Automobile Registration and Inspection

< Back to Moving In and Getting Settled

Cars and motorcycles must be registered with the state and, if you plan on parking your car on campus regularly, with Rice University.

Rice Parking Registration

Registering vehicles with Rice is easy and can be taken care of online or at the Rice Parking Office in the Central Garage - just make sure you bring your Rice ID. The parking fee for 2008/2009 in the Commuting and Residential sections of the West Lot for students is $230 per year and $66 at the Greenbriar Lot. You can also request to be put on a waiting list for premium lots, such as the North Annex. These lots are reserved for faculty and staff and cost about twice as much as the West lot.

These rates are susceptible to price hikes. For more information on different lots and their fees, visit http://parking.rice.edu/. Be sure to learn Rice parking regulations; illegal parkers are ticketed, and the fines are steep. You can get a parking handbook from the Rice Police Station or download the file.

You will undoubtedly notice cars parked on the campus roadways with hazard lights blinking. In most areas on campus, you are allowed to park for up to 15 minutes, officially for loading and unloading your vehicle, but it also works for quick trips to pick up something or have a chat with your advisor. Some places on the inner loop, such as across from the Baker Institute, you are not allowed to park - these areas will be marked.

Texas Vehicle Inspection

Every automobile registered in Texas must pass an annual* safety inspection. The inspection is performed at any state-approved Safety Inspection Station. Finding one is no challenge; many gas stations and tune-up shops garishly display advertisements concerning the aforementioned. The fee for inspection service varies from station to station (approx. $45). They check the lights, horn, tires, brakes, and exhaust system. If this is your car's first Texas inspection, be sure to tell the inspector that you need an identification certificate. Be careful, as there are some unscrupulous operators about. See our Consumer Guide section on auto service. For more information, see the Texas Dept of Public Safety site on Vehicle Inspections.

Your car must also be re-inspected at least once a year. If your vehicle doesn’t pass inspection, you can have the problem fixed at the inspection station. If you think their price is out of line or if the repair is major and requires a specialist,
there is a form that the inspector can issue to certify that your car passed inspection with the noted exceptions. This document entitles you to take your car elsewhere to have the problem fixed. After the vehicle is repaired, you can then return to the station that performed the inspection within two weeks and present the form. They are obliged to complete the inspection and issue a sticker without additional payment.

Texas Vehicle Registration 

Vehicles already registered with other states may keep their license plates under a Texas license plate reciprocity agreement. Concerned readers are referred to the Texas Department of Transportation (512-465-7611) for more details. First time state registration starts by getting a vehicle safety inspection (see above)and a verification of the vehicle identification number (VIN).

Take the identification certificate and title to the County Tax Collector’s Office. The tax collector’s office for Harris County is located in 1001 Preston (713-368-2000, 8 am to 5 pm, Monday–Friday). The cost will be as much as $100, depending on the age of your vehicle. You must bring proof of liability insurance issued in your name. The insurance needn’t be issued in Texas, but, if it is out of state, you must bring a copy of the policy showing that it meets the minimum Texas requirements.

Title transfer can be done at the same time as registration. Once you get your license plates, vehicle registration must be renewed every year (they send a friendly reminder in the mail each year). You may pay by check or money order (via mail), online, at some area grocery store courtesy booths, or you may go to the registration office that sends you the renewal letter (the cheapest option). However, the Harris County Tax Collector’s Office only accepts cash or checks when paying registration fees.

If you are buying or selling a car privately, you should get a Seller-Trader Affidavit from any dealer or from the Harris County Assessor and Collector of Taxes. This form plus executed title and tag receipt as well as proof of insurance should be submitted by the purchaser to the tax collector. There is a small fee for handling these papers and transferring the title. Sales tax must be paid at the time of the title transfer.