Texas Title Search by VIN
Buying used in Texas? Search the VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction sales (damage, photos, and the title type the auction listed), a stolen-vehicle check, and odometer history, before you pay. These records follow the VIN across state lines, so a car totaled anywhere can still show up here, even when the Texas paperwork looks clean.
State fee data last reviewed 2026-09-16
Free preview
Search a title by VIN
Full report $12.99 one-time — no subscription.
What the title search shows
- Salvage records with cause and date
- Salvage-auction sales: price, damage, repair estimate, photos
- Stolen-vehicle check and odometer history
- Every online listing & price cut since 2015
Texas title & transfer facts
- Title fee
- $33
- Registration
- $50.75
- Inspection required
- No routine inspection
Texas abolished its statewide safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles on Jan 1, 2025 (HB 3297; a $7.50 replacement fee is paid at registration); emissions tests are still required only in designated metro counties (Houston, DFW, Austin, El Paso, and Bexar from 2026).
Lost or transferring a title? See Texas title fees & paperwork.
How to check a Texas title or lien status
Texas title status & title inquiry, lien check & lien holder search — through the state's own records.
Texas has no free state title-status lookup. TxDMV’s “Title Check — Look before you buy” page points buyers to federal NMVTIS title-history reports by VIN, and the state’s own record is available by mail or at a TxDMV Regional Service Center with Form VTR-275 (Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information).
TxDMV — Request for Texas Motor Vehicle Information (Form VTR-275)
How to request it
- Form VTR-275 with the Texas plate, year, make, VIN and title document number, plus a copy of your government photo ID
- Fees on the form: title history $5.75 ($6.75 certified); title and registration verification $2.30
- You must be the owner or lienholder, have written authorization, or have a permitted use under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act
What it shows
- Texas title history, or verification of the current title and registration record
- If a lien is missing or wrong
- The lienholder must release the lien within 10 days of final payment — on Form VTR-266, in the release space on the title, or on letterhead. With a paper title, take the title, the release and Form 130-U to your county tax office. With an electronic lien, no action is needed from you: the lienholder releases it with TxDMV and the title is converted to paper and mailed.
- Vehicles Texas doesn't title
- Golf carts cannot be titled in Texas; trailers of 4,000 lbs or less may be titled but don’t have to be.
The Texas record covers Texas only — it won't show titles issued in other states or a car's past salvage-auction sales. For that, run the VIN in the search above, or start with a free Texas VIN check.
Sources: TxDMV: Title check — look before you buy · TxDMV: Form VTR-275 (PDF) · TxDMV: Add or remove a lien · TxDMV: Motor Vehicle Title Manual (PDF) (checked 2026-11-09)
Frequently asked questions
How do I do a title search by VIN in Texas?
Enter the 17-character VIN above — a title search works the same in every state, because salvage and total-loss records follow the VIN, not the plate or the paperwork. The free preview shows the car's online listing footprint; the full CarWhere Used Car Report ($12.99) shows salvage records with cause and date, salvage-auction sales with reported damage and repair estimates, a stolen-vehicle check, and odometer history.
What title brands can a Texas search turn up?
The common ones are salvage (an insurer's total loss), rebuilt/reconstructed (a repaired salvage car), flood or water damage, lemon-law manufacturer buyback, junk/non-repairable, and odometer/not-actual-mileage. Each one permanently lowers the car's value — salvage and flood the most (40%–60%), rebuilt 20%–40%. A "clean" Texas title can still hide a brand issued in another state: an official NMVTIS report (approved providers are listed at vehiclehistory.bja.ojp.gov) shows brands reported by participating states, and the CarWhere report adds the salvage and salvage-auction records tied to the VIN.
Isn't a Texas title search free at the DMV?
The Texas DMV can confirm the current title status on record in Texas, but it will not show a brand that was issued in another state, the salvage-auction sale behind a rebuild, or the odometer and listing history. This report covers the salvage-auction, odometer, and listing side of that gap — the records that survive when a title is washed across state lines; for out-of-state brands, use an NMVTIS report.
What does it cost to title a car in Texas?
Texas's title fee is $33, and registration runs $50.75. Texas does not require a routine vehicle safety inspection.
Official title-record sources
- Title brands & history: NMVTIS (U.S. DOJ)
- Theft & total-loss check: NICB VINCheck
Texas title, registration, and inspection facts are reviewed against the official Texas DMV/DOR fee schedules by the CarWhere Research team (last reviewed 2026-09-16). State fees change — confirm current amounts with the Texas DMV before purchase. Cite this page: CarWhere, "Texas Title Search by VIN," www.carwhere.com/title-search/texas.