What to do when moving to Texas
Start home services before moving day. During the first week, update your address and gather residency documents. Register an out-of-state vehicle within 30 days, get a Texas driver's license within 90 days, and register to vote at least 30 days before an election.
Your Texas moving timeline
Start with the items tied to the address and moving date, then handle the state deadlines in order.
Confirm home services
Schedule electricity, then confirm internet, water, and trash service for the exact address.
Jump to home setup ↓Update your address
Forward mail, collect residency documents, and book appointments before the calendars fill up.
Jump to address updates ↓Register your vehicle
Get Texas-compliant insurance and complete registration through your county tax office.
Jump to vehicle steps ↓Get your Texas license
Register the vehicle first, then bring the required identity and residency documents to DPS.
Jump to license steps ↓Register to vote
Texas requires registration at least 30 days before the election in which you want to vote.
Jump to voter registration ↓Move the company separately
Confirm the entity, permits, taxes, employees, and commercial services for the Texas location.
Jump to business steps ↓Update your address
This one has no legal deadline, but it's worth doing the day you move: it's what gets your mail actually reaching you, and it's genuinely useful supporting proof when you're gathering documents for the steps below. Two direct, official, completely free links: no signup services, no third-party "processing fees" dressed up to look official:
- USPS Change of Address : the U.S. Postal Service's own official form. Search results are frequently cluttered with third-party sites charging $40+ to do exactly this; the real one, direct from USPS, is free.
- Texas DPS Appointment Scheduler : the official portal for booking your driver's license appointment (see Step 2 below), and it'll tell you up front if your particular update can actually be handled online instead through Texas.gov without an in-person visit.
Step 1: Register your vehicle (within 30 days)
This is the one with the shortest window, and it's a multi-part process handled at your county tax assessor-collector's office: not a DMV branch (Texas splits vehicle services and driver services between two different agencies). The short version: get Texas-compliant insurance ($30,000/$60,000/$25,000 minimums), check whether your county still requires an emissions test (the old statewide safety-inspection sticker ended January 1, 2025: noncommercial vehicles no longer need it), then bring your insurance, out-of-state title or registration, and completed Form 130-U to the county tax office. Expect to pay the base state registration ($51.75), the Inspection Program Replacement Fee ($7.50, or $16.75 for a new vehicle), county fees, a new-resident use tax, and an EV surcharge if applicable.
Full checklist, current fee breakdown, and the exact emissions-county list: see our out-of-state vehicle registration guide.
Step 2: Get your Texas driver's license (within 90 days)
You can legally drive on a valid, unexpired license from another U.S. state, territory, or Canadian province for up to 90 days after you establish Texas residency. Because you'll likely be asked to show proof of Texas vehicle registration when you apply, most people knock out Step 1 first. The appointment has to happen in person at a DPS Driver License office: bring your out-of-state license to surrender, two acceptable Texas residency documents, proof of citizenship or lawful presence, and evidence of vehicle registration if you own a car. If your out-of-state license is valid or expired less than two years, you're generally exempt from the knowledge and skills exams.
Full document list, what counts as proof of residency, and appointment tips: see our Texas driver's-license guide for new residents.
Home setup: electricity, internet, water, and trash
No state deadline attached, but most new residents handle this under real time pressure: moving day, a closing date, a lease start: which is exactly when a bill-credit cliff or a short contract with bad timing is easiest to miss. Every deregulated Texas electricity bill also includes a delivery charge from your area's TDU (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas, TNMP, or Lubbock Power & Light) baked into the retail price: see our TDU delivery-charge guide for what that pays for, and plan traps to avoid before you sign up. Internet, water, and trash service are set up directly with the relevant local provider or municipality, confirm what's available at the new address before moving day.
Start with the utility serving your new area
Moving to North Texas? Review the Oncor territory guide, then compare local options in Dallas or Fort Worth. Moving to the Houston area? Start with the CenterPoint territory guide and the Houston electricity comparison. Utility boundaries follow the service address, not the city name, so use these as the informed starting point rather than a substitute for address confirmation.
Find the best electricity plan for your new address.
Enter the new Texas ZIP code to compare plans available for the home you are moving to.
Your ZIP opens comparison. Your street address is only requested if you continue in the marketplace.
Start with the electricity system you're leaving
The Texas setup makes more sense when it is compared with the utility structure you already know. These state-specific guides explain the handoff without pretending California, Florida, and New York work the same way.
If you are leaving a Texas address before the electricity contract ends, review the Texas relocation rule for early-termination fees before canceling. A genuine move and a provider switch at the same address follow different processes.
Step 3: Register to vote (no move-in deadline, but register early)
Unlike the other two, there's no clock tied to your move-in date: but Texas does require you to be registered at least 30 days before any election you want to cast a ballot in. There's no reason to put this one off. You're eligible if:
- You're a U.S. citizen;
- You're a resident of the county where you're applying;
- You're at least 17 years and 10 months old when you apply (you must turn 18 by Election Day);
- You're not currently serving a felony sentence, on parole, or on probation for a felony conviction; and
- No court has ruled you totally or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote.
You can register online through Texas.gov if you already have a Texas driver's license or ID, by mailing a paper application to your county voter registrar, in person at your county registrar's office, or on the spot at a DPS office while you're there for Step 2 (sometimes called "Motor Voter"). Once you've applied, you can confirm your status anytime through the Secretary of State's "Am I Registered?" lookup tool.
Official Texas resources worth bookmarking
These state-run pages cover common questions that do not fit neatly into the three deadlines above:
- Texas.gov moving hub: the state's overview of licenses, vehicles, voting, work, schools, and services.
- TxDMV mover protections: check a mover's credentials and understand your rights before signing a contract.
- Texas Education Agency school resources: find school and district information from the state source.
- Texas Workforce Commission job-seeker resources: employment services, training, and unemployment information.
Moving a business to Texas too?
A household move does not automatically update a company. An out-of-state entity may need to register with the Texas Secretary of State; an assumed name, tax account, employer setup, permit, lease, or utility service can have its own process. Treat the company move as a second checklist tied to the exact business address.
Use the Texas business relocation checklist
Work through registration, taxes, permits, employer requirements, internet, and commercial electricity without mixing them into the personal 90-day timeline.
Got the paperwork covered? Let's find your electricity plan.
Real plans, real Electricity Facts Label data, no gimmicks hidden in the fine print.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to register my car after moving to Texas?
30 days from the day you move: the shortest deadline of the three main relocation tasks. Expect to pay the base state registration of $51.75 (including the TexasSure fee), plus whatever your specific county adds, and a new-resident use tax.
How long do I have to get a Texas driver's license after moving?
90 days from the day you establish Texas residency. You can legally drive on a valid, unexpired out-of-state license for those first 90 days.
Do I need a vehicle safety inspection in Texas?
No: the annual vehicle safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles was eliminated statewide (House Bill 3297). It's replaced by a flat $7.50 Inspection Program Replacement Fee at registration ($16.75 for new or previously-unregistered current-or-prior-model-year vehicles). An emissions test is still required in 17 counties, with Bexar County (San Antonio) being added in 2026. Commercial vehicles still need a full safety inspection statewide.
When do I need to register to vote after moving to Texas?
There's no deadline tied to your move-in date, but you do need to be registered at least 30 days before any specific election you want to vote in.
Sources: United States Postal Service, Official Change of Address; Texas Department of Public Safety, Moving to Texas: A Guide to Driver Licenses and IDs and Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes and the DPS Appointment Scheduler; Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, New to Texas; Texas Secretary of State, VoteTexas.gov Voter Registration. Fees and county lists reflect the cited sources as of this writing and can change: verify current details directly with DPS, TxDMV, or your county offices before you go.