Wichita County Sheriff's Office launches monthly VIN inspection program to reduce vehicle‑title burdens

During the public‑comment portion of the Oct. 3 Wichita County Commissioners Court meeting, Lieutenant Wilson of the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office described a new VIN verification and inspection service the sheriff’s office is launching to serve county residents with specialty vehicle‑title needs.

Wilson said the county will begin offering inspections on the first and second Wednesday of every month to provide a local alternative to traveling to Decatur or Tarrant County for limited monthly inspection days. The service will be staffed by three certified auto‑theft investigators who are trained to perform VIN verifications required for special titling situations such as homemade vehicles, out‑of‑country imports or title transpositions. "We are auto theft investigator trained...we are certified in order to ... verify these vehicles and prevent auto theft," Wilson told the court during public comment.

Wilson said the office has set an initial cap of 30 appointments per session because of staffing limits and will operate from the parking lot behind the Central building for easy setup; he added that the service could move to a weigh station once constructed. He told the court he has set up online registration on the sheriff’s website and is coordinating with the county’s social media and the DMV to direct residents to the new local option.

On fees, Wilson said Texas statute allows counties to charge up to $40 per inspection; he had not recommended a final fee structure to the court but said any fee would be a general‑fund receipt. "State statute does allow us to charge 40 per inspection...The $40 inspection fees are, general fund items," Wilson said. Officials and other speakers at the meeting encouraged public notice and outreach; Wilson said he and deputies will work with media partners and the county’s communications staff to promote the option.

No court action was required on the announcement; commissioners expressed appreciation for the local service and encouraged outreach to maximize use.