First notice: Texas VSF rule

The rule

If the vehicle is claimed within 24 hours of receipt, no notice requirements apply (16 TAC §85.703(a)). Otherwise the vehicle must sit at least 24 hours before the first notice is sent.

Texas-registered vehicle: notify the registered owner and the primary lienholder no later than the 5th day the vehicle is on the lot. Vehicle registered in another state: notify the owner and each lienholder no later than the 14th day (§85.703(b)).

Send by certified or registered mail with return receipt requested; the rule also allows electronic certified mail. Notice has occurred when the U.S. Postal Service places its postmark (§85.703(d)), so the postmark date is the anchor for every later clock.

If the first notice goes out late, later deadlines run from the date it was actually sent, and the yard may not charge daily storage again until 24 hours after it is sent (§85.703(e)). Mail the late notice today and billing resumes tomorrow.

No plate and an unreadable VIN: run an NMVTIS report first (Occ. Code §2303.1521). If the state record still cannot be obtained by day 14, the notice may be published.

Worked dates

Texas plate received Monday, March 2, 2026 at 3:40 p.m. Earliest mailing: after 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, March 3.

The rule says "the fifth day," not how to count it. If arrival day is day 1, day 5 is Friday, March 6; if arrival is day 0, it is Saturday, March 7. We calendar the earlier reading: postmark by Friday, March 6.

Same car with an Oklahoma plate: the earlier reading of day 14 is Sunday, March 15, so the practical postmark deadline is Friday, March 13.

The common mistake

Treating "printed" or "dropped in the box" as sent. Only the USPS postmark counts. A letter printed Friday and postmarked Monday is a Monday notice.

What an inspector asks for

Receipt date and time for the vehicle
Copy of the letter as mailed
Certified or registered number and postmark proof
Owner and lienholder record used, with request date (out-of-state)

Sources

Educational summary, not legal advice. Deadlines depend on facts and the current rule text. Confirm against TDLR: VSF Notification Process and TDLR Laws and Rules, and talk to your attorney.