BELL COUNTY, Texas — The temporary waiver for some vehicle titles and registration requirements will end for Bell County motorists on Wednesday, April 14. After, drivers can get ticketed for expired materials.
The temporary waiver was issued by Gov. Greg Abbott during March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The temporary waiver exempted Texas drivers from initial vehicle registrations and renewals, vehicle titling, renewal of disable parking placards and 30-day temporary permits. Most of those services require drivers to visit one of their county’s Tax Assessor-Collector offices in Belton, Killeen or Temple.
Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector Shay Luedeke is suggesting people make their appointments on the Tax Assessor's website as soon as possible due to an expected surge.
“Thanks to our new appointment system, you can schedule your visit online an avoid spending unnecessary time in the waiting area,” Luedeke said. “I strong[ly] encourage everyone to sign up for their registration appointments now, while there are plenty of available bookings in the system. If you wait until April, it may not be possible to get it taken care of before the state’s deadline."
If an owner’s registration did not expire during or after May 2020, it can be renewed either by mail or online. Registrations that expired before May 2020 must be renewed either mail or in-person.
If a vehicle’s inspection is more than a year old, a new passing inspection is required before a registration can be renewed.