A major change has quietly gone into effect at the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Previously, identification rules for vehicle registration were less specific, effectively leaving it at the discretion of county tax offices to accept various forms of ID most notably, standard foreign passports.
That local flexibility has now been removed.
Effective immediately, the DMV is enforcing strict, standardized requirements for all vehicle registrations and renewals. This means you can no longer register a car without presenting a specific government issued photo ID, such as a Texas Driver’s License, an unexpired U.S. Passport, a Texas License to Carry, or specific military identification. This shift standardizes the process statewide, preventing local offices from accepting alternative documents that were previously common.