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| Need to Know Information About Houston and the Region |
Student safety is a top priority, so in addition to traditional police departments, many independent school districts maintain a police department. School districts without a police department work closely with local police to create specific programs designed to fit their students’ needs. For more information regarding police departments within school districts, parents can contact school districts directly.
Driving and Registering Your Vehicle
Once you’ve set up residency in the Houston area and have a local address, one of your first stops will be to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to apply for a Texas Driver’s License and to register your vehicle.
Texas Driver’s License
According to the Department of Public Safety, new residents are required to get a Texas driver’s license within 90 days of moving to Texas. New residents with a valid out-of-state driver’s license and who own a vehicle and would like to obtain a Texas driver’s license will need to provide proof of Texas registration, proof of liability insurance, a Social Security number and an out-of-state license. The only examination required is the vision test.
If the out-of-state license has expired, a new resident will have to take a written and a driving examination as well as the vision test. Those who do not own a vehicle will not have to show proof of insurance but will be required to complete an affidavit of non-ownership. At the time of application, new residents will be required to surrender their valid or expired out-of-state driver’s license. The fee for an original driver’s license for people over 18 is $24, and it expires in six years. For a full list of fees, visit the Web site at www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/dlfees.htm.
All original applicants for a driver’s license or an identification certificate must present proof of identity satisfactory to the Department of Public Safety, as well as take written, driving and vision tests. For information about documents that may be presented as acceptable proof of identity, go to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Web site www.texasonline.com.
A beginning driver –15 years of age or older – can apply for an instruction permit, which enables the holder of the permit to drive with a licensed driver who is 18 years of age or older in the front seat. To obtain a permit, one must pass the written portion of the driving test.
In addition to the items listed above, applicants under the age of 18 applying for a first-time Texas driver license and presenting either a valid out-of-state instruction permit or driver license must present proof of completion of driver education and verification of current enrollment and attendance in school (or high school diploma or GED).
Driver license applicants between the ages of 18 and 24 must complete an approved driver education course and a driving skills test to become a licensed driver in Texas. Applicants must submit a certificate proving that they successfully completed a driver education course approved by the Texas Education Agency under Sections 1001.101 (a) (1), 1001.101 (a) (2), or 1001.1015, Texas Education Code. First-time foreign applicants must prove legal U.S. residency before obtaining a Texas driver’s license.
Call the Texas Department of Public Safety Driver’s License Office in Houston at (713) 681-6187 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday for information on locations and to obtain a booklet on Texas driving regulations. Bureaus are located throughout the area.
Auto Registration/Tags
According to the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Motor Vehicles, new Texas residents are required to do the following within 30 days of moving to Texas: get a vehicle inspection; and register and title their vehicle. New residents must have their vehicles pass inspection before having it registered and titled. After having it inspected, owners should take the following to their county tax office:
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and nonresident students attending accredited Texas schools on a full-time basis are not considered state residents.
Fees for registration and certificate of title, which must be paid in cash, can include registration (front and back license plates), title application, use tax and a new resident fee.
Driving and Registering Your Vehicle
Once you’ve set up residency in the Houston area and have a local address, one of your first stops will be to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to apply for a Texas Driver’s License and to register your vehicle.
Texas Driver’s License
According to the Department of Public Safety, new residents are required to get a Texas driver’s license within 90 days of moving to Texas. New residents with a valid out-of-state driver’s license and who own a vehicle and would like to obtain a Texas driver’s license will need to provide proof of Texas registration, proof of liability insurance, a Social Security number and an out-of-state license. The only examination required is the vision test.
If the out-of-state license has expired, a new resident will have to take a written and a driving examination as well as the vision test. Those who do not own a vehicle will not have to show proof of insurance but will be required to complete an affidavit of non-ownership. At the time of application, new residents will be required to surrender their valid or expired out-of-state driver’s license. The fee for an original driver’s license for people over 18 is $24, and it expires in six years. For a full list of fees, visit the Web site at www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/dlfees.htm.
All original applicants for a driver’s license or an identification certificate must present proof of identity satisfactory to the Department of Public Safety, as well as take written, driving and vision tests. For information about documents that may be presented as acceptable proof of identity, go to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Web site www.texasonline.com.
A beginning driver –15 years of age or older – can apply for an instruction permit, which enables the holder of the permit to drive with a licensed driver who is 18 years of age or older in the front seat. To obtain a permit, one must pass the written portion of the driving test.
In addition to the items listed above, applicants under the age of 18 applying for a first-time Texas driver license and presenting either a valid out-of-state instruction permit or driver license must present proof of completion of driver education and verification of current enrollment and attendance in school (or high school diploma or GED).
Driver license applicants between the ages of 18 and 24 must complete an approved driver education course and a driving skills test to become a licensed driver in Texas. Applicants must submit a certificate proving that they successfully completed a driver education course approved by the Texas Education Agency under Sections 1001.101 (a) (1), 1001.101 (a) (2), or 1001.1015, Texas Education Code. First-time foreign applicants must prove legal U.S. residency before obtaining a Texas driver’s license.
Call the Texas Department of Public Safety Driver’s License Office in Houston at (713) 681-6187 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday for information on locations and to obtain a booklet on Texas driving regulations. Bureaus are located throughout the area.
Auto Registration/Tags
According to the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Motor Vehicles, new Texas residents are required to do the following within 30 days of moving to Texas: get a vehicle inspection; and register and title their vehicle. New residents must have their vehicles pass inspection before having it registered and titled. After having it inspected, owners should take the following to their county tax office:
- inspection certification,
- proof of liability insurance,
- the vehicle’s odometer reading if it is less than 10 years old,
- an original out-of-state title, proof of registration, proof of sales tax payment or current foreign/military ownership document,
- completed Form VTR 130-U, and
- the following fees:
- registration fee,
- title application fee of $28 or $33, depending on the county, and
- new resident tax of $90.
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and nonresident students attending accredited Texas schools on a full-time basis are not considered state residents.
Fees for registration and certificate of title, which must be paid in cash, can include registration (front and back license plates), title application, use tax and a new resident fee.
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