Texas Administrative Code › Title 43 - TRANSPORTATION › Part 10 - TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES › Chapter 217 - VEHICLE TITLES AND REGISTRATION › Subchapter H - DEPUTIES › Section 217.163 - Full Service Deputies

Current through Reg. 49, No. 28; July 12, 2024
(a) A county tax
				  assessor-collector, with the approval of the commissioners court of the county,
				  may deputize a person to act as a full service deputy in the same manner and
				  with the same authority as though done in the office of the county tax
				  assessor-collector, subject to the criteria and limitations of this section,
				  including signing the addendum as specified in subsection (k) of this
				  section.
(b) A full service deputy
				  must offer and provide titling and registration services to the general public,
				  and must accept any application for registration, registration renewal, or
				  title transfer that the county tax assessor-collector would accept and process,
				  unless otherwise limited by the county.
(c) The county tax assessor-collector may
				  impose reasonable obligations or requirements upon a full service deputy in
				  addition to those set forth in this section.
(d) To be eligible to serve as a full service
				  deputy, a person must be trained, as approved by the county tax
				  assessor-collector, to perform motor vehicle titling, registration, and
				  registration renewal services, or otherwise be deemed competent by the county
				  tax assessor-collector to perform such services.
(e) To be eligible to serve as a full service
				  deputy, a person must post a bond payable to the county tax assessor-collector
				  consistent with §
										217.167 of
				  this title (relating to Bonding Requirements) with the bond conditioned on the
				  person's proper accounting and remittance of the fees the person
				  collects.
(f) A person applying to
				  be a full service deputy must complete the application process as specified by
				  the county tax assessor-collector. The application process may include
				  satisfaction of any bonding requirements and completion of any additional
				  required documentation or training of the deputy before the processing of any
				  title, registration, or registration renewal applications may occur.
(g) A full service deputy must provide the
				  physical address at which services will be offered, the mailing address, the
				  phone number, and the hours of service. This information may be published on
				  the department's website and may be published by the county if the county
				  publishes a list of deputy locations.
(h) A full service deputy shall keep a
				  separate accounting of the fees collected and remitted to the county and a
				  record of daily receipts.
(i) A
				  full service deputy may charge or retain fees consistent with the provisions of
				  §
										217.168 of
				  this title (relating to Deputy Fee Amounts).
(j) A full service deputy must maintain
				  records in compliance with the State of Texas Records Retention Schedule as
				  promulgated by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
(k) Beginning January 1, 2017, a full service
				  deputy must sign an addendum provided by the department outlining the terms and
				  conditions of the full service deputy's access to and use of the department's
				  registration and titling system. Any contract or agreement, or renewal of the
				  contract or agreement, between the county and the full service deputy that
				  authorizes the full service deputy to provide registration and titling services
				  in the county must specifically incorporate the addendum by reference, and the
				  contract or agreement may not supersede or contradict any term within the
				  addendum. An addendum described by this subsection is required for each
				  location at which the full service deputy operates. The addendum must be
				  incorporated into any agreement or contract between the full service deputy and
				  the county beginning January 1, 2017. The county must provide the department a
				  current copy of each contract or agreement, including any amendments, with a
				  full service deputy within 60 days of execution.