Texas Form MVD-310:Section-by-Section Walkthrough
You searched for "Form MVD-310." Here is the truth no other page will tell you up front: TxDMV no longer accepts a downloaded MVD-310 PDF for new GDN applications. The questions that were on that form are now spread across eight or so pages inside the eLICENSING portal. This guide walks you through every one of them — the same way you would have walked through the paper sections — and flags the specific places applicants get stuck.
If you want the broader licensing process, see how to get licensed in Texas. If you need the bond itself, the Texas dealer bond page covers the $50,000 requirement and HB 3533. This page is about the form fields, nothing else.
What "Form MVD-310" Actually Is in 2026
MVD-310 was historically the paper Application for Motor Vehicle Dealer's General Distinguishing Number. It collected applicant and business information, classification (Independent, Wholesale, Auction, Motorcycle, Mobility), the physical location, ownership and officers, and signatures. In the eLICENSING era, that single PDF has been split into a multi-page online workflow.
One PDF, mailed in
- Download MVD-310 PDF
- Hand-write or type entries
- Mail with check, bond, and exhibits
- Wait for paper deficiency letter
eLICENSING, multi-page online flow
- Create an eLICENSING account at txdmv.gov
- Answer the same questions across guided pages
- Upload PDFs of bond, insurance, SOS filing
- Pay $700 fee with card
- Deficiency requests arrive via email and portal inbox
If you find a downloadable MVD-310 PDF online, it is almost certainly a legacy reference copy hosted by a third-party or archived TxDMV link. Using it as your actual submission is not how new applications are accepted today. The sections below mirror the order TxDMV walks you through inside eLICENSING.
Documents to Gather Before You Open eLICENSING
The biggest reason applicants stall mid-application is reaching an upload page without the document in hand. Build this stack in a single folder on your desktop before you log in. Every item below corresponds to either a field you will type or a PDF you will upload.
FEIN letter from the IRS
You will type the FEIN and may need to upload the IRS confirmation letter (CP 575 or 147C). The number must match what is on your bond and your sales tax permit.
Texas Secretary of State filing
Certificate of Formation (LLC), Certificate of Incorporation (Corp), or registration as a foreign entity. The exact legal name on this filing is the name that must appear everywhere else.
DBA / Assumed Name Certificate
If you operate under any name other than your legal entity name, file the assumed name certificate with your county clerk first. Upload the stamped copy.
Texas Sales Tax Permit
Issued by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The permit holder name must match the entity name on the GDN application.
$50,000 surety bond (2-year)
Executed bond naming the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles as obligee. The principal name on the bond must match the entity name. Get yours at buysuretybonds.com/auto-dealer-bonds/texas/.
Garage liability insurance certificate
Minimum $300,000 combined single limit. Certificate must list TxDMV as certificate holder and match the entity name and location address.
Dealer education course certificate
Certificate of completion from a TxDMV-approved pre-licensing education provider. See our dealer education course overview for accepted providers.
Photos of the dealership location
Permanent sign, exterior of the enclosed building, the dedicated office area, and the display area for at least five vehicles (for retail GDNs). Take these in daylight.
Proof of identity for each owner / officer
Government-issued photo ID (driver license or passport) for every owner, officer, member, or general partner who must be listed.
Zoning and right-to-occupy evidence
Lease showing the dealer entity as tenant (or deed showing ownership) plus a zoning letter or evidence the address is permitted for motor vehicle dealership use.
Section-by-Section Walkthrough
eLICENSING walks you through these pages in order. You cannot advance past a page until required fields are complete. Each subsection below mirrors the sections of the legacy MVD-310 plus the upload pages that replaced its "attached exhibits."
License Type Selection
The first page asks which kind of GDN you are applying for. The choice you make here drives every downstream rule — bond requirements, facility requirements, even whether retail sales are allowed.
- Independent Motor Vehicle Dealer (used vehicles, retail)
- Wholesale Motor Vehicle Dealer (dealer-to-dealer only)
- Wholesale Motor Vehicle Auction
- Motorcycle Dealer (motorcycles and ATVs)
- Independent Mobility Motor Vehicle Dealer
Picking Wholesale when you actually plan to sell to the public. A Wholesale GDN cannot retail vehicles, period. If you sell even one car to a non-dealer, your bond is exposed and your GDN can be revoked. Pick Independent if retail is anywhere in your plan.
Business Information
The legal name of the business entity, type of entity (sole proprietorship, LLC, LP, LLP, Corporation), FEIN, and Texas Comptroller taxpayer number. This is where most deficiency requests start.
- Legal business name
- Entity type
- State of formation
- SOS filing number (Texas) or registration number
- Date of formation
- FEIN
- Comptroller taxpayer number
- Secretary of State filing (Certificate of Formation)
- FEIN confirmation letter (CP 575 or 147C)
- Sales tax permit
Name mismatches. The bond reads "Lonestar Auto Group LLC" but the SOS filing reads "Lone Star Auto Group LLC." Specialist flags it; you go back to the surety for a bond rider; two weeks lost. Compare the legal name character-by-character across all documents before you type it anywhere.
Physical Address of the Licensed Location
The actual street address of the dealership. Not a PO box, not a residence, not a virtual office. This address is what the TxDMV inspector will visit.
- Permanent enclosed building (not portable, not residential)
- Permanent sign with dealer name visible from primary road
- Separate designated office for records and customer transactions
- Dedicated business phone line at the location
- Proper municipal or county zoning for motor vehicle sales
- Display area for at least five vehicles (retail GDNs)
Submitting the application before the sign is up or before the lease is signed. The inspector cannot pass a location that does not exist yet. If you are still building out the lot, hold the application until the site is photograph-ready, or be prepared for an inspection failure and re-inspection delay.
Assumed Names (DBAs)
If the dealership operates under any name other than the legal entity name, every such name must be listed here and the Assumed Name Certificate must be on file with the county clerk of the location county. Multiple DBAs are allowed.
Listing a marketing name as a DBA when no assumed name certificate has actually been filed at the county clerk. The specialist will request the stamped certificate; if it does not exist, you have to pause, go file it, and come back with the stamped copy.
Mailing Address and Supplemental Locations
Mailing address can be a PO box if you prefer correspondence go somewhere other than the lot. Supplemental locations are separate physical sites that you want covered under the same application — but in Texas each location generally requires its own GDN and its own bond, so "supplemental locations" is narrow in practice. If you operate two lots, expect to submit two applications and post two bonds.
Ownership
TxDMV asks for direct ownership of the business entity that will hold the GDN. If your applying LLC is owned by individuals, list the individuals and their ownership percentages. If your applying LLC is owned by another entity, list that parent entity — you generally do not have to recurse into the parent entity's owners, but always check the on-screen instructions for your specific structure.
Ownership percentages that do not add to 100%, or omitting a minority owner because "they're only 10%." Every direct owner gets listed. Omission can be treated as a material misrepresentation later.
Officers, Members, and General Partners
For each person with authority — officers of a corporation, managing members of an LLC, general partners of a partnership — eLICENSING requires full legal name, date of birth, address, and a proof-of-identity upload. Each person also authorizes a criminal history background check at this stage.
- Full legal name (as it appears on photo ID)
- Date of birth
- Home address
- Photo ID upload (driver license or passport)
- Criminal history authorization (electronic signature)
Not disclosing a prior dealer license that was revoked or surrendered in any state. The background check will find it. Disclosing it up front, with context, is almost always handled better than omission discovered later.
Document Uploads and Payment
The final stretch. Every document you gathered earlier gets attached here, plus the $700 fee is paid by card. Once you submit, the application moves into TxDMV's review queue and gets a Work Item Number you can track inside eLICENSING.
- $50,000 surety bond (executed, 2-year term)
- Garage liability insurance certificate
- SOS filing
- Sales tax permit
- Dealer education certificate
- Photos of facility (sign, exterior, office, lot)
- Lease or deed
- Zoning letter (if requested)
- Pay $700 GDN application fee
- Receive Work Item Number
- Monitor eLICENSING inbox daily
- Schedule facility inspection when prompted
Patterns We See on Applications That Pass First Try
Across applicants we have helped bond into Texas, the ones who sail through review without a deficiency request tend to share specific habits. None of these are written in TxDMV rules. They are operational patterns.
They lock the legal name first
Before they open eLICENSING, the SOS filing is done, the FEIN letter is in hand, the sales tax permit is approved, and the bond principal name has been cross-checked against all three. The legal name on every document is identical, character for character, including punctuation and the comma before "LLC."
They photograph the location after the sign goes up
Wide shot of the lot, close-up of the sign showing the dealer name, interior shot of the office area, exterior shot of the enclosed building. All taken in daylight. Not stock photos, not phone selfies — clear documentation that the location exists in its inspection-ready state.
They get the bond before they start the application
Not after they reach the upload page. The bond is the most common point at which an application stalls because the principal name was typed in eLICENSING before the bond was issued, and now the two do not match. Having the bond first forces the legal name to be locked in.
They treat the inbox as a daily task
Once the application is submitted, the eLICENSING inbox is checked every weekday morning. Deficiency requests answered within 24 hours keep the work item near the top of the specialist's queue. Letting one sit for a week typically adds two weeks to the total timeline.
What to Do If You Catch a Mistake After Submitting
Before specialist review starts
Log into eLICENSING and check whether the section is still editable. Some pages remain open until a specialist claims the work item. If editable, fix it directly. If not, see the next column.
Action: log in, check the work item status, edit if possible.
After specialist review starts
You will receive a deficiency request by email and in the portal inbox. Reply through eLICENSING — upload the corrected document or fill the re-opened field. Never start a new application as a workaround. Duplicates create new work item numbers, confuse the specialist, and slow everyone down.
Action: respond to the deficiency request in the portal.
After You Submit: What TxDMV Does Next
Intake and Work Item Number assignment
Payment is processed, the application is scanned in, and a Work Item Number is generated. You will see this in your portal and on a confirmation email.
Licensing specialist review
A specialist opens your file, checks names against uploads, verifies the bond and insurance, and reviews ownership and officer disclosures. Deficiency requests, if any, are sent now.
Criminal history checks return
Background checks for each listed individual run in parallel. Clean returns are silent — you only hear back if something flags.
Facility inspection scheduled
Once paperwork is clear, an inspector contacts you to schedule the on-site visit. They verify signage, the enclosed building, the office, phone line, zoning, and display area.
GDN issued and mailed
A passing inspection plus a clean file results in your GDN being printed and mailed. Your license number is also viewable in eLICENSING. You can begin using your GDN immediately upon issuance.
Total realistic timeline: 4-6 weeks from a complete, clean submission. Anything faster usually means the file was already partly prepared; anything slower usually traces to deficiency requests sitting unanswered.
Form MVD-310 / eLICENSING Application: FAQ
Is Form MVD-310 still a paper PDF I download, or do I fill it out online?
For new General Distinguishing Number (GDN) applications, TxDMV no longer accepts a downloaded MVD-310 PDF in the mail. Everything is done through the eLICENSING portal at txdmv.gov. The online application asks the same questions the legacy form asked — applicant information, classification, location, ownership, officers — just in a guided web form with upload fields. If you find an "MVD-310" PDF online, it is almost always an older reference document. Use eLICENSING.
What sections does the GDN application (the modern MVD-310 equivalent) contain?
The TxDMV eLICENSING application for a new Independent GDN walks you through: license type selection, business information, physical address of the licensed location, assumed names (DBAs), mailing address, supplemental locations, ownership of the business entity, officers and individuals associated with the business, and document uploads (bond, garage liability insurance, Secretary of State filing, proof of identity, dealer education certificate). Each section has its own page; you cannot skip ahead until required fields are complete.
What is the single most common mistake on the application?
Inconsistency between names. The legal entity name on your Secretary of State filing, the principal on the $50,000 surety bond, the FEIN holder, the sales tax permit, and the GDN application itself must all match exactly. A bond issued to "Lone Star Auto LLC" will be flagged as deficient if the application lists "Lone Star Autos LLC." Pull all your formation documents and compare names character-by-character before you start the eLICENSING application.
How do I fix a mistake after I have already submitted the application?
If the application is still in the pre-review queue, log back into eLICENSING and check whether the section is editable; many fields lock once the application is queued. Once a licensing specialist begins review, mistakes typically come back as a "deficiency request" email. You respond inside eLICENSING by uploading corrected documents or updating fields the specialist re-opens. Do not start a new application — that creates a duplicate work item and slows everything down. Treat deficiency requests as routine, not as rejection.
Do I need the $50,000 bond before I start the application?
You do not need the bond to begin the application, but you cannot finish it without uploading the executed bond document. Many applicants get the bond first so they can upload it the same day they complete the eLICENSING application. The bond is a 2-year term that matches the GDN license cycle, and it must name the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles as obligee. Get a Texas auto dealer bond quote at buysuretybonds.com/auto-dealer-bonds/texas/.
How long after I submit does the GDN get issued?
Once you have submitted a complete application with no deficiencies and paid the $700 fee, typical timelines run 4 to 6 weeks. That window includes specialist review, criminal history check return, and the on-site facility inspection. Any deficiency restarts the clock for that portion of the review. Same-day approval refers to the bond, not the GDN itself — TxDMV controls the license timeline.
Do I need to list every owner, or only majority owners on the application?
TxDMV requires disclosure of direct owners of the business entity applying for the GDN. If your LLC is owned by another LLC, you list the direct parent entity on the ownership page, but you generally do not need to list that parent entity's owners. Each individual owner, officer, or general partner listed must provide proof of identity and is subject to a criminal history background check. When in doubt, list rather than omit — omissions are treated as misrepresentation.
Keep Going on Your Texas GDN
Texas Auto Dealer Bond
$50,000 requirement, HB 3533, the 2-year term, and bond filing details.
How to Get Licensed in Texas
The full GDN process end-to-end, beyond just the application form.
Dealer Education Course
The pre-licensing course you must complete before the application moves forward.
GDN Bond Guide
Deep dive on the bond itself — obligee, statute, claim triggers, and rider mechanics.
Texas GDN Renewal
The 2-year renewal cycle and how the eLICENSING renewal flow differs from a new application.
Same-Day Bond Approval
How to get the bond document in hand the same day so you can start the application immediately.
All content is researched from official state and federal sources (.gov) and verified before publication. BuySuretyBonds.com works with Treasury-certified, A-minimum rated surety carriers serving all 50 states.
Bond First. Application Second. License Third.
The fastest path through the MVD-310 / eLICENSING flow starts with the bond in hand. We issue Texas $50,000 dealer bonds same-day, formatted for direct upload.