What it costs to own and drive a car in Texas right now.

Registration

You register at your county tax office (or online once you’re in the system). New residents have 30 days after moving to register, and the vehicle must be registered before you can get a Texas driver license.

TxDMV’s sample fee breakdown also shows a $4.75 processing and handling fee. The $90 new-resident tax replaces the 6.25% use tax for a vehicle already registered in your name in another state; TxDMV notes the amount can instead be the difference between the tax you paid in your old state and Texas’s rate. The $200 EV fee does not apply to hybrids.

Inspections and the 18 emissions counties

Under House Bill 3297, non-commercial vehicles stopped needing a safety inspection on Jan 1, 2025. Instead, everyone pays the $7.50 replacement fee when they register. DPS says that fee is not an increase, because it replaces revenue the inspection program used to bring in. Commercial vehicles still need a safety inspection in every county.

Emissions testing did not go away. In the counties below, a gasoline vehicle 2 to 24 years old must pass an annual on-board diagnostics test before you can renew (TCEQ). Electric vehicles and classic cars stay exempt.

Bexar County: yes, it starts tomorrow

Bexar County becomes the 18th emissions county on Nov 1, 2026. Starting then, San Antonio-area drivers must pass the test before renewing. You can renew up to 90 days early, and the passing test has to fall inside that same 90-day window. Budget $18.50 at the station plus $2.75 at registration. More on San Antonio costs.

Driver license

New residents can drive on an out-of-state license for up to 90 days after moving. Register your vehicle first; DPS asks for proof of Texas registration when you apply.

The DPS fee page is dated Sep 29, 2020 and was still the posted schedule when we checked on Oct 31, 2026. Fees include a $1 administrative fee that isn’t charged on mail transactions. Veterans with a 60% or higher disability rating can get a license free.

Gas

Texas gas is cheaper than the national average but far above last year. AAA’s Texas average for regular was $3.66 on Oct 31, 2026, against $2.58 a year earlier and $3.93 a month earlier. The national average was $4.18 the same day. Earlier in October, FOX 7 reported the national average sitting at a record high for autumn.

All figures from AAA’s Texas page on Oct 31, 2026. Gas prices move daily; treat these as a snapshot.

Toll roads

Every big Texas metro has toll roads, and a tag saves real money over pay-by-mail. Tags from Texas operators are interoperable: TxDOT says a funded tag from a Texas operator works on toll roads in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and most of Florida.

NTTA adjusts rates every two years, so its next change is likely in mid-2027; we have not seen an announcement. The Austin Mobility Authority and the Houston-area suburban tollways adjust every January, so expect new rates on Jan 1, 2027. TxDOT warns that TxTag does not text or email about past-due tolls; those messages are scams. HCTRA’s EZ TAG discount dates from 2023 and is the latest change we could confirm.

Buying a car: the 6.25% motor vehicle tax

Texas charges motor vehicle sales tax at 6.25% of the sales price, minus any trade-in allowance. A dealer collects it at purchase. If you buy from a private seller, you owe it within 30 calendar days of the purchase, and the taxable value may be based on the vehicle’s standard presumptive value rather than the price you wrote on the form.

Auto insurance

Texas requires liability coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage, usually written 30/60/25. You need proof before you register, and the $1 TexasSure fee pays for the database that checks it.

Monthly figures are Experian’s. These are averages of quotes on one marketplace, not regulator data; your rate depends on your ZIP code, car and record. The Texas Department of Insurance reported that auto rate decreases filed since Jul 1, 2026 affect 4.4 million policyholders (Oct 8, 2026). Home and auto insurance in more depth: Texas insurance.

Out-of-date numbers you’ll still find online

Related pages

Sales, property and other taxes are on Texas taxes and pay; insurance on Texas insurance; power bills on Texas electricity; and the full move checklist on moving to Texas. City pages: Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, or all of them on the city comparison.

How we check

Fees come from TxDMV, DPS, TCEQ and the Comptroller; toll rates from the toll agencies where we could reach them. Insurance averages come from a marketplace and are labeled that way. Read the full methodology.