Cars

Wyoming Vehicle Registration

Wyoming Vehicle Registration: A Comprehensive Guide

If you own a vehicle in Wyoming, you need to register it with the Wyoming Department of Transportation to comply with state laws. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide to the process of registering your vehicle in Wyoming.

Registration Requirements

The following vehicles require registration in Wyoming:

– Passenger cars
– Trucks
– Motorcycles
– Trailers
– Recreational vehicles
– Boats

To register your vehicle, you will need:

– Proof of ownership (title or registration certificate)
– Wyoming driver’s license or state-issued ID
– Wyoming state inspection certificate (if applicable)
– Application for Certificate of Title and VIN/HIN Inspection
– Payment for registration fees and taxes
– Proof of insurance

Registration Process

Here is a step-by-step guide to registering your vehicle in Wyoming:

1. Obtain a title for your vehicle.

If your vehicle is new or was previously titled in another state, you’ll need to obtain a Wyoming title. You can do this by visiting a local county treasurer’s office.

2. Obtain Wyoming insurance.

You’ll need to provide proof of insurance when registering your vehicle. Wyoming requires minimum liability insurance of 25/50/20.

3. Obtain a state inspection (if applicable).

If your vehicle is over a certain age or located in a specific county, it may require a state inspection before it can be registered. Check with your local county treasurer’s office to see if your vehicle requires an inspection.

4. Complete the Application for Certificate of Title and VIN/HIN Inspection.

The application is available on the Wyoming Department of Transportation website or at a local county treasurer’s office.

5. Submit your application and fees.

You can submit your application and fees in person at a local county treasurer’s office.

6. Receive your registration and license plates.

After your application is approved, you will receive a registration certificate and license plates. Place the license plates on the front and back of your vehicle.

Registration Fees

Wyoming registration fees vary based on the type of vehicle you own. Passenger cars have a base fee of $30 for one year. Additional fees may apply for vehicles over specific weights and ages.

Other fees may apply, such as a late fee if you fail to register your vehicle by the expiration date.

Conclusion

Registering your vehicle in Wyoming is necessary to comply with state laws. By following the registration requirements outlined in this article, you can easily register your vehicle and avoid fines or penalties. Remember to keep your registration up to date to avoid any complications while operating your vehicle, and don’t forget to renew your registration every year.

The state of Wyoming requires motor vehicle owners to complete the Wyoming vehicle registration process for their motor vehicles. All motor vehicles must be titled and registered properly with the Wyoming Department of Motor Vehicles before being allowed to be driven on Wyoming highways and roads. The state requires passenger cars, farm vehicles, motorcycles, municipal vehicles, tractors, trucks, and others to have proper WY registration.

Wyoming Vehicle Registration for New Wyoming Residents

All brand new residents of the state of Wyoming must obtain a Wyoming vehicle registration after establishing residency in the state. If you have bought a motor vehicle from a private party, you are given thirty (30) days to complete Wyoming vehicle registration. If you purchase a motor vehicle from a dealer, you must have your official Wyoming vehicle registration within fifty (50) days.

In order to get your Wyoming vehicle registration, you must provide the Wyoming Department of Transportation the following documents and information:

A properly signed vehicle title. New Wyoming residents must apply for a title before they can register their motor vehicles. If the title is lost, destroyed, or stolen, you can apply for a brand new title.

Bill of sale if the vehicle is changing ownership.

Proof of proper Wyoming insurance.

Current vehicle registration certificate from out of state issuer for new Wyoming residents only.

A completed Vehicle Identification Number inspection affidavit for new residents, which is available at your local county treasurer’s office .

Wyoming Vehicle Registration Fees

Although each specific county handles Wyoming vehicle registration for its residents, Wyoming vehicle registration fees are determined by the state laws. Typical charges for a WY registration will include:

State WY vehicle registration fee, which is based on the type of vehicle

Local County registration fee, which is based on the suggested retail value of the motor vehicle and the age of the vehicle

License plate fees, if you plan to get specialty or personalized plates

Sales tax, if the motor vehicle is a brand new purchase and you have not paid tax on it before

Renewing a Wyoming Vehicle Registration

In order to drive your vehicle in Wyoming , you must renew your Wyoming vehicle registration annually with the Department of Transportation. In addition, Wyoming law requires that you maintain car insurance of the vehicle as well. You will receive a notice that will show your fee. The Wyoming County Treasurer’s Association helps explain the fees with a fee calculator if you cannot wait for your notice to arrive. You can renew your vehicle registration in person or on mail. Certain counties in Wyoming will allow you to complete a WY vehicle registration online.

Everything to Know About VIN’s

What is a VIN?

A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly referred to as a VIN, is a unique serial number which is used by the automotive industry in order to identify individual vehicles. There are various vehicle history services provided in several countries that may help potential car owners use their VIN to find potentially defective or branded vehicles. Recently VINs are issued as 17 digit serials. Not only can a VIN displays a vehicle’s uniqueness and heritage, a VIN can also be used to track registrations, recalls, warranty claims, insurance coverage and thefts. Each digit or character of a VIN has a specific purpose.

History of the VIN

The VIN was first used in 1954. Detroit automobile manufacturers first began stamping and casting VINs on cars and their parts. The original purpose of the VIN was to give an accurate idea of the vehicle when mass production amounts were starting to scale significantly. Between 1954 and 1981, there were no accepted standards for the VIN, so different auto manufacturers used different formats to issue VINs to vehicles.

In 1981, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USDOT) of the United States standardized the format for VINs. They required all road vehicles to have a 17 character VIN, which established the standard VIN system. These VINs could not include the letters I, O, or Q.

The VIN standard was originally described in February 1977 in ISO Standard 3779 and revised last in 1983. The standard VIN system was designed to identify motor vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds and trailers as well.

What is a VIN Inspection?

A VIN inspection is a standard physical examination of your motor vehicle in order to determine whether the VIN of the vehicle matches the VIN listed on the vehicle’s title or main ownership document. The VIN inspection is usually performed by an authorized inspector, such as a DMV employee or a dealer.

During a VIN inspection, a motor vehicle is physically examined to ensure that the VIN matches the documentation presented during a title or registration transaction. The actual VIN sticker and plate are also checked in to order make sure they both are authentic and match the documentation of the vehicle. The VIN is also checked against various state and federal databases of stole cars. The VIN inspection is not used for determining the safety of a motor vehicle or its parts.

Where to Find a VIN

The VIN of a vehicle can be found by looking at the vehicle’s dashboard on the driver side. If you are unable to find the VIN, you can open the driver side door and check at the door post (the point where the vehicle door latches when the door is closed). It is very likely that the VIN is also displayed in this location of the vehicle. If you still cannot find the VIN of the vehicle, you may want to check the following spots:

• Left hand inner wheel arch

• Firewall of the vehicle

• Machined pad on front of engine

• Radiator support bracket

• Steering column

• Passenger or driver side door or post

• Dash by windshield

• Guarantee & Maintenance Book or other vehicle book

For vehicles with later model years, the most common areas to find the VIN of your vehicle are on:

• Drivers door or post

• Left instrumentation/dash plate by window

• Firewall

Types of VIN

There are at least four different competing standards used to calculate VIN:

• FMVSS 115, Section 565: Used in both United States and Canada

• ISO Standard 3779: Used mostly Europe, but also other parts of the world

• SAE J853: Quite similar to the ISO standard

• ADR 61/2: used only in Australia, looking back at ISO 3779 and 3780.

Parts of a VIN

Modern-day VIN systems are based on two different but related standards, originally given by the International Organization for Standardization in 1979 and again in 1980; ISO 3779 and 3780, respectively. Different but compatible uses of these ISO standards have been set up and used by the United States of America and the European Union.

• ISO 3770

o World Manufacturer Identifier (characters 1-3)

o VDS (characters 4-9)

o VIS (characters 10-17)

• More than 500 vehicles/year in European Union and North America

o World Manufacturer Identifier (characters 1-3)

o Vehicle attributes (characters 4-8)

o Check Digit (character 9)

o Model year (character 10)

o Plant code (character 11)

o Sequential number (character 12-17)

• Less than 500 vehicles/year in European Union and North America

o World Manufacturer Identifier (characters 1-3)

o Vehicle attributes (characters 4-8)

o Check Digit (character 9)

o Model year (character 10)

o Plant code (character 11)

o Manufacturer Identifier (character 12-14)

o Sequential number (character 15-17)

The World Manufacturer Identifier of a VIN

The very first three characters identify the manufacturer of the vehicle uniquely using the World Manufacturer Identifier, also called the WMI code. Any manufacturer that builds less than 500 vehicles per year uses the number 9 as the third digit of the VIN, and the 12-14th position of the VIN as the second part of the manufacturer’s identification. Sometimes, manufacturers will use the third character of a VIN as a code for a division within a manufacturer, a vehicle category, or both. For example, within the identifier 1G, which is assigned to General Motors in the US, 1G1 are Chevrolet passenger cars, 1G2 are Pontiac passenger cars, and 1GC are Chevrolet trucks.

The first character of the World Manufacturer Identifier is the area region where the manufacturer is located. In practice, each VIN is assigned to a country where vehicles are manufactured. The only exception to this is in Europe. In Europe, the country where the continental headquarters is located can assign the World Manufacturer Identifier to all the vehicles produced in that area. For example, GM Europe cars have the identifier W0 whether they are produced in Germany, UK, Belgium, Spain or Poland since the GM headquarters is based in Germany.

The Vehicle Descriptor Section of a VIN

The 4th to 9th character in the VIN are together known as the Vehicle Descriptor Section or the VDS. This is used in order to identify the vehicle type, and can include information regarding the automobile platform used, the body style, and the model. Each vehicle manufacturer has a unique way of using this field. Since the 1980’s, most manufacturers have used the eighth digit to classify the engine type of the vehicle whenever there are multiple engine choices for the motor vehicle. One element of this descriptor that is fairly consistent is the use of the ninth position as a check digit, which is compulsory for vehicles in North America, and is often followed in countries where this is not mandatory.

The Vehicle Identifier Section of a VIN

The tenth to seventeenth positions of the VIN are used as the Vehicle Identifier Section. This section is used by the vehicle manufacturer to identify the specific vehicle in question. This can include any information on engine and transmission choices or on options installed, but more often, this is a simple sequential number. In the United States and other North American countries, the last five digits of the VIN must be numeric.

One very consistent element of the Vehicle Identifier Section is the tenth digit, which is needed worldwide to include the model year of the motor vehicle. Besides the three letter characters that are not allowed in the VIN (I, O, Q), the digit 0 and the letters U and Z are never used for the model year code.

Some manufacturers such as General Motors and Chrysler encoded the year 1980 as “A” (since the VIN wasn’t mandatory until the next year, and the zero or “A” was found in the manufacturer’s pre-1981 placement in the VIN). However, AMC and Ford still used a zero for any 1980 model cars. Subsequent increment in years occurred through the allowed letters, so that now the year 2000 is represented by the letter “Y”. The years 2001 through 2009 are encoded as the digits from 1 to 9, and all subsequent years are encoded as “A”, “B”, “C”, etc.

On April 30, 2008, the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration adopted a rule which amended 49 CFR Part 565, allowing the current 17 character length VIN to continue in use for at least another thirty years, in the process changing several aspects to the VIN requirements applicable to any motor vehicles built for sale in the United States. There are three major notable changes to the VIN system that affects VIN deciphering systems:

The make of the vehicle can only be identified after examining positions 1 through 3 and another position, as given by the manufacturer of the vehicle in the second section or positions 4 through 8 of the VIN.

In order to properly identify exact year of passenger cars or multipurpose passenger vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less, one must look at position 7 along with position 10 of the VIN. For passenger cars or multipurpose passenger vehicles and trucks that have a gross vehicle weight rating less than 10,000 pounds, if position 7 of the VIN is numeric, the model year of the vehicle in position 10 of the VIN points out a year in the range between 1980 and 2009. If position 7 is an alphabetic character, the model year in position 10 of the vehicle’s VIN refers to a specific year in a range between 2010 and 2039.

The model year for any vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating which exceeds 10,000 pounds as well as motorcycles, trailers, buses, and low speed vehicles can no longer be identified with a VIN within a 30-year range. VIN positions 1 through 8 and 10 that were assigned between 1980 and 2009 can be repeated after the 2010 model year.

Another always -used element of a VIN, which is mandatory in North America, is the use of the eleventh character to include the factory of manufacture of the motor vehicle. Although each specific manufacturer has its own specific set of plant codes, the location of this code in the VIN is standardized.

Calculation to Validate a VIN

If you are trying to validate your vehicle’s VIN with a check digit, there are different options. You can either remove the check digit of the VIN for the purpose of calculation, or you can cancel it out. You must later compare the original value of this check digit with the calculated value of the check digit. If the two values do not match up and there is no calculation error, that means there is a mistake within the VIN. However, a match between the two does not actually prove the VIN is correct because according to the odds, there is still a 1 in 11 chance that any two separate VINs will have a matching check digit.

Using a VIN to Buy a Car

The VIN of a vehicle can be very important for identifying a vehicle and learning more about its history. Many services will provide you helpful a vehicle history report based on a VIN number. Some things you can learn from these reports include the following:

• Vehicle registration

• Title information, including junked or salvaged titles

• Odometer readings

• Total loss accident history

• Lemon history

• Accident indicators, such as airbag deployments or other indicators

• Frame/structural damage

• Service and repair information

• Recall information

• Vehicle usage (rental, taxi lease, etc.)

You should also be careful of crooked sellers and dealers who may provide the wrong VIN in an online listing or those who refuse to provide the VIN. The 17 character VIN has become a tool of empowerment for byers seeking potential vehicles to purchase.

Tennessee Vehicle Registration

Tennessee Vehicle Registration: A Comprehensive Guide

If you own a vehicle in Tennessee, you need to register it with the Tennessee Department of Revenue to comply with state laws. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide to the process of registering your vehicle in Tennessee.

Registration Requirements

The following vehicles require registration in Tennessee:

– Passenger cars
– Trucks
– Motorcycles
– Trailers
– Recreational vehicles
– Boats

To register your vehicle, you will need:

– Proof of ownership (title or registration certificate)
– Tennessee driver’s license or state-issued ID
– Application for Vehicle Registration
– Payment for registration fees and taxes
– Proof of insurance

Registration Process

Here is a step-by-step guide to registering your vehicle in Tennessee:

1. Obtain a title for your vehicle.

If your vehicle is new or was previously titled in another state, you’ll need to obtain a Tennessee title. You can do this by visiting a local county clerk’s office.

2. Obtain Tennessee insurance.

You’ll need to provide proof of insurance when registering your vehicle. Tennessee requires minimum liability insurance of 25/50/15.

3. Complete the Application for Vehicle Registration.

The application is available on the Tennessee Department of Revenue website or at a local county clerk’s office.

4. Submit your application and fees.

You can submit your application and fees in person at a local county clerk’s office. You can also submit your application and fees by mail.

5. Receive your registration and license plates.

After your application is approved, you will receive a registration certificate and license plates. Place the license plates on the front and back of your vehicle.

Registration Fees

Tennessee registration fees vary based on the type of vehicle you own. Passenger cars have a base fee of $26.50 for one year. Additional fees may apply for vehicles over specific weights and ages.

Other fees may apply, such as a late fee if you fail to register your vehicle by the expiration date.

Conclusion

Registering your vehicle in Tennessee is necessary to comply with state laws. By following the registration requirements outlined in this article, you can easily register your vehicle and avoid fines or penalties. Remember to keep your registration up to date to avoid any complications while operating your vehicle, and don’t forget to renew your registration every year.

The state of Tennessee requires vehicle owners to complete the Tennessee vehicle registration process for their vehicles. Vehicles must be properly titled and registered before being allowed to be driven on Tennessee roads.

First-Time Tennessee Vehicle Registration

If you are moving to the state of Tennessee, you will need to complete the Tennessee vehicle registration process for your new vehicle. You can do this by bring the application for Certificate of Title and TN Registration to the office of the local county clerk. If your local county of residence requires emission testing for your vehicle, the vehicle will have to be tested for emissions first before going to the county clerk’s office.

Once you go, you will be able to give your application and pay the required TN vehicle registration fees. Aside from your application, you will also need to provide the local county clerk with your passed emissions certificate, the most recent out-of-state vehicle registration and the name and address of your vehicle’s lien holder to whom you are making payments to (if you have a leased or financed vehicle). If your vehicle does not have a lien holder, you must provide your out-of-state title to your local county clerk.

If you are a current resident of Tennessee and you have just purchased a new vehicle, you will need to complete the TN vehicle registration process as well. You must submit the new vehicle invoice, the manufacturer’s statement of origin, and a copy of your current vehicle registration if you are transferring your license plate. If you are a resident, but you purchased a used motor vehicle, you must submit an odometer disclosure statement, a certificate of title, and a copy of your current vehicle registration if you are transferring your license plate to the used vehicle. These are all required for a Tennessee vehicle registration.

Regardless of what sort situation applies to you, you will have to submit your TN vehicle registration applications through your local county clerk. You will also need to provide proof of identification as well as proof of residency when you are completing a TN vehicle registration and titling application for your vehicle.

Renewing a Tennessee Vehicle Registration

The state of Tennessee sends a renewal notice for a Tennessee vehicle registration each month about six weeks in advance of a TN registration expiration date through the mail. This allows Tennessee residents to have adequate time to renew their TN vehicle registration. If a motor vehicle has the TN registration in a county that needs emissions testing, the vehicle must complete before renewing TN registration. Renewal notices are not needed to renew TN vehicle registration.

Any official document that contains the license plate number or the Vehicle Identification Number including a previous renewal notice can be used to renew a Tennessee vehicle registration. You can send renew your TN registration along with pay the required fees to the county clerk by mail. Tennessee vehicle registration renewal fees vary based on the county of residence.

What to Know About Texting While Driving

What is Texting While Driving?

Texting while driving is the action of writing text messages, sending text messages, reading text messages, reading email, or making similar use of the web and connection features on a mobile phone while controlling operating a motor vehicle. The act of texting while driving has been looked at by many authorities as a dangerous one. Texting while driving has also been ruled many times as the cause of many motor vehicle accidents, and because of this, texting while driving has restricted or outlawed in certain jurisdictions. Texting while driving leads to an increase of distraction behind the wheel.

A study conducted in 2006 by Liberty Mutual Insurance Group which included over than 900 teens from more than 26 high schools across the country showed that 37 percent of students found that texting while to was “very” or “extremely” distracting. Another study by the American Automobile Association found that 46 percent of teen drivers admitted to being distracted while driving due to texting.

Although talking on a cellular phone while driving a vehicle is considered very dangerous, the threat of this really became a large issue when texting was first introduced. Since the year 2000, texting on mobile devices has very quickly become a social norm, as most cell phone plans provide a text messaging plan. There has also been a significant increase in smart phone sales with the growing popularity of iPhone, Blackberry, and Android phones, which allows people to easily communicate while they are doing almost anything.

The dilemma at this point is finding a point where safety becomes a bigger concern over convenience. Many different studies have shown texting while driving to be the cause of different life-threatening accidents because of the driver’s distraction. The International Telecommunication Union made a statement saying that making calls, making calls, and other interaction with communication systems while driving is a very serious source of driver distraction which increases the chance of traffic accidents.

There was an experiment in 2009 with Eddie Alterman, Car and Driver magazine editor, which took place at a deserted air strip. The experiment showed that texting while driving greatly greater impacted safety while driving than driving drunk. When Alterman was put in a legally drunk state, his stopping distance from 70 mph went up by 4 feet. However, when he was reading an e-mail, 36 feet was added to his stopping distance, while sending a text added 70 feet to it at 70 mph.

United States Texting While Driving Laws

Texting while driving is a big problem in the United States and has been outlawed or will soon be outlawed for all drivers in many states including: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wyoming and Wisconsin. In the state of Texas, the law prevents school bus drivers from texting while driving when transporting a child who is under the age of 17. In many other states including Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Texas, Nebraska, and West Virginia, there are laws that apply to underage drivers or drivers with learner’s permits which makes it illegal for them to text while driving. Other laws enacted by Kentucky in 2010 and by Indiana in 2011 banned all texting while driving for all drivers, as well as all cell phone usage by all vehicle drivers under the age of 18. The latter portion of the law is very unusual in that drivers with unrestricted licenses are still subject to the cell phone ban. Many states that have banned the use of mobile phone by young drivers only apply their laws to holders of graduated or restricted licenses.

In the state of Florida, a proposed bill called “Heather’s Law” would entirely ban all cell phone use and texting while driving. Heather’s Law was inspired by the death of Heather Hurd, who had been killed in an accident supposedly caused by a truck driver who drove and crashed into ten cars while he was texting while driving.

On October 1, 2009, the United States Department of Transportation announced that President Barack Obama would be signing an Executive Order which directed federal employees to not engage in texting while driving government-owned vehicles, along with other activities. According to the Department of Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood, the order sent a very clear message to the American public saying that that distracted driving is incredibly dangerous and completely unacceptable.

This executive order shows that the federal government was trying to lead by example. As a part of a bigger move to combat texting while driving and distracted driving, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Department of Transportation along with the Department of Transportation launched a public information website called distraction.gov.

On January 26, 2010, the United States Department of Transportation also announced a federal ban on texting while driving by bus drivers and trucks.

Criticisms of Texting While Driving Bans

One common argument against texting while driving bans is that it texting can be safe and helpful under certain circumstances. For example, if a driver is stuck in a traffic jam, he or she can safely send a text message in order to reschedule an appointment. Additionally, there are some products available commercially that suppress the use of cell phone screens and keyboards, which prohibits emailing texting, or web browsing. Some other products also allow calls to be made using in-vehicle Bluetooth connections or other hands free mobile devices in order to reduce the risks of distracted driving.

Another argument against these texting while driving bans is regarding the wording of these bans. Instead of placing a ban on the act of reading or writing a text, which can distract a person, texting while driving laws usually bans the act of sending a text message and does not specifically discuss how the messages are created. With advanced voice recognition technology, text messages can be made both eyes and hands free, without needing to engage in the act of writing or reading.

Notable Texting While Driving Crashes

• August 29, 2007: Danny Oates was killed by a driver of a car who was allegedly texting while driving. The defense argued that the driver Jeffrey Woods may have suffered a seizure during the accident.

• January 3, 2008: Heather Leigh Hurd died in a crash caused by a truck driver who allegedly had been texting while driving. Russell Hurd, her father, has been supporting a law in various states called Heather’s Law, which would prohibit texting while driving.

• September 12, 2008: The Chatsworth train collision killed 25 people. The blame for the accident was placed on the operator who was sending text messages while conducting the train.

• May 2009: The MBTA Green Line of the Boston area of the MBTA crashed while the 24-year-old driver was texting while driving the train. The crash resulted in 46 people injured and had an estimated cost of $9.6 million.

Texas Vehicle Registration

Texas Vehicle Registration: A Comprehensive Guide

If you own a vehicle in Texas, you need to register it with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to comply with state laws. In this article, we provide a comprehensive guide to the process of registering your vehicle in Texas.

Registration Requirements

The following vehicles require registration in Texas:

– Passenger cars
– Trucks
– Motorcycles
– Trailers
– Recreational vehicles
– Boats

To register your vehicle, you will need:

– Proof of ownership (title or registration certificate)
– Texas driver’s license or state-issued ID
– Application for Texas Title and/or Registration
– Payment for registration fees and taxes
– Proof of insurance

Registration Process

Here is a step-by-step guide to registering your vehicle in Texas:

1. Obtain a title for your vehicle.

If your vehicle is new or was previously titled in another state, you’ll need to obtain a Texas title. You can do this by visiting a local county tax office.

2. Obtain Texas insurance.

You’ll need to provide proof of insurance when registering your vehicle. Texas requires minimum liability insurance of 30/60/25.

3. Complete the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration.

The application is available on the Texas DMV website or at a local county tax office.

4. Submit your application and fees.

You can submit your application and fees in person at a local county tax office. You can also submit your application and fees by mail.

5. Receive your registration and license plates.

After your application is approved, you will receive a registration sticker and license plates. Place the license plates on the front and back of your vehicle and affix the registration sticker to the windshield.

Registration Fees

Texas registration fees vary based on the type of vehicle you own. Passenger cars have a base fee of $50.75 for one year. Additional fees may apply for vehicles over specific weights and ages.

Other fees may apply, such as a late fee if you fail to register your vehicle by the expiration date.

Conclusion

Registering your vehicle in Texas is necessary to comply with state laws. By following the registration requirements outlined in this article, you can easily register your vehicle and avoid fines or penalties. Remember to keep your registration up to date to avoid any complications while operating your vehicle, and don’t forget to renew your registration every year.

Motor vehicle owners in the state of Texas are required by Texas law to register their motor vehicles. This includes new and used vehicles that are purchased from Texas dealers, out-of-state dealers, and private parties.

First-Time Texas Vehicle Registration for New Texas Residents

New residents of Texas must complete the Texas vehicle registration process for their vehicles within thirty (30) days of moving to Texas. This means they must get a vehicle inspection and they must title and register their vehicles with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles in person.

New Texas residents must have their motor vehicles pass inspection TX registration and titling. After having a vehicle inspected and passed, vehicle owners should take the following documents to their local county tax office to complete the Texas vehicle registration process:

• Inspection certificate for the vehicle for TX vehicle registration.

• Proof of valid liability insurance for the state of Texas for TX registration.

• The odometer reading of the motor vehicle if it is less than ten years old for TX registration.

• An ownership document, which can be either proof of vehicle registration for out-of-state titled vehicles, the original out-of-state title, current military/foreign ownership document, or foreign proof of ownership for TX vehicle registration.

• Completed Form 130-U, Application for Texas Certificate of Title.

• Completed Form VTR-272, Application for Registration Purposes Only, if you are only registering a vehicle that was titled outside of Texas for TX vehicle registration.

• The appropriate registration fee for TX registration.

• Title application fee of either $28 or $33, depending on your county.

• Proof of sales tax payment or $90 new resident tax for TX registration.

First-Time Texas Vehicle Registration for Current Texas Residents

Residents of the state of Texas who own a motor vehicle are legally required to renew their vehicle registration annually. They can do this in three ways: in person, by mail, or online.

Texas Vehicle Registration in Person: You can register your motor vehicle in person by taking your TX registration renewal notice, proof of liability insurance, and your registration fee to your local county tax office or approved substation. If you do not have a renewal notice, you can complete your Texas vehicle registration with your vehicle identification number, license plate number, or previous year’s registration receipt.

Texas Vehicle Registration by Mail: Texas sends TX registration renewal notices by mail to all registered vehicle owners. You can send your renewal notice, your proof of current Texas liability insurance, the registration fee, and a $1 mail-in fee to your county tax office.

Texas Vehicle Registration Online: Certain counties allow you to renew your TX vehicle registration online. This service is available through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles website.

Texas Vehicle Registration Fees

As of September 1, 2011, registration fees have been standardized in the state of Texas for cars, light pickups, heavy vehicles, commercial trucks motor homes, travel trailers and regular trailers. The TX vehicle registration fees are as follows:

• $50.75 TX registration fee for light pick-up trucks and cars

• $52.75 TX registration renewal fee for light pick-up trucks and cars

• $54 TX registration for motor vehicles between 6,001 and 10,000 pounds

• Local county fees range from $5 to $11.50

Texting While Driving Statistics

Texting while driving occurs when an individual writes text messages, sends text messages, reads text messages, reads email, or makes similar use of the web and connection features on a cellular phone while driving. Texting while driving is considered by many authorities as a very dangerous activity. Texting while driving is also often the reason for various motor vehicle accidents. Because of this, texting while driving has restricted or outlawed in certain jurisdictions. Texting while driving leads to an increase of distraction behind the wheel. Here are some informative texting while driving statistics from the Center for Disease Control.

Texting While Driving Statistics: Severity of the Problem

• In 2009, over 5,400 people died in vehicle crashes that were reported to have involved a distracted driver. In the same year, nearly 448,000 were injured as a result of these accidents.

• Among car crashes that resulted in death or injury, nearly 1,000 deaths and 24,000 injuries involved cell phone use as the main driving distraction.

• The proportion of vehicle drivers reportedly distracted during the time of a fatal crash has increased between 2005 and 2990 from 7 percent to 11 percent.

• When asked whether individuals who are driving feels safer, about the same, or less safe as they did five years ago, more than a third of drivers responded that they felt driving was less safe today. The largest reason for this feeling was due to the concern of distracted drivers and texting while driving. Statistics showed that three out of every ten drivers worried about this.

Texting While Driving Statistics: Analysis of Driving Distractions

A recent CDC analysis closely looked at the frequency of two major distractions, texting and cell phone among United States drivers and seven European countries (France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom). They found the following texting while driving statistics:

Texting While Driving Statistics: Cell phone use

• 25 percent of drivers in the United States said that they fairly often or regularly talk on their cell phones while driving.

• In Europe, these percentages ranged from 3 percent in the United Kingdom to 21 percent in the Netherlands.

• 75 percent of United States drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 reported that they talked on their mobile phones while driving at least one time in the past 30 days, and nearly 40 percent of these drivers reported that they talk on their mobile phones fairly often or regularly while driving.

• In Europe, the percentages of young adults who reported using their cell while driving at least one time in the past 30 days ranged between 30 percent in the Netherlands and 50 percent in Portugal.

Texting While Driving Statistics: Texting and Emailing

• 9 percent of vehicle drivers in the United States reported e-mailing or driving fairly often or regularly while driving.

• In Europe, these percentages ranged from 1 percent in the United Kingdom to 10 percent in the Netherlands.

• 52 percent of United States drivers between the ages of 18 and 29 reported e-mailing or texting while driving at least one time in the last 30 days, and more than a 25 percent report e-mailing or texting fairly often or regularly while driving.

• In Europe, the percentages of young adults who reported e-mailing or texting while driving at least one time in the past 30 days ranged between 17 percent in the United Kingdom and 44 percent in Portugal.

VIN Decoder

A Vehicle Identification Number, more often referred to as a VIN, is a serial number which is used by the automotive industry in order to uniquely identify individual motor vehicles. More recently issued VINs are issued to vehicles as 17 digit serials. Not only can a VIN describe a vehicle’s heritage and uniqueness, a VIN can also be used to help track warranty claims, registrations, insurance coverage, thefts and recalls. Each specific character of a VIN has a very specific purpose. A VIN decoder can be used to understand all the information that is within a VIN

Types of VIN

VINs are found in all vehicles, but they may be standardized differently based on the vehicle. VIN decoders can be used for any of these types:

• ISO Standard 3779: Used mostly Europe, but also other parts of the world

• FMVSS 115, Section 565: Used in both United States and Canada

• ADR 61/2: used only in Australia, looking back at ISO 3779 and 3780.

• SAE J853: Quite similar to the ISO standard

Finding the VIN Before using a VIN decoder

Before using a VIN decoder, you must first be able to find it. The VIN of a vehicle can usually be found by looking at the vehicle’s dashboard on the driver side or the driver’s side door post. If you are unable to find the VIN there, you can check:

• Firewall of the vehicle

• Left hand inner wheel arch

• Radiator support bracket

• Machined pad on front of engine

• Steering column

• Dash by windshield

• Passenger or driver side door or post

• Guarantee & Maintenance Book or other vehicle book

The most typical locations to find a VIN for later model vehicles are:

• Drivers door or post

• Left instrumentation/dash plate by window

• Firewall

VIN Decoder: Breaking Down a VIN

Modern VIN serials are based on two different standards, originally set by the International Organization for Standardization in 1979 and 1980. These are ISO 3779 and ISO 3780, respectively. Since then, different but compatible application of these ISO standards have been created and used by the United States as well as the European Union. The following are the sections of a VIN, based on standard:

• ISO 3770

o World Manufacturer Identifier (characters 1-3)

o VDS (characters 4-9)

o VIS (characters 10-17)

• More than 500 vehicles/year in European Union and North America

o World Manufacturer Identifier (characters 1-3)

o Vehicle attributes (characters 4-8)

o Check Digit (character 9)

o Model year (character 10)

o Plant code (character 11)

o Sequential number (character 12-17)

• Less than 500 vehicles/year in European Union and North America

o World Manufacturer Identifier (characters 1-3)

o Vehicle attributes (characters 4-8)

o Check Digit (character 9)

o Model year (character 10)

o Plant code (character 11)

o Manufacturer Identifier (character 12-14)

o Sequential number (character 15-17)

In this case, we will be using a VIN decoder for the European Union and North American standard for models that have over 500 vehicles produced each year.

Figuring out the Vehicle Make with a VIN Decoder

The first step in using a VIN decoder is to determine the make of the vehicle. The make of the vehicle is determined by the first three digits of the VIN, which is the World Manufacturer Identifier. The very first digit will allow a VIN decoder to tell you the country where the vehicle was manufactured. While there are many more country codes used for VIN decoders, some of the more common ones include the following:

• USA: 1, 4 or 5

• Canada: 2

• Mexico: 3

• Australia: 6

• Brazil: 9

• Japan: J

• Korea: K

• England: S

• France: V

• Germany: W

• Sweden: Y

• Italy: Z

The second and third digit can help you determine the specific manufacturer. As mentioned, together these are the World Manufacturer Identifier. Some more common ones that are used in VIN decoders in the United States include the following:

• 1F(A,D,C,D,M,T): Ford Motor Company

• 1F(U/V): Freightliner

• 1F9: FWD Corp.

• 1G: General Motors USA

• 1GC: Chevrolet Truck USA

• 1GT: GMC Truck USA

• 1G1: Chevrolet USA

• 1G2: Pontiac USA

• 1G3: Oldsmobile USA

• 1G4: Buick USA

• 1G6: Cadillac USA

• 1GM: Pontiac USA

• 1G8: Saturn USA

• 1H: Honda USA

• 1HD: Harley-Davidson

• 1J4: Jeep

• 1L: Lincoln USA

• 1ME: Mercury USA

• 1M(1-4): Mack Truck USA

• 1N: Nissan USA

• 1NX: NUMMI USA

• 1P3: Plymouth USA

• 1R9: Roadrunner Hay Squeeze USA

• 1VW: Volkswagen USA

• 1XK: Kenworth USA

• 1XP: Peterbilt USA

• 1YV: Mazda USA (AutoAlliance International)

• 4F: Mazda USA

• 4M: Mercury

• 4S: Subaru-Isuzu Automotive

• 4T: Toyota

• 4US: BMW USA

• 4UZ: Frt-Thomas Bus

• 4V(1-6,L,M,Z): Volvo

• 5F: Honda USA-Alabama

• 5L: Lincoln

• 5N1: Nissan USA

• 5NP: Hyundai USA

• 5T: Toyota USA – trucks

Features of a Vehicle with a VIN Decoder

The next five digits of a VIN are used to determine the features of a vehicle or the vehicle attributes. For this section, you must have the manufacturer’s specific explanations of these characters and what they stand for. You can find specific codes for different manufacturers such as Chrysler, Ford, GM, Ferrari, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Land Rover, Subaru, Honda, Mitsubishi, Lamborghini, Maserati, and Toyota.

Understanding the Check Digit with a VIN Decoder

One of the most helpful things about a VIN decoder is that it easily helps explain the check digit. Many companies use the ninth digit of a VIN, always a number, as the VIN’s check digit. By using a complex mathematical equation, you can determine whether the product of multiplying all the letters and numbers besides the check digit of the VIN, when divided by 11, has a remainder that is equal to the check digit. If this calculation shows that it does, VIN is most likely real. This process is not guaranteed only because there is always a 1/11 that two different VINs will have the same check number.

Figuring Out the Model Year with a VIN Decoder

After 1980, different countries have used slightly different variations of model years on a VIN. However, there is an accepted format that the majority of manufacturers use for the tenth digit. If the vehicle was built between the years 2001 and 2009, the digit from 0-9 corresponding to the vehicle will show up. For example, 7 would indicate a 2007 model.

If the vehicle was built somewhere between 1980 and 2000, the code will be the letter from A to Y, excluding the three letters (I,O, Q) that are not found in VINs.

Model Production Sequence with a VIN Decoder

The last six digits can be decoded with a VIN decoder to indicate just how far along into a specific production run that the motor vehicle was built. Since many companies make a lot of their respective vehicle models, this sequence is not necessarily a number.

For many car owners, this sequence is not very significant. However, for special models, such as limited edition vehicles or end-of-production vehicles, this sequence can be the most effective way to determine if a vehicle is authentic.

Guide to Using a VIN Lookup

What is a VIN?

The vehicle identification number, or the vehicle’s VIN, is a serial of 17 characters, both numbers and letters that have been issued to individual cars since the 1981 model year. A VIN is accepted as the standard in North America for identifying motor vehicles. It provides vital information about the vehicle’s manufacturer, model year, model, make, class, and equipment of a vehicle. A VIN can uniquely identify a specific motor vehicle to the law enforcement, government, insurance industry, consumers and other concerned stakeholders.

Why is a VIN Number Lookup Important?

A VIN lookup can be to help in the many different situations, whether for vehicle owners, law enforcement, potential car shoppers, or insurance companies. Some examples where a VIN number lookup is useful include the following:

• VIN number lookups can help inform consumers when buying a used vehicle from a seller. A VIN lookup can help you avoid purchasing stolen vehicle or those that has been declared either unsafe for use or irreparable.

• Law enforcement agents can use a VIN number lookup to identify or recover vehicles that have been stolen.

• You perform a VIN number lookup to ensure that the vehicle information is accurate. Not only should the make and model of the vehicle match, but the ownership and insurance of the vehicle should also match up as well. If there are any mistakes when you perform the VIN number lookup, you can have them corrected prior having to do any transactions involving the title.

• An insurance company can use a VIN number lookup to ensure that your insurance is rated properly in case of an accident.

• Vehicle maintenance and body shops can do a quick VIN number lookup so that they can order the right parts for your vehicle.

Using a Basic VIN Number Look-up

If you are not planning to purchase a VIN number lookup report but instead you only wish to look up what your VIN means, you can do that without having to rely on commercial VIN lookup services. For most American cars, a VIN lookup is performed by first breaking up the VIN number into its appropriate sections and then interpreting each section, which often requires you to look up specific codes. The seventeen digits of a VIN are broken up into the following:

o Characters 1-3 of a VIN lookup: World Manufacturer Identifier

o Characters 4-8 of a VIN lookup: Vehicle attributes

o Character 9 of a VIN lookup: Check Digit

o Character 10 of a VIN lookup: Model year

o Character 11 of a VIN lookup: Plant code

o Character 12-17 of a VIN lookup: Sequential number

This particular break down is applied to VIN number lookups for cars in North America where the vehicles are produced in quantities that exceed 400.

The first step in performing a VIN number lookup is to figure out the make of the vehicle. This is determined by the first three digits of the VIN, called the World Manufacturer Identifier. The first digit of the World Manufacturer Identifier, it explains where the vehicle was made. For the United States, the first character would be 1, 4, or 5. However, it is possibly that your vehicle was not made in the United States. Some other common ones include:

• Canada: 2,

• Italy: Z

• Australia: 6

• Korea: K

• Germany: W

• Sweden: Y

• England: S

• France: V

• Brazil: 9

• Japan: J

You may need to do a more extensive VIN number lookup and if your vehicle’s VIN does not begin with one of these. The second and third digit of your VIN will also require more VIN lookup skills, since they are specific to each manufacturer. These two help determine not only where the manufacturer built the vehicle, but what model it was. These designations are assigned by the Society of Automotive Engineers in the United States.

After this, you can use a VIN number lookup on the next five digits to determine the specific features of a vehicle or its attributes. The serials used in this section are determined by the manufacturer, so you will have to look up specific information to the manufacturer in order to figure out what the characters mean.

VIN Lookup to Find the Model Number

While there are small variations between countries on how to portray model years on a VIN, the accepted form for most manufacturers is to use for the tenth digit to convey the model number of a vehicle. If the vehicle was sometime between 2001 and 2009, the digit from 0-9 will be used. For example, 6 would indicate a 2006 model vehicle.

For older vehicles that were built between 1980 and 2000, the code in the VIN will be the letter from A to Y, excluding the three letters (I,O, Q) as the tenth position of the VIN.

Model Production Sequence with a VIN Number Look-up

The last six digits indicate just how far along into a given production run the vehicle was built in. For many car owners, this sequence is not very significant. This portion of the VIN may not be important to many car owners, but for owners of special vehicle models, such as limited edition or end-of-production models, a VIN lookup for this section can be important to prove the authenticity of the vehicle’s status.

Who Can Provide a VIN Number Lookup Report?

Many different commercial services provide VIN lookups to help you check records on a vehicle. A VIN lookup is performed commercially in the Motor Vehicle Records database. By performing a VIN lookup, the VIN is compared to records in order to find information on the vehicle, such as the previous owners of the vehicle, if the vehicle was stolen, the last inspection date of the vehicle, whether the vehicle was ever classified as an unusable or other statuses, or if the vehicle was ever involved in major incidents. By performing a VIN lookup, you can also figure out if the odometer of the vehicle has ever been significantly manipulated.

While many sites claim to provide free VIN number lookup services, they are either lying or they may show a very limited amount of information. When you pay to perform a VIN number lookup and receive a report, you will get a lot of information about what the vehicle has been involved in, as well as identifying details of the vehicle manufacturer, year, model, class, tag, vehicle owner’s address and phone number, tag, odometer, and more.

What You Must Know about a VIN Search

The vehicle identification number, or VIN, is a series of 17 numbers and letters that have been issued to individual cars since the 1981 model year. A VIN is accepted as the standard in North America for identifying motor vehicles. It provides vital information about the vehicle’s manufacturer, model year, model, make, class, and equipment of a vehicle. A VIN can uniquely identify a specific motor vehicle to the law enforcement, government, insurance industry, consumers and other concerned stakeholders.

Why is a VIN Search Important?

An accurate VIN can be used in a VIN search to help in the following situations:

• Help consumers in purchasing a used vehicle. If you know to do a VIN search, you will be less likely to purchase a stolen vehicle or one that has been declared unsafe for use or irreparable.

• You can do a VIN search to make sure that it is accurate and confirms the identity, insurance, and ownership of the vehicle. If any of these are mistaken, you can get them corrected before dealing with any license or titling registration transactions.

• Law enforcement can use a VIN search to help identify and recover stolen motor vehicles.

• Vehicle body and maintenance shops can perform a VIN search or simply examine the VIN to order the correct parts for your vehicle.

• An insurance company can perform a VIN search to make sure that your vehicle insurance is properly rated in the event of claims.

• You can use a VIN search from different commercial services, to check the records on a motor vehicle in the Motor Vehicle Records database. These records can show you how many previous owners the vehicle has had, when the vehicle was last inspected, if the vehicle was ever classified as a “lemon”, if the vehicle was stolen, or if the vehicle had ever gone through any major incidents such as being submerged in water or rolling over. These Motor Vehicle records can also show if the vehicle’s odometer has ever been manipulated back.

Finding the Best VIN Search

Many commercial sites will allow you to use your VIN in a VIN search to help you find your vehicle history report. This motor vehicle report will help you determine if there are any problems with a car. This report can tell you if a vehicle was flooded, wrecked, stolen, totaled, or if there were any changes in the title.

While many sites advertise free VIN search services, many of these reports only show a very small amount of data for free, such as how many “events” the vehicle has been involved in without providing helpful details. When you do a VIN search and pay for a report, you can find out helpful information that can help you verify or find vehicle details such as the manufacturer, model, class, year, tag, address of the vehicle owner, tag, odometer, and more.

It is important to note that VIN search reports only provide the last reported phone numbers and addresses of an owner. There are no guarantees that the information found on VIN search report is the most accurate and current.

If you plan to do a VIN search for debt recovery, collateral recovery or collections, and your subject is purposely hiding their address, you may need a more sophisticated search than a VIN search, such as a search by the car owner name or a car owner address search.

Free VIN Check

If you are checking out many potential cars to purchase, you may want to look for a free VIN check. However, most free VIN checks are actually a scam, or they charge for their services in other ways. Alternatively, other free VIN checks only provide minimal information regarding a vehicle, which may not be enough for you when considering a vehicle. One of the best free VIN checks are provided by the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

This free service from the National Insurance Crime Bureau lets you know if a used motor vehicle’s VIN is found in a database of stolen vehicles. Although this is all the National Insurance Crime Bureau free VIN check shows, it is important to do this in order to prevent this situation. No prospective car buyer should purchase any vehicle, especially any vehicle on the most stolen list, without obtaining a free VIN report from a free VIN check first.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau free VIN check is a service provided to the public in order to assist in figuring out if a vehicle has been previously reported as stolen, but has not recovered, or has been previously reported as a declared total loss or salvage vehicle by cooperating National Insurance Crime Bureau members. In order to perform a search of the vehicle, you must have the vehicle’s VIN available. A maximum of give free VIN checks can be done within a 24-hour period.

The free VIN report and free VIN check services are offered by the National Insurance Crime Bureau and through many other car report companies. The free VIN report not only tells you whether a car motor vehicle has been stolen, in some cases the free VIN report can also tell you whether the motor vehicle has been. Often, people get the free VIN check first before buying the free VIN report, because if the motor vehicle has been stolen or salvaged, there is no reason to purchase the not-free report.

Not only does the National Insurance Crime Bureau provide these free VIN checks, but they also provide a list of the 10 most stolen cars. You should take precaution when purchasing these vehicles:

• Honda Accord (1994)

• Honda Civic (1995)

• Toyota Camry (1991)

• Chevrolet Pickup (1999 Full Size)

• Ford F150 Series/Pickup (1997)

• Dodge Ram (2004)

• Dodge Caravan (2000)

• Acura Integra (1994)

• Ford Explorer (2002)

• Ford Taurus (1999)

Getting a Free VIN Report

While your options may be extremely limited in finding a free VIN check in order to receive a free VIN report, there are still some ways to get more information about a used vehicle before a purchase. You may want to get this report because while the free VIN check from the National Insurance Crime Bureau tells you if the vehicle was stolen, a free VIN report will not give too much information on the following:

• Lemon title

• Flood, fire, hail, frame or other major damage

• Severe accident

• Salvage title

• Multiple owners

• Odometer rollback

• Theft

• Title washing

• Police, driver education, taxi or any other problematic use history

Furthermore, with a free VIN report, you may not be able to do the following:

• Confirm ownership, service history, and mileage of the vehicle

• Check for any active recalls of bulletins

• Check the availability of an extended warranty

• Check the status of the remaining factory warranty, if any

Finding a VIN for a free VIN Report

The VIN of your vehicle is normally found on the door frame of the vehicle on the driver’s side, although it can also be near the windshield on the dashboard. If you are performing a free VIN check on a used car, then the seller of the vehicle should be able to provide you with the VIN number. If the seller is unwilling to provide the VIN number, this is a very bad sign and you should immediately walk away from the sale of this vehicle because there may be significant problems with the vehicle.

You can then get a free VIN check or a free VIN report by searching for various websites that provide them. While the National Insurance Crime Bureau provides information, you may also wish to try other sources. Be very hesitant with sites that claim they can provide a free VIN report but then still ask for your billing information or charge you on a regular basis.

You will need to put in the vehicle’s VIN number where directed on a site in order to get the free VIN report. Some websites may email you the report while others will display it immediately on your screen. These free VIN reports will not provide a full history of the car, but they will let you know whether the car has been stolen, had a salvaged title, taken part in a crime, or more. Based on the free VIN report, you can decide if the vehicle is worth purchasing.

You can also use the vehicle’s VIN number to get a used car free VIN report. You can check how many reports have been previously filed for the vehicle. If you notice that there are many reports filed, then you might want to more closely inspect the used vehicle. Be aware that the used car report is not the same as a VIN report. Used vehicle reports usually are not free and they require a fee.

Insurance companies are usually the ones who manage the databases that contain all of the vehicle report information. These reports are given voluntary from the companies and are often based off of the reports for claims or other insurance issues. You can see if the vehicle is stolen, has ever been previously stolen, or if it has had any salvaged titles. You will not be given information about title changes, maintenance, major accidents, or other details.

If the vehicle has never been insured before, or if it was insured by a company that did not provide information for free VIN checks or free VIN reports, then you will not be able to get any helpful information regarding the history of that vehicle. Make sure you ask the appropriate questions regarding the history and the condition of the vehicle. Try and obtain documented proof for as much as possible about the vehicle. If you have doubts, you will need to make adjustments to the bill of sale, so both seller and buyer are satisfied.