If you were born in Texas, you're lucky. Getting your license was relatively simple. But for newbies like me, transferring your license from another state to Texas is a complicated four step process. And as I learned the hard way, you must complete the four steps in the right order or else they don't count.
But here's a word of advice. Don't wait until the last minute. It's nearly impossible to do all the steps in one day. Plus, if your current driver's license expires, you will be forced to go through the complete driving test and exam, which would really suck.
So for those that are new to the state, here's what you need to do:
Step 1: Get an emissions test
Yeah...it doesn't matter if your car is only a year old or if you had a test done last week in whatever state you were living in, when in Texas, you have to do it the Texas way and get it done here--again. The good news is this part of the process is pretty simple. Most car dealerships, Xpress Lubes and mechanics will do it for you, but click here for a helpful list.
I choose the Xpress Lube as it was close by and didn't have a line up. They basically did the emission test in less than 20 minutes. You will however be stuck with a big sticker on your windshield that you aren't allowed to remove. This will be the first of two gigantic stickers you'll be getting.
Step 2: Change over your car insurance to a Texas provider
They were right when they said everything is bigger in Texas and that includes your insurance cards. In Florida, they are small like a credit card so they fit in your wallet. In Texas, they are huge. There's no way they'll fit in the average wallet. You'll have to find some other place to put them like the glove compartment or under the car seat.
Changing car insurance providers is pretty easy if you like your current provider. All you need to do is drop into the local office and tell them you are switching over. Hopefully you'll be lucky like me. It turned out it's a lot cheaper for me to drive in Texas so I ended up saving money.
Step 3: Register your car
This part is a little more complicated. ..and there is a line involved. To register your car, you need proof of your emission test (that's why you have to do that part first), and you need show them that you have Texas auto insurance (see...isn't it good I told you about Step 2?).
You'll also need proof of ownership, your VIN number, your car's milage, and if you have a car loan like I do, you'll need the name and address of the financial institute the loan is with.
Where you get this done is at your local county tax office.
But there is one bonus part to this step: You get to pick out your license plates.
Texas has a whole bunch to choose from, so if you're not into the basic Lone Star plates, you can find one that suits your personality. But keep in mind that if you pick the Lone Star State ones, you'll get your new plates that day. I picked the dolphin ones and had to wait three weeks for them to arrive. It was worth the wait though. I love my new plates.
Plus, at the end of this process, you'll also get your second gigantic sticker to put on your windshield.
Step 4: Stand in line at the DMV
You're almost there. Just one last step to go and it begins by finding your local DMV office.
But before you go and stand in the line up, make sure you bring all your paperwork. You'll need all the papers from the other three steps and your current out-of-state license.
In other words, you need to bring:
• Proof of insurance
• Your Texas car registration
• ID such as a passport (and your current license doesn't count)
• Your Social Security Number
• Your valid out-of-state driver's license
• Money to pay the required fee (It was $24 in 2008)
You'll also need to pass the vision exam, which if you have all your paperwork, is actually the hardest part of this final stage.
The test is set up so that you test both eyes individually while reading the one line of numbers. I'm going to warn you, because at first the screen may appear a little blurry, but let your eyes adjust to the weird perspective and you'll be fine.
Also, make sure you're not dehydrated as my optometrist told me that dehydration can sometimes affect the quality of your vision.
Oh...and one more thing. If you pass, they take away your current license and you'll only have a piece of paper for a couple weeks. So if you're going out to celebrate that night, remember to bring some other form of picture ID.
But don't drink and drive. After all the work it took to get your license, it would be a shame to lose it.
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