The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles board on Sept. 18 voted unanimously to adopt a series of rule readoptions and amendments across chapters of the Texas Administrative Code. The changes implement recent legislative measures, revise dealer plate handling, clarify criminal-history fingerprinting for certain motor-vehicle business licenses and create new authorization and adjudicative procedures for automated vehicles.

Why it matters: The rules implement or clarify statutory changes passed by the Texas Legislature in recent sessions and affect dealers, salvage recyclers, motor-carrier operators and regulated licensees. Several items were amended at the board’s request to narrow or clarify agency discretion and to add operational mitigations for dealers.

Votes at a glance

- Agenda item 7 — Rule review and readoption (Ch. 206, 211, 217): Approved unanimously. The board completed the four‑year rule review process for these chapters and readopted provisions not being amended.

- Agenda item 8 — Amendments to Ch. 211 (Criminal history; offenses affecting licenses): Approved unanimously after an amendment to narrow new fingerprinting triggers. The board amended proposed language so the department will seek fingerprints for applicants who have representative/authoritative roles in a business rather than all trust beneficiaries, and clarified that previously fingerprinted applicants generally will not be re-fingerprinted on renewal.

- Agenda item 9 — Dealer plate and industry rules (Ch. 215): Approved unanimously with a friendly amendment to direct staff to add a mitigating factor in the department’s disciplinary matrix for dealers who acquire temporary permits when they have no appropriate plate inventory and are awaiting a shipment from the department.

- Agenda item 10 — Salvage dealer licensing (Ch. 221): Approved unanimously. Rules implement military-related licensing timelines and recognition of out-of-state licenses for service members and spouses pursuant to recent bills.

- Agenda item 11 — Registration provisions (Ch. 217): Approved unanimously. Changes include a 24‑month registration option for some commercial fleet purchases, new requirements for removal and reassignment or destruction of plates on sold vehicles, and elimination of a $1 online-renewal discount.

- Agenda item 12 — New Ch. 220 (Automated vehicles authorization): Approved unanimously. The board adopted rules to implement Senate Bill 2807 requiring authorization from the department for Level 4–5 automated vehicles used commercially; the board also approved an extended effective date for operational readiness and programming.

- Agenda item 13 — Adjudicative procedures (Ch. 224 subchapter J): Approved unanimously. Procedural rules were adopted to handle enforcement, suspension and revocation of authorizations for automated vehicles and to provide processes for restrictions and reinstatements.

- Agenda item 14 — Adoptions supporting HB1672 (Ch. 224): Approved unanimously. The board adopted procedural rules required by HB1672 to permit revocation and suspension of motor-carrier registration on referrals from DPS or FMCSA.

- Agenda item 15 — License-plate database access (Ch. 224.58): Approved unanimously. The department may deny access to the license-plate database to dealers previously denied access to the temporary-tag database; dealers will receive notice and may request a hearing.

- Agenda item 16 — Proposal to publish rule package (Ch. 217 and related): Approved unanimously to publish for public comment. The package would implement several legislative items including procedures for metal recyclers acquiring vehicles without titles and recognition of disabled peace officers for disabled-plate programs.

Board debate and key changes

Fingerprinting for business-license background checks: The board’s most substantial debate centered on proposed expansions to fingerprinting authority for persons linked to motor-vehicle business licenses. Staff had proposed broader authority to require fingerprinting of trust beneficiaries when the department had reason to suspect concealment of a disqualifying actor. Several board members — and representatives of dealer groups — warned that the language could sweep in minors, passive trust beneficiaries and distant relatives who have no operational authority at a dealership.

The board amended the proposed new section so the department may require fingerprinting of persons applying for a new license, license changes due to ownership changes, or license renewals, limited to those who “have representative authoritative rights in the dealership” (the board’s amendment reverted the rule provision to the current operational approach in Sec. 211.6(b)(1) while clarifying scope). Staff also agreed to publish additional public-facing guidance about how the department applies its discretionary fingerprinting authority and to avoid fingerprinting minors.

Dealer plates and temporary permits: Board members asked staff to clarify enforcement discretion where dealers use 30‑day temporary permits while waiting on plate inventory. The board added a direction to staff to amend the disciplinary matrix to add a mitigating factor for dealers who obtain temporary permits because appropriate inventory was not available and who are awaiting a department plate shipment. The board also authorized the department to enable dealer self‑service plate ordering through its inventory management system; the department reported the self‑service function was enabled and multiple orders had already been processed.

Automated vehicles: The board adopted rules implementing the new statutory authorization requirement for Level 4/5 automated vehicles used commercially. The rules establish application requirements, a material‑change reporting obligation (agency staff clarified that adding a single vehicle constitutes a material change), and an enforcement and reinstatement process. The board and staff noted statutory deadlines and a recommended effective date tied to programming timelines and the Department of Public Safety’s parallel rule work; full operational enforcement is expected after systems and DPS rules are ready.

Formal actions (selected)

- Item 7 — Readoption of Chs. 206, 211 and 217: Motion by Member Jones; seconded by Member Graham. Vote: unanimous (Members Alvarado, Gilman, Graham, Jones, Vice Chair McCray, Member Amumu, Member Schlosser, Chair Bakarese — all voted aye).

- Item 8 — Amend Ch. 211 (criminal history/fingerprinting): Motion to adopt as amended by Member Mahmood (restated motion); seconded by Member McCray. Vote: unanimous (same voters listed above).

- Item 9 — Adopt dealer/plate rules (Ch. 215) with disciplinary-matrix direction: Motion by Vice Chair McCray; seconded by Member Graham. Vote: unanimous.

(See the actions[] field below for the structured motions, movers, seconders and vote records captured from the meeting transcript.)

Context and next steps

Most adoptions passed unanimously. Staff said several of the changes will require system programming and coordination with other agencies (notably DPS and county tax-assessor/collector offices) and that the department will publish guidance for industry partners. The board asked staff to prepare additional public-facing guidance on fingerprinting practices and to adjust enforcement matrices to avoid penalizing dealers who are making a documented good-faith effort to comply with plate requirements.

Ending

Board members expressed broad support for implementation while insisting on clarifying language to protect law-abiding dealers and to limit unintended consequences from broadened discretionary authority.