I was in the county tax office this morning with my year of manufacture license plates, 1950. The plate number was not in use and the plate passed a visual look, color scheme correct and in good shape. The plate has to have TRUCK at the bottom and these are hard to come by and also have a pair for front and rear. I was issued a small sticker and metal tag to place on the upper corner of the plate, probably similar to the metal tag on war year license plates. This was new to me as my other 3 cars with YOM plates have a windshield sticker with month and year dates. The small sticker I got to put on the metal tag is the same we would put on a trailer. There is no place to put the sticker on the 1950 plate because they are a different size from modern plates and would partially cover some lettering. Old plates came in different sizes depending on the year, older ones were narrow width compared to length, then close dimensionally to modern plates, but still not the same. I don't know what year they were standardized, but all states have the same size plates now.
Texas used to issue the small sticker to go on your license plate and the inspection sticker went on the lower driver's side windshield. That stopped several years ago. Now you get a vehicle inspection and then go to the county tax office to get a windshield sticker with month and year, good for 1 year. This is your renewal for your vehicle's license plate. There are no longer any inspection stickers to place on the windshield. Vehicle inspection did go down in cost from $15 to $7 dollars. YOM plates are considered antique or classic car plates and good for 5 years and no vehicle inspection is needed. My small sticker is dated 03/28. If you register a YOM plate in 2024, it will still read 03/28 but the cost will be prorated one year less. My cost was $65.75. I paid $400 for these plates 4 years ago, they are now up to $600. And you best call before purchase and make sure that plate number is not in use or you could be SOL if they are.
Next year Texas is to do away with vehicle inspection. I don't know about the emissions test, my county is not required to have emission testing. Sounds confusing. We don't pay a yearly vehicle tax like some states. Home owners carry that burden. My home taxes are $6700 but are frozen as I am over 65 years old. Appraisal went up by 51K this year but I pay the same amount, thank God.
