How to Replace a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged License Plate in Texas (2026)
If your Texas license plate is lost, stolen, or damaged, head to your county tax assessor-collector's office and fill out **Form VTR-60**. The fee is $6.50 for standard plates. If only one plate is missing, hang on to the one you still have, you don't need to hand over a plate that's in good shape. Most standard plates get replaced with a new number, while personalized and specialty plates keep your existing design and message.
Lost vs. Stolen vs. Damaged: Does It Matter?
To TxDMV, the paperwork is basically the same no matter what happened to your plate. Same form, same office, same fee, whether it fell off in a car wash, got bent in a fender bender, or someone straight up took it off your car. But if it was stolen, it matters a lot to you personally. You're not legally required to file a police report to get a replacement plate, TxDMV doesn't ask for one on the form. Still, it's genuinely worth doing. A police report is your paper trail if someone uses your stolen plate to dodge tolls, get pulled over under your name, or worse.TxDMV won't ask you for a police report before issuing a new plate. That doesn't mean skip it. If tolls or citations start showing up for something you didn't do, that report is what protects you.
Do You Keep Your Same Plate Number?
It Depends on what kind of plate you have.
- Standard general-issue plates: Usually no. When you replace a standard plate, expect to get assigned a new plate number, not your old one back. The official replacement form has separate fields for your old number and new number, which points to this being the normal process.
- Personalized or specialty plates:Yes. If you paid for a custom message through MyPlates, you keep that exact combination for the life of your contract. A replacement means getting the same message remanufactured, not losing it
What If You Only Lost One Plate?
This is where a lot of people get bad advice. You do not need to turn in your remaining plate if it's still in good condition. Keep it on the vehicle. TxDMV's own replacement form only asks you to surrender whatever is actually lost, stolen, or damaged, not anything that's still fine.
Some guides online tell you to surrender both plates even if only one is missing. That's not what the process actually calls for. Keep your intact plate mounted and only report the one that's actually gone.
This matters because Texas requires the two plate rule, both a front and rear plate.So you'll want your remaining plate staying put and visible while you sort out the replacement.
Travis County's own official guidance states there are no exceptions to the two-plate display rule for standard passenger vehicles. Not for a damaged plate, not for a stolen one, not while you're in the middle of waiting for a replacement. If you're tempted to just drive around on one plate until the new one shows up, know that at least one major Texas county spells this out with zero wiggle room.
What You'll Actually Get: The Current Plate Design
If your last plate is a few years old, your replacement might look and feel different in hand. Texas's current standard design is officially called The Texas Classic, and it includes embedded security threads built right into the plate material, a feature meant to cut down on counterfeiting and plate cloning. Don't be thrown off if the new plate looks different from your old one, that's expected, not a sign something went wrong at the counter.
How to Replace Your Plate
- Get Form VTR-60 from the TxDMV website or pick one up at your county tax office.
- Fill it out completely, marking which item, plate, sticker, or both, needs replacing.
- Gather your documents (see below).
- Go to your county tax assessor-collector's office in person. This is the fastest and most reliable method. Mailing it in works too, but takes longer.
- Pay the fee and receive your new plate or plates.
Documents and Information Required To Replace a Lost, Stolen, or Damaged License Plate in Texas
- Completed Form VTR-60
- Valid government-issued photo ID
- Your remaining plate If you still have your remaining plate, bring it, don't remove it if it's staying on the car
- Your current windshield registration sticker, If that's also being replaced or if it shows your old plate number and needs updating
The Fee
The standard replacement fee is $6.50 ($6.00 plus a $0.50 to $1.00 automation fee, depending on the county). This is confirmed directly from the TxDMV form and multiple county tax office pages.
| Plate Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard general-issue plate | $6.50 |
| Certain specialty plates (Section 504.411) | $2.00 |
| Certain approved specialty plates | $5.00 |
| Some military/veteran specialty plates | No fee |
| Disabled person plate exchange (current registration) | $0.50 |
Some specialty plates, including several military and veteran designs, are replaced for free or for a reduced fee under Texas law. Disabled person plates have their own separate exchange fee of just $0.50 if your registration is current, confirmed directly from county tax office records. If you have one of these, check with your county tax office before assuming the standard $6.50 applies to you.
TxDMV's own FAQ page states plainly that "under certain circumstances the county may waive the replacement fee." What counts as a qualifying circumstance isn't spelled out publicly and seems to be handled case by case, so it's worth simply asking your county tax office whether you qualify before you pay. It costs nothing to ask.
Can You Drive While Waiting for the Replacement?
This is the real panic question, and the honest answer depends on what you're replacing.
- Standard plates: No real wait. Go to the county tax office and you'll typically walk out with your new plate the same visit.
- Personalized or specialty plates: This takes longer, generally a few weeks for the state to remanufacture and mail your custom plate. Texas doesn't issue a temporary paper tag just because a plate is missing on an already-registered vehicle.
As covered in our guide on driving without both plates, operating a vehicle missing a required plate is a real violation. If you're waiting on a personalized replacement and only have one plate mounted in the meantime, here's the honest risk picture, not just the legal one.
A missing plate rarely gets you pulled over on its own. What actually happens, based on how this plays out in practice, is that a missing plate becomes an easy, valid reason for an officer to stop you if they're already curious about something else, speeding, a broken light, anything. In that sense, the risk while you're waiting on a personalized plate isn't really "will I get a $200 ticket for the missing plate specifically." It's "am I giving an officer a free reason to pull me over for whatever else they're looking for." If everything else checks out, you'll likely walk away with a warning or a fix-it style citation you can clear once your new plate arrives. If it doesn't, the missing plate is what opened that door.
How Long It Takes
- In-person, standard plates: Same visit, no wait.
- By mail: Roughly 2 to 3 weeks.
- Personalized or specialty plates: Roughly 3 to 4 weeks for remanufacturing and shipping
If It Was Stolen, Should You Worry About Fraud?
Yes, it's worth taking seriously. Stolen plates usually get used one of two ways, slapped on a similar stolen car to avoid detection, or used to rack up toll charges that end up billed to your address since the plate's still tied to you in the system.
Submitting Form VTR-60 formally disconnects your name from that plate number in TxDMV's records. A police report backs you up if fraudulent toll bills or citations show up later and you need to dispute them.
Common Mistakes
- Surrendering a plate that's still in good shape. You only need to report what's actually lost, stolen, or damaged, not everything.
- Assuming you'll keep your old standard plate number. Standard plates usually get reassigned a new number. Personalized and specialty plates keep their existing message.
- Skipping the police report on a stolen plate. It's not required, but it's your protection if fraud charges show up later.
- Not checking if your specialty plate qualifies for a reduced or waived fee. Some military and veteran plates replace for less than the standard $6.50, or for free. Disability plates have their own $0.50 exchange fee. And TxDMV's own FAQ says counties can sometimes waive the fee entirely under certain circumstances, so it's always worth asking.
- Assuming a temporary paper tag is available while waiting on a personalized replacement. It isn't, for an already-registered vehicle missing a plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not legally. Texas requires both a front and rear plate on most passenger vehicles, and driving with one missing is a real violation, even though it's not always the sole reason someone gets pulled over.
Standard plates are typically replaced the same visit at your county tax office. Personalized or specialty plates take longer, usually a few weeks, since they have to be remanufactured.
No. Temporary transit permits exist for unregistered or newly purchased vehicles, not for an already-registered vehicle that's simply missing a plate.
Keep your rear plate mounted, you don't need to remove it. Report only the missing front plate on Form VTR-60 and get a replacement for that one.
No, TxDMV doesn't require one to issue a replacement. It's still strongly recommended, since it protects you if the plate gets used for tolls or other violations you didn't commit.
- Texas License Plate Rules: One Plate or Two (2026) Texas License Plate Rules
- How to Register a Vehicle in Texas (2026) Main Guide
- Get Personalized License Plates in Texas (2026 Guide) Personalized License Plates
- Texas Vehicle Registration For New Residents Fees
Download the official VTR-60 form or find your nearest county tax office to complete your replacement in person.
For informational purposes only. Always verify current requirements at txdmv.gov and with your county tax assessor-collector. Information verified against official TxDMV sources as of July 2026.