Certain active-duty military owners of used vehicles are exempt from the state registration requirement, and vehicle transferees must receive specified proof instead of the license receipt.
Sec. 502.457. PERSONS ON ACTIVE DUTY IN ARMED FORCES OF UNITED STATES. (a) This section applies only to a used motor vehicle that is owned by a person who: (1) is on active duty in the armed forces of the United States; (2) is stationed in or has been assigned to another nation under military orders; and (3) has registered the vehicle or been issued a license for the vehicle under the applicable status of forces agreement by: (A) the appropriate branch of the armed forces of the United States; or (B) the nation in which the person is stationed or to which the person has been assigned. (b) The requirement that a used vehicle be registered under the law of this state does not apply to a vehicle described by Subsection (a). In lieu of delivering the license receipt to the transferee of the vehicle, as required by Section 501.0721, the person selling, trading, or otherwise transferring a used motor vehicle described by Subsection (a) shall deliver to the transferee: (1) a letter written on official letterhead by the owner's unit commander attesting to the registration of the vehicle under Subsection (a)(3); or (2) the registration receipt issued by the appropriate branch of the armed forces or host nation. (c) A registration receipt issued by a host nation that is not written in the English language must be accompanied by: (1) a written translation of the registration receipt in English; and (2) an affidavit, in English and signed by the person translating the registration receipt, attesting to the person's ability to translate the registration receipt into English. Transferred, redesignated and amended from Transportation Code, Section 520.0225 by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1296 (H.B. 2357), Sec. 153, eff. January 1, 2012.