TX inspection for vehicle in storage?

GreyDawg · July 14, 2019

How do I go about renewing the registration of a vehicle which is in storage while we are out of the country?

The registration will be due for renewal in June 2020. However, the vehicle will be in storage from Nov 2019 to August 2020 as we travel the world. (and, I hope, on just comprehensive insurance).

I called the Travis County Tax Office (because I was in Austin and they are very efficient). The person said that, as usual for registration/reregistration, inspection could be postponed if the vehicle is out of state, and it must be inspected within 3 days of returning to the state. Self-certify with Form 270. Yep, we all know that.

However, when I said the vehicle would be IN state, but in storage and not being driven, she had no clue. All she could suggest was letting the registration lapse in June 2020, and re-registering and inspecting when we return....but she noted that would mean driving an unregistered and uninspected vehicle at least as far as an inspection station!

I suppose I could phone Polk County TA and ask, but I won't be back in the US for another couple of weeks (Alaska roadtrip, now in Canada).

So...has anyone faced this issue before with a stored vehicle? Google is NOT my friend here!

Thanks!

chirakawa · July 14, 2019

I just drove my unregistered vehicle to the inspection station, got it inspected, took it home and parked it, then drove to the tax office to renew my registration. Mine had expired a couple of years earlier. It might help to have documentary evidence that you were out of the country during the period in case you are stopped by a LEO. I had the RV Park receipt showing continuous site rental for three years.

When you renew the expired registration, you will have to sign an affidavit saying that it had not been on the road during the expired period. They will understand that you had to drive it to get it inspected.

GreyDawg · July 14, 2019

Ah, OK. A couple of wrinkles might be that

(a) it is our only vehicle, so we would have to drive it first to inspection and then to the tax office to register (unless we could do that bit online, even though the registration would be expired), and

(b) the vehicle will be stored in the Austin area (Travis or Williamson counties) not Polk County, which might complicate re-registering? Would we have to drive the unregistered (but inspected) vehicle to Polk County?

Or am I totally overthinking this?

Edited July 14, 2019 by GreyDawg

chirakawa · July 15, 2019

3 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

Ah, OK. A couple of wrinkles might be that

(a) it is our only vehicle, so we would have to drive it first to inspection and then to the tax office to register (unless we could do that bit online, even though the registration would be expired), and

(b) the vehicle will be stored in the Austin area (Travis or Williamson counties) not Polk County, which might complicate re-registering? Would we have to drive the unregistered (but inspected) vehicle to Polk County?

Or am I totally overthinking this?

I would not get it inspected in the Austin area, they do emissions testing I think. If it were mine, I would carry documentation supporting my claim that I've been out of the country and drive the thing to Polk County to get it inspected and registered.

Another option is to renew the registration from wherever you are and you don't have to get it inspected until you return. I'm not totally sure of the process, but several on this forum do it that way when out of State.

Kirk W · July 15, 2019

8 hours ago, chirakawa said:

I would not get it inspected in the Austin area, they do emissions testing I think.

You are correct and the stations located in any area requiring a smog check can't do the non-smog inspections.

ms60ocb · July 15, 2019

14 hours ago, GreyDawg said:

I called the Travis County Tax Office (because I was in Austin and they are very efficient). The person said that, as usual for registration/reregistration, inspection could be postponed if the vehicle is out of state, and it must be inspected within 3 days of returning to the state. Self-certify with Form 270. Yep, we all know that.

I would do a self inspection form and mark out the appropriate statement that are not true like "the vehicle is out of state" but add your out off state and vehicle is in storage and acknowledge the fact that you have 3 days to complete inspection. Don't sign anything false, correct the application to be correct in your case

You want to be legal when the car comes out of storage. If the process gets rejected to have one more piece of paper to hand the LEO

Clay I'm not a Lawyer but hope I have some common sense

Big Rick · July 15, 2019

Where is it registered? If registered in Austin area, you are required to have the testing (assuming this is a motorized vehicle).

TXiceman · July 15, 2019

A gasoline power vehicle has to be inspected for the county of registration. A diesel powered u nit can be inspected anywhere in the state, since they are not smog tested.

If out of state you can check a box you are out of state and you have 72 hours to get it inspected once back in Texas. Since the unit is in storage, I'd be inclined to fudge a bit and do the online registration and check out of state and get it inspected as soon as you come out of storage.

jblscooper · July 15, 2019

Not quite true Iceman... I have had gas powered car that is registered in Polk county, inspected in Galveston and Grayson county several times. They do not do the emission tests.

Jim

Twotoes · July 15, 2019

I’m not sure about TX but when I lived in Calif you could file a Non-Op when the vehicle was off the road and in storage. When you wanted to return it to the road you would just reregisture it then. TX may not have this option?

Big5er · July 15, 2019

Go on your trip. When you get back, drive it to the county you need to and get it inspected and registered. IF you get stopped (highly unlikely anyway) explain to the officer that you have been out of the country. Show them your passport or other proof that you have been gone from November to August. They may or may not have pity on you. If he doesn't, so what? Go get the registration and inspection done. Take your ticket and go to court. Explain the situation to the judge. Show him/her that you got your vehicle registered and inspected immediately after returning to the country and request that the citation be dismissed. Section 502.407 of the Texas Transportation Code says the judge may dismiss the citation, if you remedied the issue within 20 days of the offense, and charge you a processing fee of no more than $20 for the dismissal.

GreyDawg · July 15, 2019

Thank you for all the replies.

I do NOT want to do anything illegal, so I will not fudge the forms and say the vehicle was out of state when it was not. That's why I am trying to find the correct procedure.

Texas does not seem to have a non-op registration -- they will issue a title for a non-operated vehicle but not registration. At least, that's my interpretation of the DMV website.

There is a 30-day temporary permit which may be applicable: let the registration lapse, get a 30 day permit, and then drive the vehicle to be inspected and get the permanent registration (best done while NOT under severe jet lag). And if it has sat unused for several months, it may need a few days at my excellent Austin mechanic before it will be road-ready anyway.

It is registered in Polk County, but I have had it inspected in other counties. I can't recall if they did a smog test or not. I don't mind the smog test; it's a 2017 Transit, so if it fails I clearly have other issues to deal with. I would prefer NOT making a trip to Polk County --- not a place I enjoy at all -- just to get it inspected and reregistered.

Unless I find something different, I think I will follow chirakawa's initial response " When you renew the expired registration, you will have to sign an affidavit saying that it had not been on the road during the expired period. They will understand that you had to drive it to get it inspected. " That makes sense, and I didn't know about the affidavit. That can be supported with my plane tickets as well as the storage facility receipts.

Thanks again. More Googling in my future on this topic!

Edited July 15, 2019 by GreyDawg

Ronbo · July 15, 2019

9 hours ago, TXiceman said:

A gasoline power vehicle has to be inspected for the county of registration. A diesel powered u nit can be inspected anywhere in the state, since they are not smog tested.

You do not have to be inspected in your county of registration. I am registered on Polk County but I have my Jeep inspected in Hale county in the panhandle. What happens if you are registered in the south and you are just passing through the panhandle? You are supposed to have it inspected within three days of entering the state. You may not even be going down to your registration county.

For my case it may be because no smog is required for either county.

GreyDawg · July 15, 2019

Found it! From TxDMV.GOV

Your vehicle registration may be renewed online 90 days before the expiration date or up to six months after the expiration date, if you have not received a citation for expired registration. Your expiration month will not change.

So, worst case scenario is that I drive the unregistered vehicle for inspection and then renew online asap. Best case scenario is that I can renew online and then have it inspected....

More google to come....

TXiceman · July 16, 2019

1 hour ago, Ronbo said:

You do not have to be inspected in your county of registration. I am registered on Polk County but I have my Jeep inspected in Hale county in the panhandle. What happens if you are registered in the south and you are just passing through the panhandle? You are supposed to have it inspected within three days of entering the state. You may not even be going down to your registration county.

For my case it may be because no smog is required for either county.

If it is a smog county, it has to be in a smog county.

Barbaraok · July 16, 2019

Since Escapees’s registration is in Polk county, not a problem

Kirk W · July 16, 2019

2 hours ago, Ronbo said:

You do not have to be inspected in your county of registration.

While that is correct, if you choose a county that has the same level of inspection as the county of registration. Since Polk Co. does not require a smog test, any county will do but if you do get the inspection done in a county where smog test is required, you will be required to pass and pay for the smog test. If your vehicles are registered where the smog test is required, an inspection from a county that doesn't smog test will not be accepted.