Texas Dealer License Training

Submitting Your Texas Dealer License General Distinguishing Number Application via eLICENSING

Your application for your dealer’s license must be submitted electronically through the eLICENSING system. The TxDMV no longer accepts mailed in applications. The online application submission must be completed in correctly and in full. The application may be signed by the business owner OR an authorized representative. The application must be signed electronically or by hand using the what is known as a Certification of Responsibility which I will show you in just a few moments. Failure to complete any portion of the application prevent the application from being submitted. Correct dealer license applications will allow the TxDMV to grant your license in a much quicker manor. Mistakes on the dealer application submission can lead to substantial delays of license approval.

The individual completing the application is answering truthfully and all questions apply to all partners, LLC members or managers, or any directors, officers, or owners of the business, NOT just the person completing the application. Some owners and partners may not be listed on the license. The person whom completes and signs the application is representing all owners truthfully.

You must complete all information truthfully and correctly. Filing false statements of material fact on a dealer license application can lead to the denial of the initial application, possible suspension of the dealer license in the future, or may even lead to possible criminal charges.

Be sure all the information you enter on the dealer application is truthful and correct.

A CORRECT DEALER LICENSE APPLICATION WILL LEAD TO MUCH QUICKER DEALER LICENSE APPROVAL BY THE TxDMV

You will need the following REQUIRED documentation BEFORE you submit your application through the eLicensing system:

• Your employer identification number or EIN for the business, I will show you how to get your EIN latter in the course
• Your dealer surety bond number, the name of your bonding company, and the effective and expiration dates of the bond
• The Power of Attorney provided by the bond company will also be needed in addition to the bond.
• Scanned copy of driver’s license, passport, or official ID card for ALL owners and managers listed on the application
• Lease or proof of property ownership
• A business photo clearly displaying the exterior of business structure and business sign is also a required item.
• Copy of your 6-hour dealer educational course Certificate of Completion

In addition to the required documents you may need some additional documents as well such as
• corporations, limited liability corporations, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships. need a scanned copy of all corporate and/or registration papers filed with the Texas Secretary of State, we will cover this process extensively later in the course
• Sole Proprietors and General Partnerships need the scanned copy of Assumed Name Certificate for each Doing Business As (DBA) filed with the county. If a corporation, limited liability, limited partnership, or limited liability partnership has filed an Assumed Name Certificate, they would also need to file a copy of the Assumed Name Certificate as well
• You will need a social security number if you are applying for your dealer license a sole proprietor, if a Sole Proprietor has employees, then an Employer Identification Number is needed and may be used. SSNs may be used if the Sole Proprietor is the ONLY employee of the business.
• Certificate of Occupancy (If Required by City or County)
• Any previous GDN numbers you or any partners have held in the past
• You will need your Converter License number if you are applying for an Independent Mobility Motor Vehicle GDN
• Scanned copy of any facts pertaining to any criminal history of any officer or partner on the license application
• Scanned copy of any court papers that verify the adjudication, dismissal, or decision made regarding the criminal history of any officer or partner on the license application, I want you to be aware if you need to obtain copies of any court documents explaining criminal history you should contact the county or district clerk’s office in the county where the offense occurred.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles would also like you to know that the following are acceptable forms of identification on your dealer license application:
• Current Driver’s License
• U.S. Passport
• U.S Armed Forces Identity Card
• State Issued Identity Card
• Texas Concealed Handgun License

Remember ALL owners, and managers listed on the application MUST provide and acceptable form of ID

If you ARE Leasing the building where you will have your dealers license must have
• Lessor & Lessee Business Names
• Complete Business Address for the RENTAL Office that you are leasing from(Including Suite Number if Applicable)
• The Lease Term
• The Lessor & Lessee Signatures
• Remember your if you do NOT own the property the Lease Must be Minimum of Two Years

Applying for your Independent General Distinguishing Number or your Dealer License

The Independent GDN eLicensing application process is very automated and will take you step by step through the application process. Some license types will require additional information for that specific license. You will need to allow some time to complete the application as it is quite extensive and you must answer all questions accurately.
You will also use eLicensing after you receive your dealer license renew your license, amend or make changes to your license, order metal plates & stickers, restart your application process if not completed, print copies of your dealer license (it must be displayed at all times), review enforcement cases involving your dealership, close a license, change general license information such as contact info, view protests & complaints, pay any money owed, and manage your eLicensing account

You will also be required to upload several of the scanned documents that we covered previously. All information you submit must be correct and maintained throughout the licensure period. For example, you may not state that you have the minimum amount of office furniture that is required by law, and then remove the required office furniture. You must maintain all requirements during your licensure period.

When using the eLicensing system it is recommended to use Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox, edge, safari, and explorer do not interact well with eLICENSING so be sure you are using Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox

During the application process you Must Upload Several Documents, remember google chrome or mozilla firefox are the Recommended browsers, you can Save an Application & Finish Later, you Must Register an Account, then Will Receive User Name & Password
First you may access the eLicensing section at txdmv.gov and on the home page just scroll down on the home page and click on eLICENSING LOG in the Dealers box

Or you can go the website where you signed up for your course, texasdealers.com, then scroll down on any page and click on the Texas eLicensing Link and you can easily access the eLicensing system from this page

And then you will land on the Texas Department of Motor Vehicle’s newly redesigned website with a link to the eLICENSING system, so now you will click on the Log into eLICENSING link.

And then you will land on the Texas Department of Motor Vehicle’s newly redesigned website with a link to the eLicensing system, so now you will click on the Log into eLIcensing link.

1. Carefully read the Security Warning pop-up that displays over the Login page and click the I ACCEPT button


2. Next scroll down under the Register here if, and click on the join elicensing button


3. Then click Join eLicensing


4. Enter your contact information and business information here
I want you to be aware the business name for a Sole Proprietor is the legal first and last name of the individual or individuals, it is NOT the DBA name as this is a common mistake.

Now your account has been created be sure to check your email


5. You will then receive 3 emails from the Texas DMV, One email contains your assigned user name, one email contains your password, and third email has a log in link. check your email then click on the LOGIN button


6. And now you have landed on the account page, and I want to spend some time going over these different sections on the account page, first as you can see at the top left you can view any applications you have saved by clicking on the My Applications section, you can apply for a license, which we will do in just a moment, you can also renew your license when it is time to renew and you can amend your license in case you need to notify the DMV of any license changes such as maybe you are AMENDING your license form a wholesale dealer to a retail dealer, remember you would have to meet all requirements for the new license type you may be obtaining, you may also order dealer metal plates and stickers, view all of your license and plates, you can view any type of pending cases involving your dealership, click on dealer replacement to replace a license, you may also close out your license if for some reason you would like to close your business, you would need to Close Your License, You may change general license information, you can view protests and complaints, you can make a payment to the state if you owe any money and you can manage your account, say for example you want to add users

So now you are going to APPLY For a New License so you are going to click on Apply for New License

Next you will see all the types of licenses that we discussed earlier in the course, in just a moment you will click on the Independent GDN Licnense link, you can apply for a salvage license, remember with a GDN Licnese you can now operate as a salvage dealer, you can apply for a lessor license when leasing vehicles, franchise license when selling brand new vehicles, a leas facilitator license when acting as an intermidiarly between the customer and the business leasing the vehicle, distributor license, transit license, converter license and a manfacturer license,

So I want to show you how to apply for your Independent GDN License so you will click on the Independent GDN Licnense box

Then you will select the organization you just registered, and I want to bring your attention to the top of the screen here, you can view what part of the application process you are at, you see you are starting with our account and will go through several steps before you are able to actually pay for the dealer license, so you will always know what part of the application process your are at, now click on the green Save and Next button

I want to explain some information on this page, where you see Application Contact, License Contact and eTag contact information
Application Contact – this information is used by the licensing specialist to review and resolve any issues with the application.
b. License Contact – this information is used to contact the license holder once the license is approved.
c. eTAGs. The person listed will be the account administrator for the separate eTAG system used to issue temporary plates to buyers.

So you will complete that information then click the Save and Next button to continue


Now you will select your application reason, most of us will be selecting the Apply for a New license choice, however, you may be amending a license in the future, as you can see your amendment choices here such as you may relocating your dealership, changing a business entity, or maybe your previous license was not renewed,

but like a said, this first time that you are applying you will be selecting Apply for a New License from the drop down box then click the Save and Next button to continue

On the next screen you will see GDN types, for this training scenario I am going check the Motor Vehicle box at the top, as you can see if you scoll down you can also apply for other types of dealer licenses, then click the save and next button to continue

I want to take just a moment and explain some ownership entities
A sole proprietor is one individual, and no other individuals may be listed as a business owner. If the business is a general partnership, then the ownership information for each partner must be listed. For business types that file with TxSOS, all owners and operating members must be listed and the information must match the information on file with Tx Secretary of State.

On this screen you will enter your contact information, phone number and email are required by the way, the physical address of the dealership must be entered as well, you will need to click on Validate Address button, to validate your address, if your business license cannot be validated you can submit an address verification letter from your post office, or a 911 address verification letter from the local city/county government office (zoning or addressing division) is also acceptable if the business address can’t be verified

On the next screen you are asked if you want to add an additional location, for this training scenario lets say you will only have one location starting out, any additional locations must also be listed on the license if within the same city. Another license is required if conducting business at a location in a different city. Dealer licenses are city-specific. If a dealer is relocating to a new city, then a new license, including a new bond, is required. Click the green save and next button to continue

Now you will select whether or not you want to order metal dealer plates, for this training scenario I will select that you want 2 motor vehicle plates, if you were a motorcycle dealer then you could order motorcycle plates instead of the full size motorvehicle plates

Now you are going to enter our ownership information and I want to spend a little time on this screen, if the business is owned by an individual or individuals, you will list the person or persons who own the business in the Individual ownership section. The BUSINESS ownership information only needs to be entered if one or more businesses own the dealership such as if Business A and Business B are the owners of the dealership rather than individual people.If the dealership you are opening is owned in full or in part by another business you will enter information into the Business Ownership section, you would only complete this when the applicant is owned by another business, and then you would complete the manager information ONLY if the dealership is owned by a business.
For this training scenario, I am going complete the Individual ownership section and this would apply to you if you are the owner of the business, or perhaps you and another person OWN the business and by the way if you have multiple owners, be sure the ownership percentage equals 100 percent, so in this scenario you would click on the Add Owner Box,

Then you will scroll down and answer these very inportant questions, and remember you must answer all questions truthfully, the first question asks if any person has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, the next question asks if any person received a deferred adjudiCAtion for a felony or misdemeanor offense in any in-state, out-of-state, or federal jurisdiction, and the final question asks if any person has been court martiale, if you answer yes to any of the questions you will need to submit additional paper work involving those cases and as we stated earlier in the course, necessary court documents, can normally be found at the county or district clerk’s office in the county where the offense occurred.

On the next page you will be asked several more questions, be sure all questions are answered correctly, depending on how you answer the question you may see additional questions or instructions drop down due to your answers. Remember that questions apply to all partners, LLC members or managers, or any directors, officers, or owners of the business, not just the person completing the application. First you will be asked if you are a military service member or veteran, the DMV will waive the application fee for members of the military if the applicant currently holds a license in another state or has held a Texas dealer license in the last 5 years and relocated due to active duty during that time. Military members may separately qualify for expedited license processing. Answer if you have previously applied for licenses, if you have previously had applications denied, answer if you have held a licens a the address previously,
You are then asked if have a sign visible to the public with the dealership name at least 6 inches or larger, as a reminder wholesale dealers must have a permanent sign mounted in front of the business structure with 6-inch letters the same as retail dealers OR may affix a sign with 2-inch letters near the entrance to the office if the landlord doesn’t allow exterior signage.
Do you have your business hours posted that meet TxDMV requirements?
Do you own or lease the property and agree to submit documention to prove?
You are then asked if your business property meets all local zoning laws,
Have you obtained all certificates of occupancy for the location?
You are then asked if the property is a residence, apartment house, hotel, motel, or rooming house, remember a dealer may not operate out of a residence, apartment house, hotel, motel, or rooming house. If the office is located on residential property, the office must be in a separate structure and meet local zoning requirements.
Answer if you have ever been disciplined with the TxDMV, The question applicants must answer about TxDMV disciplinary history applies to disciplinary action by the TxDMV under all codes, not just the Occupations Code.
You are then asked if you have an office area with a desk, at least 2 chairs, internet access, a phone with listed number, remember the dealer phone number may not be shared with another dealer and wireless access is acceptable for the internet requirement.
You are asked whether or not you are a manufactuer and finally do you have a display are with room for 5 or more vehicles? Answer all the questions truthfully

Now you are taken to the Attachments page where you will start uploading documents, if you do not upload all the required documents on this page you will not be able to complete your dealer license application process at this time
First you will upload your lease agreement, which is a copy of the lease or property ownership documents, then the business photo clearly showing the full front of the business structure. The photo should include the permanently mounted business sign. Please be sure that the photo is taken at a distance which allows the entire structure to be viewed. Proof of Identity - Copy of a current driver’s license, U.S. passport, U.S. Armed Forces Identification Card, state issued identification card, or Texas concealed handgun license for each new owner, officer, or general partner listed, Certificate of Incorporation filing from Texas Secretary of States Office, You will then upload a copy of your dealer course Certificate of Completion. As a reminder, the pre-licensing training requirement applies only to dealers with an independent motor vehicle GDN. These dealers are licensed to buy, sell, or exchange used cars, trucks, motor homes, neighborhood vehicles, recreational off-road vehicles (ROV), all-terrain vehicles (ATV), and utility vehicles (UTV).
All applicants for new licenses and renewal applicants licensed less than 10 years on September 1, 2019 will be required to complete the one-time training
The licensing training requirement does NOT apply to independent motorcycle dealers, independent travel trailer dealers, independent mobility motor vehicle dealers, utility trailer/semi-trailer dealers, wholesale dealers, wholesale auction dealers, salvage dealers, or franchised license dealers.
The certficate will show have completed your dealer training course, this shows the State you have competed your mandatory training. Upload a copy of your bond then enter your Bond Number, Bond Company, Bond Effective Date and Bond Expiration Date, then finally you will upload the Power of Attorney from your bonding company. Click the Blue Upload button, when complete Click Save and next

Next you will see an extensive summary of the dealer license application you are getting ready to submit to the state, you want to spend some time on this page, be sure to go over every section in it’ entirety to ensure all information is true and correct,

Double check to make sure all the questions are correct

Next you will enter your first and last name, social security number, the state that issued your driver license, your date of birth, your DRIVER license number, then you will enter your Audit Number which is near the side of your picture or at the bottom of your drivers license

As you can see on this example the audit number is at the bottom of the drivers license, the DD stands for Document Discriminator, do not include the DD in the audit number, just enter numbers ONLY do not enter any letters here, letters may not be used in the audit number box otherwise you would be prevented from electronically signing your application

Now you are almost done and you will have to e sign the electronic dealer application
Be sure to turn off the popup blocker in your browser before proceeding or you may not be able to see the electronic signature window

If you are not sure how to turn off the popup blocker in your browser I want to show you exactly how to do this
At the top right of Chrome Browser, Click More, then Settings
Under "Privacy and Security," Click Site Settings
Click Pop-ups and Redirects
At the Top, Turn the Setting to Allowed
I will show you this with step by step screen shots on how to turn off your popup blocker in Google Chrome if needed, Click the settings tab at the top right of your browser,

Then click privacy and security

Then scroll down and click on Pop ups and re-directs

Now at the top of the screen you will see where it reads Blocked (recommended), you will need to change this to where it says allowed.
If you need to stop this video to study this information you certainly may do so, or when you are actually in the process of applying for your license after the course, you can go to texasdealers.com and click on dealer videos and review the “Submiting Your Application” video to go over these instructions again.

After you allow popups you can complete the electronic signature box if need

If you would like to e-sign this application, and you have a valid Texas driver license, fill out all the fields below and choose “Save and Next.” If you would prefer to provide a physical signature, or you have a driver license from another state, provide your first and last name, and select “Other” for issuing state. You will be prompted to print, sign, and upload a Certification of Responsibility.

Here you can see the Certifcation of Responsibilty that can be used if you have a drivers license from another state, you can print, this form, sign it, and then easily upload it back into the eLicensing system, don’t forget to click on the Blue upload button after you have selected the Certification of Responibitly to upload

You will then be directed to the State’s secure payment portal that will allow you to pay your dealer license and metal plate fees if applicable.

You can either pay the fees associated with this application, all applications you are waiting to submit, or select to work on another license application and then combine the payments into one transaction.
1. On the Payment Summary page select whether you are paying for multiple dealer applications or only the application you just completed which will contain your application number and the address of your dealership
2. Click PROCEED TO PAY and remember you can pay for your license with a credit care or electronic check, if you chose the CREDIT CARD option you will be taken to the state’ s secure payment portal

And here you would Enter your credit card contact information on this screen

3. Here you will see an overview of your payment and must enter the verification series of numbers and letters to ensure you are an actual person completing the payment this ensures that you are not some internet robot stealing passwords from the website. Then click Submit Payment

4. And here you will see that your application was submitted, you will receive a system email confirming your application was successfully received once the application is submitted for processing. You have now submitted your official application for your Texas General Distinguishing Number, CONGRATULATIONS!

At any time after your dealer license application was submitted, you may check the application status by logging onto the eLicensing system. If you have questions about your application status as you see on your screen you can also call 888-368-4689 or email DealerLicense@TxDMV.gov
You may also check your dealer license application status by visiting eLICENSING