1. (a) Purpose.

   1. (1) Transportation Code, Chapters 501 and 502, charge the department with the responsibility for issuing certificates of title and registering vehicles operating on the roads, streets, and highways of the state.
   2. (2) To provide a more efficient, cost-effective system for registering and titling vehicles, maintaining records, improving inventory control of accountable items, and collecting and reporting of applicable fees consistent with those statutes, the department has designed an automated system known as the registration and title system. This system expedites registration and titling processes, provides a superior level of customer service to the owners and operators of vehicles, and facilitates availability of the department's motor vehicle records for official law enforcement needs. Automated equipment compatible with the registration and title system is indispensable to the operational integrity of the system. This subchapter prescribes the policies and procedures under which the department may make that equipment available to a county tax assessor-collector as designated agent of the state for processing title and vehicle registration documents.

2. (b) Definitions. The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

   1. (1) Automated equipment--Equipment associated with the operation of the registration and titling system, including, but not limited to, microcomputers, printers, software, and cables.
   2. (2) Department--The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
   3. (3) Executive director--The executive director of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
   4. (4) Fair share allocation--The amount of automated equipment determined by the department to be effective at providing a reasonable level of service to the public. This amount will be determined on transaction volumes, number of county substations, and other factors relating to a particular county's need.
   5. (5) RTS--The department's registration and title system.

Source Note:The provisions of this §217.53 adopted to be effective March 4, 2010, 35 TexReg 1761; amended to be effective August 9, 2012, 37 TexReg 5816.