Moving to the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex? Get your answers and make your buying decisions easy by using our resource guide.
| Dallas at a Glance |
Alcoholic beverages may be served in restaurants and bars from 7 a.m. to midnight on Monday through Saturday. A late hours permit/license is available in certain areas that can extend the purchase of alcohol until 2 a.m. On Sunday, alcohol can be served with food service or at a “sporting venue” starting at 10 a.m. until midnight. Other permits may start at noon and serve till 2 a.m. with a late hours permit.
Various counties are partially wet meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages have restrictions, or are completely dry like Delta County. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code (TABC) holds elections several times a year to determine wet/dry areas. Although the laws regulating the alcoholic beverage industry are consistent statewide, the TABC allows local determination of the types of alcoholic beverages which may be sold and how they can be sold by means of local option elections. Elections can be held by counties, cities or individual justice of the peace precincts.
Texas also has a zero tolerance law regarding the consumption of alcohol while driving, and driving while intoxicated (DWI) laws are strictly enforced by Texas police officers. The legal limit for intoxication in Texas is .08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC), however, drivers can be stopped and cited for impaired driving due to alcohol or other drugs regardless of BAC. A first offense carries up to a $2,000 fine, 72 hours to 180 days in jail and driver’s license suspension of 90 days to one year. For drivers under 21, a first offense carries a 30-day driver’s license suspension, up to a $500 fine, eight to 12 hours of community service and mandatory attendance in alcohol-awareness classes.
—PETS
The state of Texas requires that dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age and on a 1-year or 3-year basis thereafter depending on the vaccine used. Additionally, when traveling with a dog or cat, have in your possession a rabies vaccination certificate that was signed by a veterinarian. Check with your veterinarian about other vaccines that are available for a wide range of diseases.
All dogs and cats over 3 months of age that are being transported into Texas must have been vaccinated against rabies within the last 12 or 36 months depending on the vaccine used.
DRIVING AND REGISTRATION
Once you’ve set up residency in the Dallas area and have a local address, one of your first stops will be to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to apply for a Texas Driver’s License and to register your vehicle.
According to the Department of Public Safety, new residents are required to get a Texas driver’s license within 90 days of moving to Texas. New residents with a valid out-of-state driver’s license and who own a vehicle and would like to obtain a Texas driver’s license will need to provide proof of Texas registration, proof of liability insurance, a Social Security number and an out-of-state license. The only examination required is the vision test.
If the out-of-state license has expired, a new resident will have to take a written and a driving examination as well as the vision test. Those who do not own a vehicle will not have to show proof of insurance but will be required to complete an affidavit of non-ownership. At the time of application, new residents will be required to surrender their valid or expired out-of-state driver’s license. The fee for an original driver’s license for people over 18 is $24, and it expires in six years. For a full list of fees, visit the Website at www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/dlfees.htm.
All original applicants for a driver’s license or an identification certificate must present proof of identity satisfactory to the Department of Public Safety, as well as take written, driving and vision tests. For information about documents that may be presented as acceptable proof of identity, go to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website at www.texasonline.com.
A beginning driver –15 years of age or older – can apply for an instruction permit, which enables the holder of the permit to drive with a licensed driver who is 18 years of age or older in the front seat. To obtain a permit, one must pass the written portion of the driving test.
In addition to the items listed above, applicants under the age of 18 applying for a first-time Texas driver license and presenting either a valid out-of-state instruction permit or driver license must present proof of completion of driver education and verification of current enrollment and attendance in school (or high school diploma or GED).
A new rule placed into effect March 1, 2010, states that driver license applicants between the ages of 18 and 24 must complete an approved driver education course and a driving skills test to become a licensed driver in Texas. Applicants must submit a certificate proving that they successfully completed a driver education course approved by the Texas Education Agency under Sections 1001.101 (a) (1), 1001.101 (a) (2), or 1001.1015, Texas Education Code.
In 2000, Texas passed a regulation, which requires that first-time foreign applicants must prove legal U.S. residency before obtaining a Texas driver’s license.
Call the Texas Department of Public Safety Driver’s License Office in Dallas at 214-651-1859 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for information on locations and to obtain a booklet on Texas driving regulations. Bureaus are located throughout the area.
—VEHICLE REGISTRATION
According to the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Motor Vehicles, new Texas residents are required to do the following within 30 days of moving to Texas: get a vehicle inspection; and register and title their vehicle. New residents must have their vehicles pass inspection before having it registered and titled. After having it inspected, owners should take the following to their county tax office:
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and nonresident students attending accredited Texas schools on a full-time basis are not considered state residents.
Various counties are partially wet meaning the sale of alcoholic beverages have restrictions, or are completely dry like Delta County. Some prohibit off-premises sale, some prohibit on-premises sale, and some prohibit both. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code (TABC) holds elections several times a year to determine wet/dry areas. Although the laws regulating the alcoholic beverage industry are consistent statewide, the TABC allows local determination of the types of alcoholic beverages which may be sold and how they can be sold by means of local option elections. Elections can be held by counties, cities or individual justice of the peace precincts.
Texas also has a zero tolerance law regarding the consumption of alcohol while driving, and driving while intoxicated (DWI) laws are strictly enforced by Texas police officers. The legal limit for intoxication in Texas is .08 blood alcohol concentration (BAC), however, drivers can be stopped and cited for impaired driving due to alcohol or other drugs regardless of BAC. A first offense carries up to a $2,000 fine, 72 hours to 180 days in jail and driver’s license suspension of 90 days to one year. For drivers under 21, a first offense carries a 30-day driver’s license suspension, up to a $500 fine, eight to 12 hours of community service and mandatory attendance in alcohol-awareness classes.
—PETS
The state of Texas requires that dogs and cats be vaccinated against rabies by 4 months of age and on a 1-year or 3-year basis thereafter depending on the vaccine used. Additionally, when traveling with a dog or cat, have in your possession a rabies vaccination certificate that was signed by a veterinarian. Check with your veterinarian about other vaccines that are available for a wide range of diseases.
All dogs and cats over 3 months of age that are being transported into Texas must have been vaccinated against rabies within the last 12 or 36 months depending on the vaccine used.
DRIVING AND REGISTRATION
Once you’ve set up residency in the Dallas area and have a local address, one of your first stops will be to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to apply for a Texas Driver’s License and to register your vehicle.
According to the Department of Public Safety, new residents are required to get a Texas driver’s license within 90 days of moving to Texas. New residents with a valid out-of-state driver’s license and who own a vehicle and would like to obtain a Texas driver’s license will need to provide proof of Texas registration, proof of liability insurance, a Social Security number and an out-of-state license. The only examination required is the vision test.
If the out-of-state license has expired, a new resident will have to take a written and a driving examination as well as the vision test. Those who do not own a vehicle will not have to show proof of insurance but will be required to complete an affidavit of non-ownership. At the time of application, new residents will be required to surrender their valid or expired out-of-state driver’s license. The fee for an original driver’s license for people over 18 is $24, and it expires in six years. For a full list of fees, visit the Website at www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/dlfees.htm.
All original applicants for a driver’s license or an identification certificate must present proof of identity satisfactory to the Department of Public Safety, as well as take written, driving and vision tests. For information about documents that may be presented as acceptable proof of identity, go to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website at www.texasonline.com.
A beginning driver –15 years of age or older – can apply for an instruction permit, which enables the holder of the permit to drive with a licensed driver who is 18 years of age or older in the front seat. To obtain a permit, one must pass the written portion of the driving test.
In addition to the items listed above, applicants under the age of 18 applying for a first-time Texas driver license and presenting either a valid out-of-state instruction permit or driver license must present proof of completion of driver education and verification of current enrollment and attendance in school (or high school diploma or GED).
A new rule placed into effect March 1, 2010, states that driver license applicants between the ages of 18 and 24 must complete an approved driver education course and a driving skills test to become a licensed driver in Texas. Applicants must submit a certificate proving that they successfully completed a driver education course approved by the Texas Education Agency under Sections 1001.101 (a) (1), 1001.101 (a) (2), or 1001.1015, Texas Education Code.
In 2000, Texas passed a regulation, which requires that first-time foreign applicants must prove legal U.S. residency before obtaining a Texas driver’s license.
Call the Texas Department of Public Safety Driver’s License Office in Dallas at 214-651-1859 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for information on locations and to obtain a booklet on Texas driving regulations. Bureaus are located throughout the area.
—VEHICLE REGISTRATION
According to the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Motor Vehicles, new Texas residents are required to do the following within 30 days of moving to Texas: get a vehicle inspection; and register and title their vehicle. New residents must have their vehicles pass inspection before having it registered and titled. After having it inspected, owners should take the following to their county tax office:
- inspection certification,
- proof of liability insurance,
- the vehicle’s odometer reading if it is less than 10 years old,
- an original out-of-state title, proof of registration, proof of sales tax payment or current foreign/military ownership document,
- completed Form VTR 130-U, and
- the following fees:
- registration fee,
- title application fee of $28 or $33, depending on the county, and
- new resident tax of $90.
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces and nonresident students attending accredited Texas schools on a full-time basis are not considered state residents.
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