You cannot get a replacement Texas registration sticker online. The state’s Texas by Texas (TxT) portal handles registration renewals over the internet, but if your current sticker has been lost, stolen, or damaged and your registration itself is still valid, you have to submit Form VTR-60 to your county tax assessor-collector’s office, either in person or by mail. The total fee is $6.50.
Replacement or Renewal — Know Which One You Need
The two get confused constantly, and the difference decides whether you can handle things online.
A replacement is for a sticker that’s missing or destroyed while your registration period is still current. Your vehicle is legally registered; you just don’t have the decal to prove it. That transaction is not offered online.
A renewal is what you file when your registration is expiring or has already expired. Renewals go through TxT and produce a brand-new sticker for the next period. If your sticker is gone and your registration has also lapsed, skip the replacement process and renew instead.
How to Replace a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Sticker
The form you need is VTR-60, the Application for Replacement License Plate(s) and/or Registration Sticker, available on the TxDMV website. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 502.060, the fee is $6 plus a $0.50 automation fee, for a total of $6.50.
On the form, you certify that the replacement sticker will not be used on any other vehicle you own or operate, and you must return any old sticker still in your possession. Bring a valid ID; the county office verifies that you’re the registered owner.
Two ways to submit:
- In person at your county tax assessor-collector’s office. Most counties issue the sticker on the spot.
- By mail to the same office. Expect roughly three weeks for processing and delivery. Payment by mail is typically limited to checks or money orders; cash and credit cards generally aren’t accepted through the mail, though accepted payment methods vary by county.
There is a fee waiver in a couple of narrow situations: no replacement fee is owed if the county assessor-collector determines you never received a sticker that was mailed to you, or if you’ve already paid a replacement fee for your license plates under Section 504.007.
If Someone Else Goes for You
You don’t have to appear personally. A third party can submit the replacement request on your behalf, but they need to bring their own valid ID, a signed permission letter from you as the registered owner, and a copy of your ID.
Driving While You Wait for the New Sticker
There will be a gap between filing Form VTR-60 and having a decal on your windshield. Keep your VTR-60 receipt or any confirmation the county gives you, in the vehicle. No specific statute makes a replacement receipt equivalent to a renewal receipt, but documentation that you’ve applied gives you something concrete to show a police officer if you’re pulled over.
Renewal receipts are treated differently. For online renewals, TxDMV emails a registration renewal receipt that serves as valid proof of registration for up to 31 days — but that only applies if you renewed, not if you filed a replacement.
What Happens if You Get Stopped
Driving without a valid registration sticker displayed is an offense under Texas Transportation Code Section 502.473. The maximum fine is $200, and court costs push the real total higher.
There is a way out. A court may dismiss the charge for a reimbursement fee of no more than $10 if you either fix the problem before your first court appearance or show that your vehicle actually was registered for the period when the offense occurred. That second option is the one that matters in a replacement situation: if your registration was current all along and only the sticker was missing, proof of the valid registration can get the charge dismissed for a nominal fee.
Even with that escape valve, a traffic stop and a court date are worth avoiding. If your sticker is gone, get Form VTR-60 filed with your county office quickly and keep the receipt with you until the new decal arrives.