Moving a Mobile Home in Texas: Permit, Installer and Paperwork

Moving a used mobile home in Texas runs through three sets of rules: the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) for the road, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) for installation and the ownership record, and the county tax office. This guide covers what has to happen before, during and after a move, whether you are relocating your own home or a buyer is hauling it away after a sale. It is general information, not legal advice.

If the home is staying where it is, our page on selling a mobile home in Texas covers the sale paperwork instead.

Who may tow a mobile home on Texas roads

A manufactured home in excess of legal size limits may not move on a Texas highway, road or street without a TxDMV permit, under Transportation Code Sec. 623.092. A county or city may not add its own permit, bond, fee or license for the move.

• A licensed or registered mover. Sec. 623.094 lets TxDMV issue the permit to a TDHCA-licensed manufacturer, retailer or installer, or to a motor carrier registered with TxDMV. That license or registration number goes on the rear of the home in characters at least eight inches high.
• The owner. Under Sec. 623.095, the owner can get a single-trip permit if the titles, or a lease, show the owner of the home also owns or leases the towing vehicle. TxDMV's permit page says you must be named on the title, own or lease the towing vehicle, and carry liability insurance of at least $300,000 combined single limit. The same page says you must provide your USDOT number during the permit application and that the permit is issued to the company name listed for that number. It does not say how that applies to an owner's one-time move, so ask TxDMV before you plan one.

Hiring the wrong mover carries its own risk. Under Sec. 623.105, paying someone to move a home when you know that person is not authorized to move it is a misdemeanor with a $1,000 fine.

The TxDMV permit and the rules on the road

The permit names the combined length, width and height of the home and towing vehicle, the home's serial number, HUD label number or state seal number, the owner, the starting point, the destination and the route (Sec. 623.093). The route must be the shortest one, using divided and interstate highways, unless construction or a bridge makes that unsafe.

• Fee and time limit. $40 per permit, good for five days (Secs. 623.096 and 623.097). TxDMV says a single-trip permit covers one move from a specific origin to a specific destination. Apply through TxPROS or by phone at (800) 299-1700; TxDMV asks for a USDOT number during the application.
• When. Daylight only, on any day except a national holiday (Sec. 623.100), at no more than 55 miles per hour or the posted limit if lower (Sec. 623.101).
• Lights and escorts. A home wider than 12 feet needs an amber beacon or rear flashing lights, plus a beacon on the truck (Sec. 623.098). Wider than 16 feet needs one escort vehicle; wider than 18 feet needs escorts front and rear (Sec. 623.099).
• Penalties. Moving a home without a permit is punishable by a $1,000 fine, rising to $2,000 and then $4,000 for repeat offenses (Sec. 623.104).

Paperwork to settle before the move

Ownership. The permit names the owner, and TDHCA later wants a copy of it. Check TDHCA's ownership records first from its statement of ownership instructions page, which tells buyers to check current ownership, mortgage liens and tax liens before buying a used home.

Identification numbers. TDHCA Form 1127 says HUD-code homes built after June 15, 1976 carry a metal HUD label outside each section, and a data plate inside lists the serial numbers and wind zone. If neither the HUD label nor a Texas Seal is on the home, you must buy a Texas Seal for $35 per section.

Liens. TDHCA's statement of ownership FAQ says any lienholder must be paid off or give written consent to the move.

Taxes. The manufactured housing permit rules in Transportation Code Chapter 623, Subchapter E, do not list a tax certificate among the permit requirements. Former Sec. 623.093(d), which tied some permits to a statement from the appraisal district's chief appraiser that no unpaid ad valorem taxes had been reported, was repealed in 2005. Taxes still follow the home: Occupations Code Sec. 1201.205 requires the statement of ownership to warn that a new tax lien arises each January 1 for each taxing unit where the home is located that day. And if the move was never permitted, TDHCA's FAQ says the owner can file a "Tax Certificate" from the county where the home used to be, showing no taxes due, in place of the permit.

Setting up the home at the new site

Hauling and installing are separate jobs. Under TDHCA's rule at 10 TAC Sec. 80.21(b), every used manufactured home must be installed by a licensed installer, following instructions for the wind zone where it will sit. TDHCA's FAQ answers "May I install my own home?" with no.

• Who is the installer. For a used home, the person who contracts with you for the installation is the installer and must warrant it (Sec. 80.33(b)). A company hired only to transport the home is not the installer just because it moved it (Sec. 80.33(c)).
• Who prepares the site. A consumer acquiring a used manufactured home to be installed is responsible for preparing the site, except as set out in Sec. 80.22 on moisture and ground vapor controls (Sec. 80.21(e)(2)). An installer proposing to move a used home must give you TDHCA's Site Preparation Notice to sign before you agree to the move (Sec. 80.21(e)(4)). If the site shows ponding, runoff under heavy rains or bare uncompacted soil, Occupations Code Sec. 1201.255(b) says an installer may not install a used home there unless you first sign a form accepting that risk.
• No living in it yet. Sec. 1201.255(a) says an uninstalled home may not be occupied.
• Inspection and warranty. The installer files a Notice of Installation with TDHCA within seven days of finishing, so inspectors can see the home with utilities connected but before skirting (Sec. 80.33(g)). Under Sec. 1201.361, the installer gives you a written warranty. Unless it provides a longer period, the installer has no liability under it for a defect described in written notice received from you more than two years after the later of the purchase date or the installation date.

Where the home is allowed to go

Check the destination before the home leaves. Under Occupations Code Sec. 1201.008, a city may prohibit installing a mobile home built before June 15, 1976 as a dwelling, though the ban must be prospective. A city must allow HUD-code homes in areas it finds appropriate, and valid deed restrictions still apply. Except as approved by TDHCA, a local government also may not require a permit, fee, bond or insurance for transportation and installation by a licensed retailer or installer, though it may collect actual costs from the transport.

The coast has its own rule. Sec. 1201.256 puts Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Orange, Refugio, San Patricio and Willacy counties in Wind Zone II. A home built on or after September 1, 1997 must meet Wind Zone II standards to be installed there. Homes built before that date are not restricted. The data plate shows the wind zone.

Updating TDHCA after the move

Occupations Code Sec. 1201.206(f) requires the owner to apply for a new statement of ownership within 60 days after relocating the home, with evidence the move met TxDMV requirements. TDHCA's Form 1037 instructions say a change of location for a personal property home must be recorded within 30 days, with a copy of the moving permit, any lien release or lienholder consent, and the $55 fee. Get the application to TDHCA within 30 days.

If the home had been converted to real property, Sec. 1201.2055(g) requires a new statement of ownership whenever it is moved from the location listed on its statement.

When the move is part of a sale

A buyer who plans to tow the home personally must be named on the title, so the ownership transfer comes before the move. Otherwise a licensed or registered mover pulls the permit.

• After a sale of a personal property home, Sec. 1201.206(c) requires the seller to apply for a new statement of ownership within 60 days, and Sec. 1201.206(e) says ownership does not pass until it is filed.
• For a used home, Sec. 1201.206(g) requires a statement from the tax assessor-collector covering each January 1 in the 18 months before the sale. Tax Code Sec. 32.03(a-2) bars the transfer until recorded tax liens are released and those taxes are paid.
• TDHCA's FAQ says a sale by an exempt consumer is not covered by the Texas Manufactured Housing Standards Act, but if the home is moved, the new installation is subject to inspection, and a habitability problem observed at that inspection will be cited.

If the buyer will instead keep the home on a rented lot, see what a Texas park can require when you sell. If the home leaves and the land stays, see selling vacant land in Texas.

What a move costs, and selling in place

The state's own fees are small. TDHCA's fee schedule and the Transportation Code set these:

The larger costs are the mover, the installer and the new site, and the state does not set those prices. Get written quotes that say who is the installer.

If the only reason to move the home is to sell it, selling it where it sits can be simpler. Cash Home Advisors buys houses in Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio and Austin. We pay all closing costs and can close in 7–14 days once the statement of ownership is clear. Get a free cash offer, read how it works, or browse our selling guides.

The state index is the Texas hub.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 623, Subchapter E (Secs. 623.092 to 623.105, manufactured housing permits)
2. Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1201 (Secs. 1201.008, 1201.205, 1201.2055, 1201.206, 1201.255, 1201.256, 1201.361)
3. TxDMV, Manufactured Housing Single-Trip Permits
4. TDHCA, 10 TAC Chapter 80 Manufactured Housing Rules, effective December 21, 2025 (Secs. 80.21, 80.22 and 80.33)
5. TDHCA, Statement of Ownership frequently asked questions
6. TDHCA Form 1037, Statement of Ownership application instructions (change of location)
7. TDHCA Form 1022, fee schedule
8. TDHCA Form 1127, HUD label and Texas Seal information
9. TDHCA, Instructions and Information for Applying for a Statement of Ownership
10. Texas Tax Code, Chapter 32 (Sec. 32.03)
11. H.B. 3507, 78th Legislature (2003), enrolled, Sec. 14A.837 (text of former Transportation Code Sec. 623.093(d))

General information, not legal or tax advice. Talk to a Texas attorney or CPA about your situation.