Hundreds of thousands of Texans without legal status can no longer register or renew vehicle registrations after the state quietly tightened ID requirements, a sudden policy shift that has left some county tax offices and motorists bewildered.
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles alerted county tax offices on Nov. 18 that residents must now show current proof of legal status—such as a valid Texas driver’s license, unexpired U.S. passport or foreign passport with a visa—to register or renew a vehicle.
The change came one day after Republican state Rep. Brian Harrison demanded that Gov. Greg Abbott direct his appointees on the DMV’s board to stop “issuing vehicle registrations to illegal aliens.” Harrison took credit for prompting the shift through the letter and a two-week-long social media campaign that blasted the agency, though the DMV has not confirmed that he played any role in the decision.
🚨UPDATE (BAD): The Texas DMV confirmed to me that they ARE ISSUING VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS TO ILLEGAL ALIENS!
Unacceptable!
I’m now demanding Gov @GregAbbott_TX take action!
Since he appoints the DMV Board, I am asking him to instruct his appointees to immediately issue rules… pic.twitter.com/k93O0s96ve
— Brian Harrison (@brianeharrison) November 17, 2025
The abrupt rule change, which took effect immediately, has left county tax offices unsure how to proceed. Texas already requires proof of legal residency for people seeking drivers’ licenses, but it hasn’t previously done so for registrations.
“It’s going to be a big change,” said Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector Albert Uresti. “There’s still a lot more information that needs to come out… it’s gonna be a learning curve.”
Previously, counties could accept recently expired IDs, including passports or driver’s licenses, up to 12 months past expiration. With Texas’ months-long delays for driver’s license appointments, some residents may struggle to renew paperwork in time.
“From everything we hear talking to people here, it takes about six months to get an appointment to get your driver’s license renewed,” Uresti, the Bexar County assessor-collector, said. “So that’s going to be the other impact… if you do not have a current driver’s license, you’re going to have to get it renewed.”
‘Catastrophic’ consequences for undocumented Texans
Sam Owens/San Antonio Express-News
The Migration Policy Institute estimates that two million immigrants live in Texas without legal authorization, including more than 600,000 in Harris County, 100,000 in Bexar County and 85,000 in Travis County. Many have lived in the U.S. for a decade or more.
Title and insurance specialist Monica Rodriguez, whose Austin business serves a predominantly Spanish-speaking client base, said the shift will be “catastrophic.”
Many of her customers have jobs but do not have legal status. Though they cannot obtain licenses, they still buy car insurance and register their vehicles, she said.
“These people drive every day and they need reliable transportation,” she said in an interview. “Now, with the possibility of being stopped for expired registration, that puts them at risk of being arrested.”
Without legal titles, drivers also cannot obtain insurance, she added, increasing risks for everyone on the road. They’ll also be more likely to skip the annual emissions tests required in counties like Travis, she said. (Texas got rid of statewide yearly inspection mandates in 2024, but several urban counties have retained their requirements.)
Cinthia Regino, another Austin-based title and insurance specialist, said 80% of her customer base could lose their ability to register their vehicles.
“It is a big deal,” she said.
The move could also threaten tax revenue. Vehicle registration generates income for the state, cities and counties, as do vehicle titles. In Bexar County, for example, around $65 of the $85.50 registration fee goes to state coffers, while $20 covers county expenses, according to Uresti.
Harrison said he’s unconcerned about potential revenue drops, and Uresti said counties will adapt.
“Any time you have a loss of revenue there is a concern, but at the end of the day, it’s up to government to adjust their spending,” Uresti said.
‘It’s going to be a learning curve’
Bob Daemmrich
For Harrison, it’s another victory in a laundry list of changes he has claimed credit for forcing through the executive branch, including the recent ouster of Texas A&M University’s president over teachings about gender identity. The new requirements also come two months after Abbott blocked DACA recipients, refugees and asylum recipients from obtaining commercial drivers’ licenses.
The Midlothian representative cast the policy shift as “the single most consequential election integrity or border security measure that happened this year.”
“I’m tired of the Texas government facilitating illegal immigration, and that’s what has been happening for a lot of years now,” he said.
Abbott most recently sent the Texas National Guard to Chicago to guard an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility, and the state Legislature approved a bill requiring sheriffs to assist federal immigration enforcement agents earlier this year.
Texans with a valid driver’s license and social security number can continue to renew their registrations online through the Texas-by-Texas portal. Others will need to present documentation to a county tax office each year. People seeking special registrations, like 72-hour permits, will not be subject to the additional proof-of-status requirements, per the DMV’s alert.
Uresti emphasized that Bexar County will continue assisting residents regardless of immigration status.
“People who are undocumented… can come in without any kind of hesitation or any kind of fear of being turned in,” Uresti said. “We’ll look through their paperwork and tell them, ‘Hey, you need this, or you need this.’”
Several major counties—including Harris, Comal, Dallas, Hays and Travis—did not respond to Hearst’s requests for comment.
