Our Mission

The Auto Dealers Detail is responsible for the licensing and regulation of automotive related businesses and the disposal of abandoned motor vehicles in vehicle storage facilities. The mission of the unit is to insure that the automotive industry complies with the many laws that govern their operations and to dispose of unclaimed vehicles through public auction.

For fee schedules, please visit https://cohweb.houstontx.gov/FIN_FeeSchedule/default.aspx

Clicking on the license type will provide you with more information for that specific license.

Any person who engages in, conducts, or carries on the public business of buying, selling, offering for sale, consigning to be sold, trading or otherwise dealing with the public or operating as a public dealer in rebuilt parts and accessories, to include the following: Motors for motor vehicles, transmissions, differentials, generators, starters, carburetors, fuel pumps, shock absorbers, voltage regulators and distributors.

Any person who engages in, conducts or carries on the public business of repairing motor vehicles or motor vehicle trailers, or both. This term includes a mobile automotive repair business.

Any person who, primarily or incidentally, wholly or part time, engages in, conducts, or carries on the public business of buying, selling, offering for sale, consigning to be sold, trading or otherwise dealing with the public in or operating as a public dealer in used or secondhand motor vehicles or trailers by the method or plan of rebuilding of wrecked motor vehicles or trailers or of dismantling, wrecking, disassembling and selling the dismantled wrecks or the disassembled parts or accessories thereof to the public.

Any person who operates an automotive repair facility that is primarily a body shop and has qualified under division 4 of this article to provide storage of customer vehicles for not more than 30 days in exchange for a fee pending the repair or other disposition of the vehicles.

Any person who, publicly engages in, conducts, or carries on the business of buying, selling, offering for sale to the public, consigning to be sold to the public, trading or otherwise dealing in motor vehicles or motor vehicle trailers, or both, with and to the public.

Any person who publicly engages in, conducts or carries on the public business of buying, selling, offering for sale, trading or otherwise dealing in new parts, motor vehicle units, supplies for motor vehicle maintenance or new accessories for motor vehicles to consumers; but does not rebuild, dismantle, wreck or disassemble motor vehicles or trailers as part of such business.

Any person who engages in, conducts or carries on the public business of storing motor vehicles, including wrecked, damaged, and repossessed motor vehicles; provided however that this term shall not include those who store new motor vehicles pending the retail sales thereof nor those who own or operate lots or garages for the hourly or daily parking of motor vehicles. The term also shall not include any facility that is required to be licensed pursuant to the Vehicle Storage Facility Act (article 6687-9a, Texas Revised Civil Statutes) unless the facility in addition to keeping vehicles parked or stored without the owners' consent, as authorized by a license granted thereunder, keeps vehicles parked or stored with the owners' consent.

Any person who, primarily or incidentally, wholly or part time, engages in, conducts, or carries on the public business of buying, selling, offering for sale, consigning to be sold, trading or otherwise dealing with the public in or operating as a public dealer in used or secondhand motor vehicle parts or accessories for motor vehicles, either or both; but does not rebuild, dismantle, wreck or disassemble motor vehicles or trailers as part of such business. This term shall not include a business that is licensed as a pawnshop pursuant to Chapter 371 of the Texas Finance Code.

Any person who at the request of a parking lot operating company or parking lot general manager engages in the act of booting vehicles that are in a parking lot without permission, without paying a parking fee, or in violation of any parking restriction posted in accordance with the signage requirements of section 26-616 of this Code.

Any person in the business of buying or selling new automotive parts and accessories at wholesale and retail prices. For example: Parts stores who not only sell retail to the public, but also sell wholesale. 

Any person who holds a contract with a manufacturer of motor parts, motor vehicle units, accessories or supplies for the purpose of and is primarily or incidentally, wholly or part time, engaged in, conducting or carrying on the public business of buying, selling or offering for sale or otherwise publicly dealing in new or used parts, motor vehicle units, supplies for motor vehicle maintenance or accessories for motor vehicles at wholesale or quantity prices or at a price or prices lower than the established published retail price or prices, and makes sales to garage service stations or dealers for expected resale to the consumer. The term shall not apply to the exchange of automotive parts where no factory consecutive serial number is used and the part is shown as an exchange item in a standard parts catalogue.