Moving to Texas
Texas took in about 612,000 people from other states in 2023, more than anywhere except Florida.
- California alone sent about 94,000, Florida about 50,500, Oklahoma about 29,700, and New York about 29,600.
- The deadlines here are more generous than most states give you, but they run in an order that surprises people: the vehicle is due in 30 days and the license in 90, and the license application asks for proof the vehicle is already registered, so the car has to come first.
- This page covers every Texas-destination route we track.
Texas at a Glance
Taxes
Climate
Diverse climate from humid subtropical in the east to arid desert in the west.
Cost of Living
Why People Move to Texas
No individual income tax is the headline, and it is durable rather than a temporary policy.
- Article VIII, Section 24-a of the state constitution, added by voters in 2019, bars the legislature from taxing the net incomes of individuals at all.
- What replaces that revenue is visible elsewhere: the Tax Foundation puts the effective property tax rate on owner-occupied housing at 1.40 percent, one of the higher rates in the country, and the 6.25 percent state sales tax can reach 8.25 percent once local jurisdictions add their share.
Cost of living sits below the national average.
- In MERIC's first quarter 2026 series Texas is the 13th cheapest state, and housing is the main reason at an index of 77.7 against a national average of 100.
- Utilities are the one component above par at 104.0, which is what a full summer of air conditioning across most of the state actually costs.
Popular Routes Moving to Texas
After You Arrive in Texas
Get a Texas driver license within 90 days
You can drive on a valid, unexpired out-of-state license for up to 90 days after you move here. This covers licenses from another US state, a US territory, or a Canadian province. If you hold one of those, you surrender it at the office and skip the knowledge and skills exams. The application asks for proof of current Texas registration for every vehicle you own. Register the car before you apply for the license.
Source: Texas DPS, Moving to TexasRegister the vehicle within 30 days
Register at your county tax assessor-collector office, not at a state agency. Bring your insurance card and proof of ownership, such as the title or registration from your previous state. You do not have to title the vehicle here, but a first-time registrant still completes Form 130-U. The state fee is $50.75 plus $1 for the TexasSure insurance verification program. Your county adds its own charges.
Source: TxDMV, New to TexasCheck whether your new county requires an emissions test
Since January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles no longer need a safety inspection before registration. Emissions testing is a separate rule, set county by county. These counties require a passing emissions inspection first: Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson. Commercial vehicles still need a passing commercial inspection everywhere in the state.
Source: TxDMV, Register Your VehicleBudget for the $90 new resident tax
Tax Code Section 152.023 charges a flat $90 on a vehicle you bought outside the state and brought in. It applies only if the vehicle was already registered in your name somewhere else. Pay it to the county tax assessor-collector when you title or register. It is due within 30 calendar days of the vehicle first being used here. You get no credit for sales tax already paid to another state. If the vehicle was never registered in your own name, the flat $90 does not apply. You owe motor vehicle use tax instead, on the purchase price or on 80 percent of the standard presumptive value.
Source: Texas Comptroller, Motor Vehicle Tax Guide: New Resident TaxLiability minimums are 30/60/25
State law requires at least $30,000 of injury coverage per person, $60,000 for everyone injured in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage. The Department of Insurance warns that these minimums will not cover a multi-vehicle accident you cause or a totaled car that belongs to someone else. You pay the rest yourself. If you still owe money on the car, the lender will require collision and comprehensive coverage.
Source: Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guideFile the residence homestead exemption with the county appraisal district
Texas has no state property tax. Property is assessed and taxed locally, so this form goes to the appraisal district in the county where the property is. File Form 50-114, generally between January 1 and April 30 of the year you are claiming. School districts must give a $140,000 exemption on a residence homestead. Any taxing unit may add a local option exemption of up to 20 percent of appraised value, with a $5,000 minimum. If you buy after January 1, you can qualify for the applicable part of that tax year right away. This works only if the previous owner did not already take the same exemption for that year.
Source: Texas Comptroller, Property Tax ExemptionsTexas DMV & Registration
Two separate agencies handle the two deadlines, which is part of why people get the order wrong.
- Vehicle registration goes through your county tax assessor-collector office within 30 days of moving here, and you will need an insurance card, proof you own the vehicle, and Form 130-U.
- In 17 counties, including Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Travis, and Collin, a passing emissions inspection comes first; the statewide safety inspection requirement for non-commercial vehicles ended January 1, 2025.
- The driver license is a DPS matter and you have 90 days, but the application asks for evidence of current Texas registration for every vehicle you own, so the registration has to be done already.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to get a Texas drivers license after moving?
90 days.
- Until then you can keep driving on a valid, unexpired license from another US state, US territory, or Canadian province.
- Surrender that license at the office and you are exempt from both the knowledge and the skills exam, and new residents 18 or older who surrender a valid out-of-state license also skip the adult driver education requirement.
- Bring proof of Texas vehicle registration for each vehicle you own.
How do I register my car when I move to Texas?
Go to your county tax assessor-collector office within 30 days of moving.
- Bring your insurance card, proof of ownership such as the title or registration from your previous state, and complete Form 130-U.
- You are not required to title the vehicle here.
Does my car need an inspection to be registered in Texas?
It depends on the county.
- Non-commercial vehicles no longer need a safety inspection anywhere in the state as of January 1, 2025.
- Emissions testing is still required in 17 counties: Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson.
- Commercial vehicles still need a passing commercial inspection regardless of where you live.
What is the $90 new resident tax in Texas?
A flat tax under Tax Code Section 152.023 on a vehicle you bought outside Texas and brought in with you, as long as it was already registered in your name in another state or country.
- You pay it to the county tax assessor-collector when you title or register, within 30 calendar days of the vehicle first being used here.
- It replaces use tax rather than adding to it, but you get no credit for sales tax already paid elsewhere.
- If the vehicle was never registered in your own name, you owe motor vehicle use tax on the purchase price or 80 percent of the standard presumptive value instead.
What car insurance do I need in Texas?
At least $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to $60,000 for everyone injured in one accident, and $25,000 for property damage.
- That is the 30/60/25 minimum.
- The Department of Insurance is direct about the risk: those limits will not cover a multi-vehicle accident or a totaled late-model car, and whatever the policy does not pay comes out of your own pocket.
- Lenders will require collision and comprehensive on a financed vehicle.
When do I file for the Texas homestead exemption?
File Form 50-114 with the appraisal district in the county where the home is, generally between January 1 and April 30 of the year you are claiming.
- School districts must grant a $140,000 exemption on a residence homestead, and any taxing unit may add a local option exemption of up to 20 percent of appraised value with a $5,000 floor.
- Buying after January 1 does not make you wait a year: you can qualify for the applicable portion of that tax year immediately, as long as the previous owner did not already claim the same exemption for it.
Do I need windstorm insurance in Texas?
Only if you are near the coast, and it is not a legal requirement.
- Everywhere else in the state, wind and hail damage is normally covered by your regular homeowners policy, though the windstorm deductible may differ from the rest of the policy.
- Along the coast, homeowners policies often exclude wind and hail, and you buy a separate windstorm policy, frequently from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association.
- A lender with a mortgage on a coastal home will usually require it.
- Do not leave it to the last minute: TWIA stops writing policies once a hurricane is in the Gulf.