Classic Car Dealers in Texas

Texas changed two rules in 2025 that matter to classic buyers: non-commercial cars no longer need a safety inspection, and you can now verify an out-of-state car's VIN yourself on the title application. The rest of the process runs through your county tax office, and most of it has to happen within 30 days of the sale.

Titling the car

The car has to be titled in your name within 30 days of the sale. Buying from a Texas dealer, the dealer files the paperwork for you. Buying from a private seller, you take the signed title and Form 130-U to the county tax office yourself; filing late adds a penalty of up to $250.

A car coming from another state must be titled within 30 days of the sale and registered within 30 days of arriving in Texas. Bring the out-of-state title, proof of insurance, Form 130-U and proof of sales tax paid. Its VIN must be verified, which you can now do by certifying on Form 130-U that you have physically inspected the car and checked the number, or at an emissions inspection where one applies.

Texas has no title exemption for old cars. If a classic comes without a title, the route is a bonded title: Texas residents only, the car must be complete, and the bond is one and a half times the car's value. For a car 25 or more years old you can use an appraisal instead of a guidebook value.

Antique, classic and year-of-manufacture plates

• Antique plates are for cars at least 25 years old with original frame, body and motor. They are valid for five years and cost $50 (or $40 for cars built before 1921), with no other registration fees. The trade-off is use: an antique-plated car is for exhibitions, club events, parades and similar outings, not everyday transportation.
• Classic plates are available for any vehicle 25 years or older, with regular registration and no restriction to exhibition use. Separate custom vehicle and street rod plates cover modified cars.
• Year of manufacture plates: instead of a new plate, you can run a Texas plate from the car's model year, in its original colors, if the county approves it.

Inspections

Since January 1, 2025, non-commercial vehicles in Texas no longer need a safety inspection; an inspection replacement fee is charged at registration instead. Emissions testing still applies in 17 counties, including Dallas, Harris, Tarrant, Travis and Collin, but only to gasoline vehicles 2 to 24 years old, so a car 25 or older is not tested.

Sales tax

• Motor vehicle sales tax is 6.25% of the price, less any trade-in.
• On private sales Texas normally taxes the higher of the price or 80% of a standard presumptive value, but that rule does not apply to vehicles eligible for classic plates, so a 25-year-old car is taxed on what you actually paid.
• Buy out of state and register in Texas, and sales tax you paid to the other state is credited against the 6.25% use tax. New residents who already had the car registered in their name elsewhere pay a flat $90 instead.
• Buying from a Texas dealer and taking the car straight to another state? The sale can be exempt if the car leaves Texas without being used here; the dealer will have you sign Form 14-312.

Registration and insurance

Base registration is $50.75 plus a $1 insurance-verification fee, with local fees that vary by county. To register you need liability insurance of at least $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. Since July 2025, Texas dealers issue metal plates at the sale instead of paper temporary tags.

Sources: Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (buying and selling, out-of-state vehicles, bonded titles, Form 130-U, Form VTR-54, registration), Texas Comptroller (motor vehicle sales and use tax, standard presumptive value, Form 14-312), Texas Transportation Code chapter 504, and TCEQ on emissions testing. Rules and fees change; confirm with your county tax office before you buy.