Texas Comptroller Manual of Accounts - Fiscal 2022
Revenue Object 3012 – Motor Vehicle Certificates – Certificate of Title

The fee for obtaining an original certificate of title for a motor vehicle is $33 if applicant's residence is in a county located within a Federal Clean Air Act non-attainment area or $28 if in any other county. $5 of the fee is retained by the county in which it was collected and $8 is remitted to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

The remaining $20 if the residence is in a non-attainment area or $15 if in any other county is deposited to the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Trust Fund 1201.

The county owns interest earned. The fee for obtaining a duplicate certificate is $2.

Assembled motor vehicles, as defined under Transportation Code Ch. 731, are required to be titled under Ch. 501.

The Texas Department of Transportation is required to transfer from the State Highway Fund 0006 to the Texas Mobility Fund 0365, an equal amount of revenue from title fees that are deposited to Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Trust Fund 1201.

At time of application for certificate of title. Assessor remits Monday of each week unless deposited in an interest bearing account or certificate then no later than the 35th day after the date the fee is received. The county owns the interest earned.

Amended by S.B. 288, 68th Leg., R.S.

Amended by S.B. 3, 72nd Leg., 1st C.S.

The $20 (or $15 for non-attainment areas) was deposited to GR Account - Emissions Reduction Plan (5071) until H.B. 1365, 78th Leg., R.S. moved the fee to the Texas Mobility Fund (0365) beginning  9-1-2008. H.B. 2481, 79th Leg., R.S. moved $5 to GR Account 5071 and remainder to Texas Mobility Fund from 9-1-08 to 9-1-15 (it was extended during that time by S.B. 12, 80th Leg., R.S.). This provision expired 9-1-15 and total amount is deposited to the Texas Mobility Fund.

H.B. 2481, 79th Leg., R.S. added 501.138(b-2) requiring transfer from Fund 0006 to GR account 5071.This provision was set to expire September 1, 2010, but was extended to 2013 by S.B. 12, 80th Leg., R.S., to 2019 by H.B. 1796, 81st Leg., R.S. and by H.B. 3745, 86th Leg., R.S. until the date the commission publishes the notices required under Health and Safety code 382.037.

Amended by H.B 2357, 82nd Leg., R.S.

Amended by H.B 2741, 83rd Leg., R.S.

H.B 2202, 83rd Leg., R.S. changed deposit of some fee from State Highway Fund (0006) to new Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Fund. New fund was not exempted in funds consolidation bill (H.B. 6) and not created. Therefore, revenue amounts deposited to General Revenue (0001).

Prior to H.B. 2202, 83rd Leg., R.S., $5 of the $8 fee was deposited to General Revenue and $3 to the State Highway Fund 0006. H.B 2202 re-allocated $3 from the State Highway Fund to the new Department of Motor Vehicles Fund, which was not created per funds consolidation (H.B. 6). Therefore the $3 allocation went to General Revenue 0001. This resulted in the entire $8 fee collected by TxDMV deposited to GR. The $2 duplicate certificate fee was also re-allocated from the State Highway Fund to the new Department of Motor Vehicles Fund. Therefore it was deposited to General Revenue 0001.

S.B. 1512, 84th Leg., R.S. recreated the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Fund and it was exempted by H.B. 6, 84th Leg., R.S. Deposit of $3 and $2 changed from General Revenue to Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Fund (0010). Effective 9/1/16.

Assembled motor vehicles added by H.B. 1755, 86th Leg., R.S.

Effective 9/1/2021, H.B. 3745, 86th Leg., R.S. changed deposit of surcharge from Texas Mobility Fund 0365 to the new Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Trust Fund 1201 outside of the state treasury. 

H.B. 4472, 87th Leg., R.S. redirected $20 and $15 portion of title fee from the Texas Mobility Fund 0365 to the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan Trust Fund 1201.