Grayson County Vehicle Registration: A Guide for New Texas Residents

Updated October 29, 2026.

If you just moved to Gunter, Howe, Denison or anywhere else in Grayson County from another state, you have 30 days to register your vehicle in Texas. Grayson County vehicle registration is handled by the Grayson County Tax Assessor-Collector, not a state DMV office. The main office is at 100 W. Houston St. in Sherman, and there are branches in Denison, Van Alstyne and Whitesboro. Grayson County is not one of the 17 Texas counties that require an emissions test, so most cars and light trucks go straight from insurance to the tax office. Expect the $51.75 state registration fee, Grayson County’s $10 local fee and a one-time $90 new-resident tax, plus a few smaller state fees. After that, you have 90 days from your move to trade in your out-of-state driver license at a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) office.

This guide puts the steps in the order the state wants them done, with the local offices, hours and fees as the official pages listed them on October 29, 2026. For the bigger picture on settling in, see our guide to moving to Grayson County.

Grayson County vehicle registration: the short checklist

1. Get Texas auto insurance that meets the state minimums.
2. Skip the emissions test if you live in Grayson County (commercial vehicles still need a safety inspection).
3. Fill out Form 130-U, the Application for Texas Title and/or Registration.
4. Visit a Grayson County tax office with your title or out-of-state registration, photo ID, proof of insurance and payment.
5. Get your Texas driver license at DPS within 90 days, after the vehicle is registered.

Step 1: Texas insurance first

The TxDMV new-resident page says you must show coverage of at least $30,000 per injured person, up to $60,000 for everyone injured in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage. TxDMV’s checklist for new Texans adds that some out-of-state policies may be acceptable, so ask your agent before you go. Bring the insurance card with you, because the tax office asks for it.

Step 2: No emissions test in Grayson County

This is the step that trips people up, because the rule changes at the county line. Texas stopped requiring safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles on January 1, 2025, under House Bill 3297. Emissions tests are still required in 17 counties, and the list includes our neighbors Collin, Dallas and Denton counties. Grayson County is not on that list.

So a family moving from McKinney or Allen in Collin County to Gunter no longer needs an emissions test. A family that buys in Pilot Point, which is in Denton County, still does. We compare the two areas in our Pilot Point growth guide. If you don’t need an emissions test, TxDMV says you self-certify the vehicle identification number (VIN) on Form 130-U. Commercial vehicles still need a passing safety inspection before they can be registered, no matter the county.

Step 3: Register at a Grayson County tax office

Texas registration happens in person at your county tax assessor-collector’s office, which works on behalf of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV). According to the TxDMV checklist, you should bring:

• Your out-of-state title or registration receipt. If you aren’t handing over the title, for example because a lender holds it, check the “Registration Purposes Only” box on Form 130-U.
• A completed Form 130-U.
• Your current driver license or another government-issued photo ID.
• Proof of current vehicle insurance.
• Payment. TxDMV says accepted payment methods vary by county, so call ahead and ask.

Here are the Grayson County locations and hours posted on the tax office’s Locations & Hours page:

Office	Address	Phone	Hours
Sherman (main office)	100 W. Houston St., Sherman	(903) 892-8297	Mon 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Tue–Fri 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Denison	101 W. Woodard, Denison	(903) 465-2101	Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Van Alstyne	117 S. Main, Van Alstyne	(903) 482-6004	Mon–Fri 9–11 a.m. and 1–4 p.m.
Whitesboro	509 N. Union, Whitesboro	(903) 564-7786	Mon–Fri 9–11 a.m. and 1–4 p.m.

For most Gunter and Howe households, the Van Alstyne branch and the Sherman main office are the closest choices, and Denison residents have a branch downtown. The Van Alstyne and Whitesboro branches close for two hours at midday, so plan around that. The county’s page doesn’t say which branches handle a first-time registration for someone coming from another state. Call the branch before you drive over. The Kroger at 1820 N. Loy Lake Rd. in Sherman and the Brookshire Brothers in Whitesboro only handle renewals, so don’t go there for your first Texas registration.

The tax office lists these upcoming holiday closures: Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11, 2026), Thanksgiving (Thursday and Friday, November 26–27), Christmas Eve (Thursday, December 24) and Christmas Day (Friday, December 25).

What it costs to register in Grayson County

The tax office gives you the exact total at the counter, and TxDMV says fees vary by vehicle and county. These are the line items the state publishes for a typical car or light truck:

Fee	Amount	Source
State registration fee (base $50.75 plus $1 TexasSure insurance check)	$51.75	TxDMV
Grayson County local fee (2026)	$10.00	TxDMV fee chart
Inspection replacement fee (non-commercial vehicles)	$7.50	TxDMV
New-resident tax, per vehicle (one time)	$90.00	Texas Comptroller
Fully electric vehicle fee (10,000 lbs. or less)	$200 a year	TxDMV

Heavier pickups (6,001 to 10,000 pounds) pay a $54 base fee instead of $50.75, according to TxDMV. TxDMV’s sample renewal notice also shows a $4.75 processing and handling fee. Title fees are separate if you are titling the vehicle in Texas, so ask the clerk for the total.

About the $90 tax. The Comptroller says new residents pay a flat $90 instead of the 6.25% motor vehicle use tax when the vehicle was already registered in their name in another state or country. You pay it to the county tax office when you title or register, within 30 days of the vehicle’s first use in Texas (60 days for active-duty military). You don’t get credit for tax paid in another state. A vehicle you buy out of state after you have lived here 30 days owes regular use tax instead.

Who doesn’t have to register here. TxDMV says active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces and non-resident full-time students at a Texas college or university aren’t required to register or title their vehicles in Texas.

Step 4: Your Texas driver license (within 90 days)

Driver licenses come from DPS, not the county. The DPS Moving to Texas page says you can drive on a valid license from another state for up to 90 days after you move. If you are 18 or older and your out-of-state license is valid, you surrender it and skip the knowledge and driving tests. Register your vehicle first, because DPS asks new residents for proof of current Texas registration for each vehicle you own.

Under DPS’s application checklist, bring proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence, proof of Texas residency, proof of identity, your Social Security number, Texas vehicle registration and proof of insurance for each vehicle. DPS suggests running its REAL ID Document Check tool first to get a personal document list.

Every in-office driver license service is by appointment only. Book at txdpsscheduler.com. DPS says appointments open up to six months ahead, a limited number of same-day slots are released daily, and appointments are cancelled if you are more than 30 minutes late. Sherman has a DPS driver license office. Use the DPS office locator for its current address and to compare nearby offices if Sherman is booked.

After you’re registered

• Sign up for eReminder, TxDMV’s email notice that tells you when it’s time to renew.
• Renew online up to 90 days before your sticker expires through TxDMV, or in person at any county office or the two grocery locations above.

Quick answers

Do I need an inspection to register a car in Grayson County? Not for a regular passenger car or light truck. Safety inspections for non-commercial vehicles ended January 1, 2025, and Grayson isn’t an emissions county. Commercial vehicles still need a safety inspection.

Can I register at the DPS office? No. DPS handles driver licenses and IDs. Vehicle registration and titles go through the county tax office.

How long do I have? 30 days from your move for the vehicle and 90 days for the driver license.

More for new Grayson County residents

Setting up the rest of the house? Our Gunter TX utilities guide covers water, trash, power and internet. Town-by-town moving guides cover Gunter, Howe and Denison.