Public Information Act Requests

Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, also known as the Public Information Act or PIA, gives you the right to access certain government records. The PIA also establishes procedures that governmental bodies must follow when responding to requests for public information. Public Information Act requests are sometimes referred to as open records requests.

If you cannot locate information you are interested in on our website, you may submit a PIA request. To assist us in handling your request as accurately and efficiently as possible, keep in mind the following tips:

  • Requests for public information must be made in writing.
  • Include your full name and contact information, including email address if you have one.
  • Be as specific as possible in describing the information you are seeking. Include date ranges if applicable. We will work with you to narrow or clarify your request to locate the records you are seeking.
  • Your request must be for records or information that already exists - the PIA does not require an agency to answer questions, perform legal research, or continue to provide records as they are created in the future.
  • By law, a request is considered to be received during regular business hours (between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.) on a regular business day (not a state holiday or skeleton crew day).
  • To expedite our response to your request, you may ask that we redact confidential information prior to releasing it to you.

Please note, the following types of information are not maintained by TxDMV:

To request information from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, you must submit your request through one of the following methods:

Through Public Access Link (PAL)

PAL is the quickest, most convenient way to submit your request and receive responsive information. Click the link below to select the type of records you are requesting and provide complete contact information for our response:

Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Public Access Link (PAL)

By Mail

Open Records
Office of General Counsel
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
4000 Jackson Avenue
Austin, TX 78731

By Email

Submit requests by email to the TxDMV Office of General Counsel at [email protected]

In Person

Attn: Open Records
Office of General Counsel
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
4000 Jackson Avenue, Building 1
Austin, Texas 78731

PIA requests are handled in the order in which they are received. While TxDMV strives to release records as promptly as possible, the PIA allows agencies up to ten business days to respond to a request. Depending on the scope of your request, we may need to contact various parts of the agency asking several different employees to locate and compile responsive records.

Although the PIA creates a presumption that information in the possession of a governmental body is available to the public, exceptions exist that may limit the public disclosure of certain types of confidential, privileged, or sensitive information. If a governmental body believes that requested information is confidential or falls within an exception to disclosure in the PIA, it generally must request a ruling from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) within 10 business days of receiving the request. The OAG will determine in a letter ruling whether information is excepted from public disclosure or whether it must be released.

The OAG’s website contains information on the rights of requestors and responsibilities of governmental bodies, as well as procedural information, regarding the PIA: Texas Office of the Attorney General (OAG)

Cost of Records

TxDMV may charge for releasing information in compliance with the cost rules established by the OAG. If a request for information will result in charges of more than $40, we will send you a cost estimate before doing any work on the request. You must respond to any written estimate of charges within 10 days or the request will be considered automatically withdrawn.

If estimated costs exceed $100.00, TxDMV may require a bond, prepayment or deposit.