Wednesday, 21 August 2013

What to expect while moving to The Lone Star State!



Texas is the 2nd largest state of the United States of America. It’s also known as The Lone Star State. If you are thinking of moving to Texas, it is imperative that you must be able to own and drive a vehicle. There are so many things in this State that are different, so you may find living in this place a bit odd. It is maybe because of these unusual things, General Philip Henry Sheridan once said, “If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent out Texas and live in Hell.” Traffic rules and regulations which are related to the Department of Motor Vehicles are also different. Texans drive fast so you have got to be extra careful. You must have proper understandings of things like driver’s license, registration of vehicle, and titling. This is important so that you can drive safely without getting into any kind of trouble.


In order to be able to apply for Driver’s License in that State, you will have to give department of Motor Vehicle two proofs of Texas residency, proof of your social security number, proof of identity, and your out-of-state license. In addition to that, you must also pass a vision test. It is important as without a vision test you will not be permitted to hit the road. You have to be very careful about DWI’s (driving while intoxicated) and distracted driving laws. You must pay special attention, as I’m sure you wouldn’t want to stay in prison for like 6 months? It’s true as if you ever caught driving under influence, you might be incarcerated for that much time. It is possibly their government loathes distracted drivers. Other than staying in jail for that much time, you may also be fined up to $2,000. And the most dreadful of all, your license may also be suspended for like a year or so. You just can’t use a handheld phone in school zone and their rules also prohibit a driver from texting. But, there won’t be a problem for you if you can afford to pay a fine of $50. 


As far as I believe, the first thing a migrant should do in Texas is to get his or her vehicle registered. If you have a license from other state, you can use it for like 90 days but after that time, you will need to get a local license. And if you like to be able to drive your automobile that was registered in some other state, you must get it registered in Texas within 30 days after getting its residency!! In order to get that done, you will have to reach the County Tax Office in your area, and feed them with documents they ask for. But before contacting the CTO, make sure your vehicle has insurance and that it has acquired Fitness Certificate by a state approved Inspection Station. After ensuring, you can then go to their office and submit these documents along with the proof of ownership of your vehicle. If you want, you can also transfer the title of your vehicle by filling in the Application for Texas Certificate of Title. I’m sure by reading this, you will see that living in Texas isn’t as difficult as most people think it is. So, what do you say?