Registration in TX and the 10k gross weight limit

[blutow]

I'm doing some research on registering a humvee in TX and ran across the following info.

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/TXDMV/2019/08/22/file_attachments/1271193/RTB%20Off-Highway%20Former%20Military%20Vehicles%20HB%201755v3.pdf

If this is the latest info, it looks like you are only allowed to register as a regular vehicle if the gross vehicle weight rating is under 10k lbs. Otherwise, you have to go with antique registration (which are allowed for military vehicles). The antique registration has some pretty tight restrictions and I'd prefer to get a regular registration with no limitations. I'm looking to get an M1123 and they all have a weight rating of 10,300 from what I've seen. I know many of the older models have lower weight ratings, so I'm guessing that's why the limit was originally set at under 10k. That's a pretty silly limit though since many "normal" pickup trucks have a weight rating over 10k these days.

Anyways, does anyone have experience registering a humvee in TX with a weight rating over 10k? Is this going to come down to luck of the draw with the person at the title office? I guess the antique registration would probably be good enough with my limited use (just take my chances), but would prefer to get it registered as a normal road vehicle. I'm in Travis county in central TX if that makes a difference.

 

[98G]

My best guess says it'll be luck of the draw depending on who is behind the counter.

My opinion is that your chances improve if the titling documents you are presenting are an actual title and not an SF97.

My last firsthand experience with TX was in 2013 so this is mostly speculation.

 

[fuzzytoaster]

Do yourself a favor and go with the Former Military Vehicle registration. It's not antique, it's FMV. As long as you're not using it as your daily driver, commercial use, and it retains it's military appearance you're good.

https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/files/form_files/VTR-135.pdf

 

[blutow]

Do yourself a favor and go with the Former Military Vehicle registration. It's not antique, it's FMV. As long as you're not using it as your daily driver, commercial use, and it retains it's military appearance you're good.

https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/files/form_files/VTR-135.pdf

Thanks. That's essentially the same way they treat antique vehicles. Technically, it's pretty restrictive per the language below:

"Vehicles registered as a Former Military Vehicle may only be used for parades, club activities, exhibitions, and other functions of public interest and not for regular transportation; and may not carry advertising."

I won't be daily driving it, but I'll be driving it a bit. It's one of those things that probably would never be an issue, but all it takes is one one "humvee hater" complaining about me driving my loud gas-guzzling "tank" around and possibly turn it into a problem. I live outside the city of Austin, but their are some pretty uptight and folks around here who think anyone not driving a prius or tesla should be locked up.

I think once it's registered as a military vehicle, it would be harder to switch. I do like the idea of not having to have it inspected every year, but just not sure about the tight rules for FMV's.

 

[86humv]

That Tx letter says numerous times :: vehicles with ownership evidence that indicates off-highway use .
And at bottom of letter :
Continue to issue passenger or truck registration for former military vehicles not identified for
off-highway use and do not limit eligible registration to Antique vehicle.
So...to me...if title or SF -97 does not say Off Highhway use...should be good.

 

[fuzzytoaster]

That Tx letter says numerous times :: vehicles with ownership evidence that indicates off-highway use .
And at bottom of letter :
Continue to issue passenger or truck registration for former military vehicles not identified for
off-highway use and do not limit eligible registration to Antique vehicle.
So...to me...if title or SF -97 does not say Off Highhway use...should be good.

This. I file multiple SF-97 to Texas titles monthly and if they aren't stamped "off-road only" and are capable of highway travel (i.e. not equipment like a loader, dozer, etc) then you get a clean title and register it as you see fit.

 

[blutow]

Thanks for the replys. I just assumed the SF-97 would say "off-road only", thought I had read that somewhere. It sounds like I should be good, thanks again.

 

[86humv]

Normally USMC truclks sf-97 don't say Off Road Only.

 

[springer1981]

I'm not sure about your state or the letter you posted but I'll tell you how my state works and maybe it will allow you to ask some questions in your state.

I have a truck. The Gross weight of the truck is 11,500 lbs. My curb weight is 6,400 lbs. The Curb weight is the weight of the vehicle and the gross weight is the weight it can safely carry by specification.

When I register my truck I can pick my gross weight for the registration. Over 10,000 lbs is a commercial registration. I have to have commercial truck inspections etc. The gross vehicle weight also includes any trailer and contents of the trailer. I register my truck for 10,000 lbs and my curb weight is 6400 so that leaves me 3,600 lbs I can carry in my truck or 3,600 lbs for a trailer and cargo. As long as I don't exceed the total Gross weight I claimed at time of registration, i am good to go.

I can register my truck up to 26,000 lbs GVWR before I am required to have a CDL. If I want to tow a trailer and cargo that weights 16,000 lbs I have to register my truck for a GVWR of at least 16,000 lbs.

Your HMMWV has a GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) of 10,300 lbs but it does NOT weigh 10,300 lbs. You should be able to register your HMMWV for any GVWR that you choose (10,000 lbs) without any issues. You can't exceed that weight over the road. If you had a trailer and another HMMWV on it you were towing, that would certainly exceed the GVWR and if caught you would get a fine at the very minimum.

Here a passenger plate is good to 6000 lbs then you have to go with a Commercial plate. My regular truck has a commercial plate but is registered for 10,000 lbs so it is not subject to all the other restrictions of a commercial vehicle. My HMMWV is registered with a standard passenger plate. My HMMWV has a Curb weight of around 5,200 lbs so I can carry 800 lbs in cargo. That includes passengers and other cargo.

Rarely if ever do passenger plated vehicles get weight checked unless they look like are obviously towing way more than they are suppose to.

Get your HMMWV weighed and check this out ... starting at PDF page 40 https://www.txdmv.gov/sites/default/files/body-files/Motor_Vehicle_Registration_Manual_Book_298.pdf

Statements like this, in the above manual, make me believe your state is the same as mine. Found on PDF page 46
" Incorrect Gross Weight (Apprehension) Any person transporting a load greater than the weight for which the vehicle is registered must, when apprehended, purchase additional registration at the nearest county tax "

I'd bet you can put regular passenger plates on it. Good Luck

 

[Coug]

only thing I would change in the above is "gross weight is the weight it can safely carry by specification"

I would say "gross weight is the weight of the truck and all cargo it can carry by specification"

Maybe nitpicky, but the first one sounds like gross weight means cargo capacity.


In my state (Washington) anything over 16k is supposed to have a DOT number and stop at all weigh stations. anything towing a trailer over 10k lbs, or over a GCWR (gross combined weight rating) of 16k lbs requires the DOT number and weigh station stops.

Because WA keeps passing laws limiting how much the government can charge us for car tabs, they keep adding additional fees. Latest one is every vehicle has to pay tonnage. Even a passenger car gets dinged for tonnage. They refuse to accept that we don't want to pay them lots of money for yearly registrations.

 

[Maxjeep1]

You want to know what chaps my ass? I watch YouTube videos of Humvee’s registered in savage countries and we claw and scratch to drive them legally. We paid for them new and now we pay for them again and have to jump through hoops to get them registered. I should never have to see a Humvee in a savage country being used. We wait for months for approval? How in the hell are they in Germany? You think they did a EUC? We are getting f*cked over and over because we are the people! Taliban didn’t file for EUC and they got the up armored with the maduce… I don’t understand and the older I get the less I know

 

[AAVP7]

All the Humvees in private hands in Germany certainly went through EUC first. Actually, to have them exported from the U.S. to Germany, we have to go through one of a handful of licensed export dealers to get a special export permit from your Government where our background ist checked. Costly.

Then, overhere, every single imported Humvee has to go through "protoype testing", where our authorities pretend that you want to get a one-of-a-kind car on the road. Pretty expensive (couple thousand $), and many of the test authorities are not cooperative when they see FMVs.

The one advantage of that "prototype testing" procedure is that once you´re through, you have papers like any other car in Germany. The actual registering is quite simple then. But all in all I´d say our buerocratic hassle is no less than in the U.S..

Now for the Humvees in Taliban hands, that´s another story.
I hope that they all have self-destruct devices that can (and will soon) be activated by satellite...

 

[Mogman]

First as far as Texas is concerned GVWR is just that Gross vehicle weight rating and is clearly marked on the data plate, I did a M998 last year that the SF97 was marked "off road use only" and had no issues getting unrestricted registration, (GVWR 7700lb)
The state law regarding GVWR and HMMWV registration is very clear, (this law ONLY applies to the HMMWV) there is no language in the law that I read about the SF97 being marked "off road use only" or not.
While it may be possible to "slip in under the radar" and get unrestricted registration on a HMMWV with a GVWR over 10K I would be concerned that it may fall under review at a later date.
On the other hand I have had many vehicles over the years with antique plates and have never had any issues driving them whenever or wherever I wanted.

 

[Mogman]

I would not worry about the Taliban having HMMWVs, they will soon be stacked up like cord wood and inoperable, seems Toyota's are all those folks can keep running.

 

[Mullaney]

I would not worry about the Taliban having HMMWVs, they will soon be stacked up like cord wood and inoperable, seems Toyota's are all those folks can keep running.

.
The idiots currently running the war department might end up selling them spare parts - based on past performance.

 

[Mogman]

All the Humvees in private hands in Germany certainly went through EUC first. Actually, to have them exported from the U.S. to Germany, we have to go through one of a handful of licensed export dealers to get a special export permit from your Government where our background ist checked. Costly.

Then, overhere, every single imported Humvee has to go through "protoype testing", where our authorities pretend that you want to get a one-of-a-kind car on the road. Pretty expensive (couple thousand $), and many of the test authorities are not cooperative when they see FMVs.

The one advantage of that "prototype testing" procedure is that once you´re through, you have papers like any other car in Germany. The actual registering is quite simple then. But all in all I´d say our buerocratic hassle is no less than in the U.S..

Now for the Humvees in Taliban hands, that´s another story.
I hope that they all have self-destruct devices that can (and will soon) be activated by satellite...

Anything that requires a EUC here requires an EUC from the USA no matter where they are sold OR what government sells them.

Case in point New Zealand bought 60 or so M113s in the 60s, in 2017 they tried to auction them off and the bid was won by an Australian, the US denied the EUCs because they still consider the M113 to be of strategic value, so it is apparent that even equipment sold by the US must go through the EUC system when the buyer decides to sell them.

So instead of getting a million dollars for a bunch of derelict and worn out M113s, New Zealand now has to pay to have them scrapped

 

[Mullaney]

Anything that requires a EUC here requires an EUC from the USA no matter where they are sold OR what government sells them.

Case in point New Zealand bought 60 or so M113s in the 60s, in 2017 they tried to auction them off and the bid was won by an Australian, the US denied the EUCs because they still consider the M113 to be of strategic value, so it is apparent that even equipment sold by the US must go through the EUC system when the buyer decides to sell them.

So instead of getting a million dollars for a bunch of derelict and worn out M113s, New Zealand now has to pay to have them scrapped

.
BUT, if we abandon something in a foreign country - just walk away from it - then it is fine for that occupying force to have it?
AND maybe share it with or loan it to their chinese and russian buddies?

 

[Mogman]

.
BUT, if we abandon something in a foreign country - just walk away from it - then it is fine for that occupying force to have it?
AND maybe share it with or loan it to their chinese and russian buddies?

Well it does not look like we are in any position to do anything about that, as I understand it there was an agreement made between the US and Afghanistan that the equipment would be left in operating condition for their "defense" after we left, so we did not simply "abandon" that equipment,,I assume somebody thought that after so damn many years Afghanistan would actually want to "defend" itself, big mistake!

 

[Mogman]

But I digress and apologize as we have hijacked this thread..

 

[Mullaney]

But I digress and apologize as we have hijacked this thread..

.
So far as I am concerned - No Hijacking was involved. Thanks for your comments.

Seems to me that as the 300,000 Afghans were running away, quite possibly we should have rolled every piece of equipment "nose to nose" and burned them to the ground before we left - but as you said - I digress. After all, it is just money and blood and youth that we spent over there for the past twenty years.