Temporary Tag Texas — paper tags are gone. Here's what replaced them.
Since July 1, 2025, Texas dealers no longer print paper temporary tags. House Bill 718 had them put metal plates on the car at the sale instead, and county tax offices now issue metal Temporary Registration plates for the 30-day and one-trip permits. If you bought from a private seller, the routes are a free 5-day transit permit or a $29.75 30-day plate from the county. Here is each option, its fee and its limits, from TxDMV.
Bought It Privately? Check It Before the County Does
Enter the VIN for a free preview of the title brands, salvage records and odometer readings on file. A salvage title blocks both the 30-day plate and the transit permit.
Free preview · No sign-up · No owner or personal data
Quick Answer
- Does Texas still issue temporary paper tags?
- No, not for car sales. Under House Bill 718, from July 1, 2025 Texas dealers issue metal license plates at the time of sale, and county tax offices issue metal Temporary Registration plates in place of the paper 30-day and one-trip permits. Paper tags issued before then stayed valid until they expired; TxDMV's example is a tag issued June 30, 2025 that expired August 29, 2025.
- How do I get a 30-day temporary plate in Texas?
- At your county tax assessor-collector's office or a TxDMV Regional Service Center, with Form VTR-66, proof of insurance and a current government photo ID. It costs $25 plus a $4.75 processing fee, lasts 30 calendar days, can be bought up to 60 days ahead, and isn't issued to a vehicle with a salvage or nonrepairable title.
- How do I drive home a car I bought from a private seller in Texas?
- The seller keeps the plates. Print a Vehicle Transit Permit: it's free, valid 5 calendar days for one trip home or to the county tax office, for passenger vehicles up to 6,000 lb and light trucks up to 10,000 lb GVW, one per vehicle, with proof of insurance. Then title and register the car at the county and get new plates.
Three ways a Texas car is plated before it's registered
Which one applies depends on who sold you the car.
- 1Bought from a Texas dealerMetal general issue plates go on front and rear at the sale. Keep the Buyer's Receipt in the car until the windshield sticker arrives.
- 2Bought from a private sellerThe seller keeps the plates. Print a free 5-day Vehicle Transit Permit, then title the car at the county.
- 3Need longer than thatBuy a 30-day Temporary Registration plate at the county: $29.75 with the processing fee.
What House Bill 718 Changed
Texas passed House Bill 718 in 2023, in the 88th legislative session, to deal with what TxDMV calls "law enforcement concerns related to the fraudulent use of temporary tags and associated motor vehicle crimes". The law took effect on July 1, 2025, and with it six kinds of paper tag ended: buyer's temporary tags, dealer's temporary tags, 30-day and one-trip permits, dealer agent tags, dealer vehicle-specific tags and internet-down tags.
In their place came metal. Dealers now order plates directly from TxDMV's inventory system and assign one to each car they sell; the black-and-white general issue plate replaces the old buyer's tag. Four new limited-use metal plates cover the rest: a buyer provisional plate, a dealer temporary plate, an out-of-state buyer plate, and the Temporary Registration plate that county offices issue. Law enforcement can confirm any of them through TLETS and NLETS, which is the point.
Texas Plates and Permits After July 1, 2025
From TxDMV's HB 718 and temporary-registration pages, read on 20 October 2026.
| Plate or permit | Who issues it | What it's for | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
| General issue plate | Dealer, at the sale | Replaces the paper buyer's tag; front and rear | Permanent; sticker follows |
| Out-of-state buyer plate | Dealer | A vehicle sold to a non-Texas buyer; rear | 60 days |
| Buyer provisional plate | Dealer | When the dealer lacks the right plate type, such as farm plates | Until 7 days after a permanent plate is assigned |
| Dealer temporary plate | TxDMV, to dealers | Test drives, loaners, transport; never to deliver to a buyer | Expiration stickers |
| Temporary Registration plate | County tax office or TxDMV | Replaces the 30-day and one-trip paper permits | 30 days, or one trip in 15 |
| Vehicle Transit Permit (paper) | Printed by the buyer | Private sale where the seller keeps the plates | 5 days, one trip |
| 72- / 144-hour permit (paper) | TxDMV or county | Commercial vehicles and buses only, USDOT number required | 72 or 144 hours |
A temporary insignia for specialty plates and a 30-day factory delivery permit for new vehicles also remain on paper.
Buying From a Texas Dealer Now
If you buy from a Texas dealer, you drive away on metal plates. TxDMV's consumer guidance says customers "will receive metal license plates at the time the dealer delivers the vehicle", so they can display them and drive at once while the registration sticker is processed. The dealer files the title and registration electronically through webDEALER, which HB 718 made mandatory for every licensed dealer. Keep the Buyer's Receipt in the car until the windshield sticker arrives.
Trading in works differently than it used to. When you trade in a car with general issue plates, the dealer removes them and may put them on another vehicle of the same class it sells within 10 days (Senate Bill 1902, passed in 2025); plates it doesn't reassign in that time must be destroyed. Specialty and personalized plates stay with you, and you can move them to the car you're buying if it's the right class. A dealer temporary plate, the one a dealer uses for test drives, must not be the plate you go home on.
At a Texas dealer
- You get: metal plates, front and rear.
- Keep: the Buyer's Receipt in the car.
- Out-of-state buyer: a 60-day plate.
- Trade-in plates: reused within 10 days or destroyed.
After a Private Sale in Texas
TxDMV says the person-to-person process didn't change under HB 718. Here it is, step by step.
The seller keeps the plates
Sellers remove their plates and registration sticker, and can move the plates to another vehicle they own of the right class at the county.
The seller files a VTN
A Vehicle Transfer Notification to TxDMV within 30 days, with your full name, address and phone number. Filing later doesn't guarantee the seller is released from liability.
You print a transit permit
Free, 5 calendar days, one trip, passenger vehicles up to 6,000 lb and light trucks up to 10,000 lb GVW. Carry the receipt.
You title it at the county
Submit the title and registration application at your county tax assessor-collector's office and get new plates.
Or buy 30 days
If you need longer, a 30-day Temporary Registration plate: $25 + $4.75, Form VTR-66, insurance and photo ID.
Not for salvage
Neither the transit permit nor the 30-day plate is issued to a salvage or nonrepairable vehicle. A rebuilt car needs its rebuilt title first.
Texas Temporary Plates and Permits at a Glance
The four permits a Texas buyer or owner can still get, with the fee, the length and who they're for.
Every figure comes from TxDMV's temporary-registration page and the Travis County tax office, read on the date shown.
What Texas Temporary Permits Cost
TxDMV's fees, read on 20 October 2026. Each county or service-center purchase adds the $4.75 processing and handling fee.
| Permit | Fee | With processing fee | Valid for | Eligible vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day Temporary Registration plate | $25 | $29.75 | 30 calendar days | Passenger, private bus, trailers up to 10,000 lb; light commercial; heavier commercial only unladen |
| One-trip Temporary Registration plate | $5 | $9.75 | 15 calendar days, one trip | Unladen vehicles; passenger vehicles and motorcycles may carry passengers |
| Vehicle Transit Permit | Free | Free | 5 calendar days, one trip | Passenger up to 6,000 lb; light trucks up to 10,000 lb GVW |
| 72-hour permit | $25 | $29.75 | 72 hours | Commercial vehicles and buses, USDOT number required |
| 144-hour permit | $50 | $54.75 | 144 hours | Commercial vehicles and buses, USDOT number required |
Travis County charges $29.75 for a 30-day permit and $9.75 for a one-trip permit, cash only, and allows at most 3 of each per vehicle. Other counties set their own payment rules; personal checks aren't accepted anywhere TxDMV lists.
Before You Pay for the Permit, Check the Car
A salvage or nonrepairable title blocks both the 30-day plate and the transit permit, and the county will find it. Enter the VIN for a free preview of the brands on file.
Rules for Driving on a Texas Temporary Plate
Every temporary registration in Texas starts with insurance. TxDMV requires proof of liability coverage that meets the Texas minimums of $30,000/$60,000/$25,000, from an insurer authorized to write insurance in Texas, for the 30-day plate, the one-trip plate and the transit permit. Trailers and semitrailers are the exception. TxDMV warns that a temporary permit or plate may only authorize driving in Texas, so check before you cross a state line, and the 30-day plate isn't sold for a vehicle that won't be driven in Texas.
Display is spelled out. A Temporary Registration plate goes on the exterior rear of the vehicle, upright and horizontal, at least 12 inches off the ground, clearly visible and legible, never in a window, with its expiration stickers on. The receipt rides in the vehicle for as long as the plate is valid. You can ask for an extension of a 30-day plate, and you can buy one up to 60 days before it starts.
Carry and display
- Insurance: $30,000/$60,000/$25,000 minimum.
- Plate: rear, upright, 12 in. or higher.
- Receipt: in the vehicle the whole time.
- Out of state: the plate may only cover Texas.
Spotting a Fake Texas Tag Today
Fake paper tags are why HB 718 exists. After the switch, a few things give one away.
Any paper buyer's tag
Dealers stopped issuing them on July 1, 2025, and the last ones expired by August 29, 2025. A paper buyer's tag on a car now isn't current.
A temporary plate in the window
Every metal temporary plate must be fastened on the outside of the vehicle, not displayed in a window.
No expiration sticker
Dealer temporary and Temporary Registration plates carry month and year expiration stickers.
No receipt in the car
Transit permits, temporary plates and new general issue plates all come with a receipt that must stay in the vehicle.
A dealer plate on a buyer's car
Dealer temporary plates are for business use and may not be used to deliver a vehicle to a buyer.
Plates don't check out
Every new Texas plate type can be confirmed by law enforcement through TLETS and NLETS, so a plate that isn't in the system won't pass a stop.
Transit Permit or 30-Day Plate
Two ways to move a privately bought car before it's registered. Which fits depends on the trip.
Vehicle Transit Permit
- Free; print it yourself.
- 5 calendar days, one trip, origin to destination.
- Passenger vehicles up to 6,000 lb, light trucks up to 10,000 lb GVW.
- One permit per vehicle, insurance required.
30-day Temporary Registration plate
- $29.75 at the county, with Form VTR-66.
- 30 calendar days of normal driving in Texas.
- A metal plate with expiration stickers, on the rear.
- Can be extended on request; not for salvage or nonrepairable titles.
If you're going straight to the county to title the car, the free transit permit is usually all you need.
Related Checks and Guides
The national temporary-tag guide, Florida's rules, and the other Texas title and plate pages.
Where These Facts Come From
From TxDMV's House Bill 718 and temporary-registration pages, its June 2025 law-enforcement guide, and the Travis County Tax Office, read on 20 October 2026. Fees and forms change; confirm with your county tax office before you go.
CarCheckerVIN is not affiliated with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles or any county tax office, and does not sell temporary tags or plates. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Temporary Tag Texas — Frequently Asked Questions
What Texas buyers ask most since the switch to metal plates.
How much is a temporary tag in Texas?+
A 30-day Temporary Registration plate is $25 plus a $4.75 processing fee, $29.75 in total; a one-trip plate is $5 plus the same fee. The Vehicle Transit Permit after a private sale is free. Plates from a dealer come with the sale.
Can I get a 30-day permit online in Texas?+
TxDMV sells 72- and 144-hour commercial permits online and lets you print a Vehicle Transit Permit, but the 30-day and one-trip plates are bought at a county tax assessor-collector's office or a TxDMV Regional Service Center. Travis County says plainly that they are not available online.
How many 30-day permits can I get in Texas?+
TxDMV lets you request an extension of a 30-day plate. Travis County allows at most 3 30-day permits and 3 one-trip permits per vehicle; check your own county.
Are paper tags still legal in Texas?+
Paper buyer's tags issued before July 1, 2025 were valid until their expiry date, and the last of those ran out by August 29, 2025. Some paper permits are still issued: the transit permit, 72- and 144-hour commercial permits, temporary insignia for specialty plates and factory delivery permits.
What do I get when I buy from a Texas dealer?+
Metal license plates at delivery, front and rear, and a Buyer's Receipt to keep in the car until the windshield sticker arrives. A buyer from another state gets an out-of-state buyer plate valid 60 days.
What does the seller do after a private sale in Texas?+
Remove the plates and registration sticker, and file a Vehicle Transfer Notification with TxDMV within 30 days, using the buyer's full name, address and phone number. The seller can move the plates to another vehicle they own of the right class.
Run the VIN Before You Go to the County
Enter any 17-character VIN for a free preview. The full report lists title brands, NMVTIS junk and salvage records, insurance total-loss records, odometer readings, and auction records with the damage the auction recorded and its photos.
CarCheckerVIN is an independent vehicle-history service and is not affiliated with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles or any county tax assessor-collector. Requirements are summarized from TxDMV's published pages and the Travis County Tax Office and are not legal advice. Records in our reports reflect what was reported to our data providers. Our reports do not include police or repair-shop accident entries.
Verificaciones VIN relacionadas
Más herramientas para verificar el historial de cualquier vehículo