AUSTIN - Texans, TxDOT heard you.

Thanks to customer comments and suggestions, the Texas Department of Transportation is introducing a new windshield registration sticker expected to be distributed statewide by early 2007.

"We are very excited about the new design," said Rebecca Davio, director of the Vehicle Titles and Registration Division. "We listened to our customers, used their ideas, and believe we have a sticker Texans will be proud to display."

The sticker will debut in Randall County in August, followed by Williamson and Hays counties in September. After that, it will roll out incrementally across the state.

"Texans told us they wanted a sticker with a clean, uncluttered design that was easy to apply, and that is what we have developed," said Mike Behrens, TxDOT's executive director.

The new design features a blue adhesive border, eliminating fingerprint marks that many customers found unsatisfactory with the translucent border. The blue back is imprinted with a friendly reminder to "Check the date, love your state" to help Texans keep their registration current. For the first time, the sticker features a Web address, www.texasinyourcorner.com, which offers more information about vehicle registration.

"When Texans register their vehicles they are helping the state and their local county," Behrens said. "Registration fees contribute almost $1.3 billion dollars a year towards building and maintaining state and county roads."

Vehicle registration also gives people using the road system peace of mind, Behrens added. "The sticker allows us to provide extra security for each and every registered vehicle owner in Texas," he added.

The white window on the new sticker's front allows the sticker's important information - month and year of expiration, county of origin, license plate number, and part of the vehicle identification number - to be clearly displayed.

"The new design will make it easier for law enforcement officers to immediately identify whether a sticker is valid or in compliance," said Commander Jesse Flores of the Motor Vehicle Theft Division for the Texas Department of Public Safety. "That's good for Texans because it provides added protection against theft and fraud."

A small outline of the state with the Texas flag highlights the white window on the sticker's front. "Texans told us they wanted a state symbol placed somewhere on the sticker's front," Davio said.

However, she added, many state residents found the current Texas flag sticker a little overwhelming. "They also told us the sticker's flag colors appeared faded and looked unattractive on their vehicles," Davio said.

The new sticker, which is a third smaller than the current one, also gives Texans something else they wanted. "We eliminated the punch tab so you can easily peel the sticker off from any corner on the back of the registration receipt," Davio said.

Texas places two stickers on a paper sheet, and then completes the one for your type of vehicle while "voiding" the other. The windshield sticker is for passenger vehicles while the smaller sticker applies to other modes of transportation, such as motorcycles, trailers and farm equipment.

New instructions make it clear the sticker marked "VOID" on the registration receipt should be thrown away.

"By using a single sheet with two stickers we are able to save time and taxpayer money," Davio said. "It also allows us to customize the sticker so you know that sticker was made just for your vehicle."

TxDOT introduced this customized registration process in 2004, which allows stickers to be printed on demand. It replaced pre-printed sticker books that forced the state to estimate how many stickers it would need each year. The sticker books created a cumbersome inventory control system, and the state's 254 tax assessor-collectors were held personally liable for the value of the stickers - more than $1 billion. At the end of each year, excess stickers were destroyed.

In 1993, Texas switched from a plate to a windshield sticker for passenger vehicles to deter license plate theft. In one year alone more than 150,000 rear license plates with registration stickers were stolen in the state.

"The windshield sticker reduced license plate theft," Davio said. "The new windshield sticker process makes it more difficult to steal your car and get away with it." 

For more information contact: Kim Sue Lia Perkes, Public Information Officer, 302-2076. 

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