one or more motor vehicles to auction. The person may offer a motor vehicle for sale only at the location for …

Sec. 503.038. CANCELLATION OF GENERAL DISTINGUISHING NUMBER. (a) The department may cancel a dealer's general distinguishing number if the dealer: (1) falsifies or forges a title document, including an affidavit making application for a certified copy of a title; (2) files a fals…

Sec. 503.039. PUBLIC MOTOR VEHICLE AUCTIONS. (a) A motor vehicle may not be the subject of a subsequent sale at a public auction by a holder of a dealer's general distinguishing number unless equitable or legal title has passed to the selling dealer before the transfer of title t…

Sec. 503.040. SALES OF CERTAIN USED MOTOR VEHICLES CONSTITUTE PRIVATE DISPOSITION. (a) This section applies only to the sale of a used motor vehicle that constitutes collateral by a secured party acting under Chapter 9, Business & Commerce Code, and occurs at an auction conducted…

Sec. 503.061. DEALER'S LICENSE PLATES. (a) Instead of registering under Chapter 502 a vehicle that the dealer owns, operates, or permits to be operated on a public street or highway, the dealer may apply for, receive, and attach dealer's license plates to the vehicle if it is the…

Sec. 503.0615. PERSONALIZED PRESTIGE DEALER'S LICENSE PLATES. (a) The department shall establish and issue personalized prestige dealer's license plates. The department may not issue identically lettered or numbered dealer's plates to more than one dealer. (b) The department shal…

Sec. 503.0618. CONVERTER'S LICENSE PLATES. (a) In this section, "converter" means a person who holds a converter's license issued under Chapter 2301, Occupations Code. (b) Instead of registering under Chapter 502 a vehicle that a converter operates or permits to be operated on a …

Sec. 503.062. DEALER'S TEMPORARY LICENSE PLATE. (a) A dealer may issue a temporary license plate for use on an unregistered vehicle by the dealer or the dealer's employees only to: (1) demonstrate or cause to be demonstrated to a prospective buyer the vehicle for sale purposes on…

Sec. 503.063. DEALER-ISSUED LICENSE PLATES FOR BUYER. (a) Except as provided by this section, a dealer shall issue to a person who buys a vehicle: (1) a license plate or set of license plates, if a license plate is required by law to be displayed on the vehicle; and (2) a complet…

Sec. 503.0631. DATABASE OF DEALER-ISSUED LICENSE PLATES. (a) The department shall develop, manage, and maintain a secure, real-time database of information on buyers to whom dealers issue a license plate or set of license plates under Section 503.063 or 503.065 that may be used b…

Sec. 503.0633. DEPARTMENT REGULATION OF DEALER-ISSUED LICENSE PLATES AND ACCESS TO DATABASE OF DEALER-ISSUED LICENSE PLATES. (a) The department by rule may establish the maximum number of license plates or sets of license plates that a dealer may obtain in a calendar year under S…

Sec. 503.064. MANUFACTURER'S LICENSE PLATES. (a) Instead of registering a new vehicle that a manufacturer intends to test on a public street or highway or to loan to a consumer for the purpose described by Section 2301.605, Occupations Code, the manufacturer may apply for, receiv…

Sec. 503.065. BUYER'S OUT-OF-STATE LICENSE PLATES. (a) The department may issue or cause to be issued to a person a temporary metal license plate authorizing the person to operate a new unregistered vehicle on a public highway of this state if the person: (1) buys the vehicle fro…

Sec. 503.066. APPLICATION FOR DEALER'S OR MANUFACTURER'S LICENSE PLATES. (a) An applicant for one or more original or renewal dealer's or manufacturer's license plates must submit to the department a written application on a form that: (1) is provided by the department; and (2) c…

Sec. 503.0671. UNAUTHORIZED USE OR DISTRIBUTION OF DEALER-ISSUED LICENSE PLATE. (a) A person may not operate in violation of this chapter or Chapter 502 a vehicle that displays a dealer-issued license plate or set of license plates. (b) A person may not sell or distribute a deale…

Sec. 503.068. LIMITATION ON USE OF DEALER'S LICENSE PLATES. (a) Repealed by Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 668 (H.B. 718), Sec. 32(8), eff. July 1, 2025. (b) A person may not use a metal dealer's license plate on: (1) a service or work vehicle, except as provided by Subsection (…

Sec. 503.069. DISPLAY OF LICENSE PLATES. (a) A license plate, other than an in-transit license plate, issued under this chapter shall be displayed in accordance with commission rules. (b) A drive-a-way operator who has been issued a drive-a-way in-transit license shall display th…

Sec. 503.070. REMOVAL OF OUT-OF-STATE LICENSE PLATES. (a) A dealer who purchases a vehicle that displays an out-of-state license plate must remove the plate within a reasonable time. (b) A dealer who purchases a vehicle for resale may not operate the vehicle on a public street or…