TxDOT issues and renews the various types of licenses necessary for different
facets of the sale and distribution of motor vehicles in Texas. For information
about specific licenses, including definitions, requirements and applications,
click on the appropriate links below:
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Converter License |
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A conversion means a motor vehicle, other than a motor home,
ambulance or fire-fighting vehicle, that:
- has been substantially modified by a person other than the manufacturer
or distributor of the chassis of the motor vehicle, and
- has not been the subject of a retail sale.
A converter means a person who before the retail sale of a motor vehicle:
- assembles, installs, or affixes a body, cab or special equipment to a
chassis, or
- substantially adds, subtracts from or modifies a previously assembled or
manufactured motor vehicle other than a motor home, ambulance or
fire-fighting vehicle.
Additional information about this type of license can be found in the
pamphlet,
Know the Law #4: Converters & Conversions.
Converter License Forms
Category |
Form No. |
Title |
PDF |
Word |
General |
2293 |
Payment and Mailing Instructions |
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General |
LF604 |
Application to Amend Business Entity |
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General |
LF701 |
Plate Application Form |
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General |
LF901 |
Affidavit and Application for Duplicate License |
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Converter |
LP301 |
New Application Information |
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Converter |
LF301 |
Application for New License |
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Converter |
LF321 |
Amendment Application Form |
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Converter |
LF602 |
Ownership and Management Form |
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Franchise License |
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Independent (GDN) License |
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Independent Motor Vehicle - May buy, sell, or exchange any type of used
cars and trucks. May use dealer's temporary tags, buyer's temporary tags, and
metal dealer license plates on motor vehicles only. Must provide a bond.
Independent Motorcycle - May buy, sell, or exchange any type of used
motorcycles, motor scooters or ATVs. May use dealer's temporary tags, buyer's
temporary tags, and metal dealer license plates on motorcycles, motor scooters
or ATVs only. Must provide a bond.
Travel Trailer - May buy, sell, or exchange used travel trailers. May
use dealer's temporary tags, buyer's temporary tags, and metal dealer license
plates on travel trailers only. Exempt from the security requirement.
Trailer/Semitrailer - May buy, sell, or exchange new or used utility
trailers and/or semitrailers. May use dealer's temporary tags, buyer's temporary
tags, and metal dealer license plates on trailers/semitrailers only. Exempt from
the security requirement.
Wholesale - May sell or exchange vehicles with other licensed dealers
only.
- Are NOT required to have a five-vehicle display area.
- May NOT sell vehicles to retail purchasers.
- Wholesale vehicle dealers may buy, sell, or exchange used vehicles,
including motor vehicles, motorcycles, and travel trailers. May buy, sell,
or exchange new or used trailers and/or semitrailers. May use temporary tags
and metal dealer license plates. Must provide a bond.
Wholesale Motor Vehicle Auction - May offer vehicles for sale by bid
only to licensed dealers at a bona fide auction at a permanent location. Must
provide a bond.
- May not make facilities or GDN available to any other person for the
purpose of the sale or auction of vehicles.
- May be issued only one wholesale motor vehicle auction GDN for a
particular location.
- May be issued a regular motor vehicle GDN for a location that has been
issued a wholesale motor vehicle auction GDN.
Additional information about this type of license can be found in these
pamphlets:
Independent (GDN) Forms
Category |
Form No. |
Title |
PDF |
Word |
General |
2293 |
Payment and Mailing Instructions |
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General |
LF604 |
Application to Amend Business Entity |
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General |
LF701 |
Plate Application Form |
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General |
LF901 |
Affidavit and Application for Duplicate License |
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Independent |
LP021 |
New Application Information |
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Independent |
LP011 |
License Purveyors Information |
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Independent |
LF001 |
Application for General Distinguishing Number (Independent Dealers) |
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Independent |
LF601 |
Ownership and Management Form |
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Independent |
LF021 |
Amendment Application Form |
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In-transit License |
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Leasing License |
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Manufacturer/Distributor
License |
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Representative License |
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Two-Year License |
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As a result of
House Bill 2651, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2007, all new license
applicants will be issued a
two-year license beginning September 1, 2008.
Transition Period
The first year will be a transition
period to stagger license expiration.
- Half of all monthly renewals
will receive a two-year license and the other half will receive a one-year
license.
- One-year license terms have
been randomly assigned to half of our licensees and two-year license terms
to the other half.
- After the transition period,
all licensees will have a two-year license term.
One-year license terms have been
randomly assigned to half of our licensees and a two-year license to the other
half.
Motor Vehicle Surety Bond
No changes have been made to the
Motor Vehicle
Dealer Surety Bond as a result of the change in the length of license terms.
- The bond form remains the same
- Dealers must provide a $25,000
bond for the term of both one-year and two -year licenses.
- The bond term will extend for
the same length of time as the dealer's license term.
- All new license applications received on or after September 1, 2008,
will receive a two-year license term upon approval.
- All new applications for an independent motor vehicle dealer license
received on or after September 1, 2008, that are required to include a bond,
should have a bond with a two-year term.
Existing Licensees
To determine whether an existing licensee will be issued a one-year or a
two-year license, select the Excel spreadsheet for the appropriate license
category in the table below.
- The spreadsheets are sorted by business name, but can be downloaded and
sorted by any of the columns.
- If a franchised dealer has a supplemental used vehicle dealership in a
different city from their franchised dealership location, the license term
information for that supplemental used vehicle dealership will be found on
the Independent spreadsheet.
Title |
Excel |
Converter License |
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Distributor License |
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Franchised Dealer License |
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In-Transit License |
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Independent Dealer License |
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Lease Facilitator License |
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Lessor License |
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Manufacturer License |
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