Office of the Tax Assessor Collector
Kristin R. Bulanek
 Brazoria County Tax Assessor Collector

Overview

House Bill 718 (HB 718), passed during the 88th Texas Legislative Session in 2023, represents one of the most significant changes to Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) operational policy. The bill is an assertive response to eliminate fraud opportunities with paper tags and permits by replacing many of them with metal plates.

The bill eliminates six (6) distinct paper tags used in the current registration process:

• Buyer’s Tags
• Internet Down Tags
• Vehicle Specific Tags
• Agent Specific Tags
• One-Trip Permits
• 30-Day Permits

These tags and permits will be replaced with four (4) new limited-use license plate types:

• Buyer Provisional Plate: Used when requested plate type is not in inventory.
• Dealer Temporary Plate: Used by dealers for vehicles pending sale.
• Out-of-State Buyer Plate: Used for vehicles sold out-of-state.
• Temporary Registration Plate: Used for temporary registration.

These new license plates will be used to cover specific temporary vehicle registration needs and will not replace metal dealer license plates or the standard, general issue license plates that will be issued to individuals purchasing new and used vehicles.

The requirements and provisions of the bill take effect on July 1, 2025. However, the Brazoria County Tax Office will begin implementation beginning April 1, 2025.

 For more information, click on the following link: House Bill 718 Implementation | TxDMV.gov

Change in Disposition of License Plates at Vehicle Transfer

Consumers buying or selling a vehicle in Texas on or after July 1, 2025, may notice changes in how their license plates are issued or transferred.

Buying a Vehicle from a Dealer: Customers who purchase a vehicle from a Texas dealer will receive metal license plates at the time the dealer delivers the vehicle, allowing them to immediately display the plates and operate the vehicle while awaiting their registration window sticker.

Trading In a Vehicle to a Dealer: Effective July 1, 2025, when customer sell or trade in a vehicle with general issue plates, dealers will remove the plates and may transfer them to another vehicle of the same class sold within 10 days. Consumers with specialty and personalized license plates will retain their plates.

Buying or Selling a Vehicle in a Private Sale: The process remains unchanged for person-to-person vehicle sales. Sellers remove their license plates and registration sticker from the vehicle and can transfer the plates to another vehicle they own—if appropriate for the vehicle class—by visiting the county tax assessor-collector's office.

Sellers of Texas-titled vehicles should submit a Vehicle Transfer Notification (VTN) to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles within 30 days. To process the VTN, the seller must provide the buyer’s full name, address, and telephone number, which should be collected at the time of sale.

Buyers must submit a title and registration application at their county tax assessor-collector's office and obtain new plates. For more information, visit Buying or Selling a Vehicle.

Electronic Processing of Dealer Transactions

This bill requires Texas licensed dealers to use TxDMV's webDEALER system to electronically process title and registration for vehicle sales with county tax offices. Dealers without webDEALER accounts and plate inventories WILL NOT be able to complete vehicle sales transactions beginning April 1, 2025. TxDMV offers training on the webDEALER system. See the TxDMV events calendar for training information. TxDMV also offers on-demand training for dealers in English or Español. Dealers are encouraged to reach out to the Brazoria County Tax Office to begin coordinating with us on training efforts and to gain access to webDEALER.

Resources

For additional resources regarding the implementation of HB718, select the following link:

TxDMV HB718 Resources