Texas Car Dealer's License
If you want a Texas Car Dealer's License and If you are in Texas, you're lucky. Texas has a very large number of car dealer auctions - Third in the Nation! See below for a free list of Texas Dealer Auctions. Most car dealer auctions in Texas are owned by www.manheim.com or www.adesa.com
Texas Car Dealer License Requirements
If you have done online research on a Texas Car Dealer's License, it may seem like there are tons of requirements. You may have read about the place of business requirement, the bond, etc. However, if you understand what the MINIMUM requirements are, it's really not that bad. Most dealers I know make over $100,000 per year and they only spend about $300 per month on overhead, so it's a small investment to make tons of money.
Now anyone can go online and find out what Texas car dealer license requirements are, but nobody bothers telling you what to do FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, etc, and nobody wants to show you the EASIEST and CHEAPEST way to go about meeting the Texas Car Dealer License requirements.
If you want to learn the process inside and out, I recommend www.dealerlicense.com. You can purchase low-cost training manuals and videos that will not only teach you the easiest and cheapest way to get your Texas Car Dealer License, but more importantly, you will learn how dealers make money too. Their order page is located at: http://www.dealerlicense.com/order.html
WARNING TO TEXAS RESIDENTS: If you Live in TEXAS You Need a Car Dealer License to retail cars in TEXAS!
I AM A CAR DEALER AND I AM ALSO A LAWYER, SO I HOPE YOU TAKE THE FOLLOWING SERIOUSLY:
There are many programs online where you can "rent" a dealer license or get licensed out-of-state. If you are wholesaling from auction-to-auction, it's difficult for your state to bust you. However, these programs can be problematic, especially if you are advertising to the retail public in your state, even if you are a wholesaler who sells "through" a network of local dealers. Even if you have a wholesale license in another state, by advertising to the retail public in your state, you are purporting to be a retailer and since you do NOT have a retail license in your state, the state considers it "unlicensed auto sales", which is usually a misdemeanor crime. If you don't believe me, simply call your local DMV investigator and they will certainly tell you the same thing.
Texas and Other States are Cracking Down on Out-of-State Car Dealer Licenses!
HERE'S SOME REAL PROOF:
Recently someone called me about advice because they were busted in their state for unlicensed auto sales. What happened was they lived in Florida and had a dealer license based in another state. They advertised a car on Craigslist.com and an undercover DMV investigator pretended to be a customer. Even though he had a dealer license in another state, when the Investigator found out that the dealer did NOT have a Florida dealer license, the DMV slammed the guy with a civil injunction lawsuit against him and if he continues to sell cars in Florida with an out-of-state license, he will be prosecuted as well. That unlicensed dealer has had to pay thousands in attorney fees for his defense. The investigator was nice enough to give him a "slap on the wrist" with a civil suit only, but not all investigators are that nice - you can be prosecuted. Do you want to take that chance?
In many cases, it's CHEAPER to get your OWN license in Texas than getting a "shady" out of state license
Why pay monthly fees to an out-of-state company when the same monthly fees can be applied towards your OWN Texas in-state car dealer license. I talk to dealers all day and many tell me that it ended up being CHEAPER getting licensed in their own state. If you know what the MINIMUM requirements are, it can be done. Your state will tell you the requirements, but they will NOT tell you the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to get your Texas Car Dealer's license. You can learn the easy, fast and cheap way at www.dealerlicense.com.
EVEN DEALER AUCTIONS ARE CRACKING DOWN ON OUT-OF-STATE LICENSES
At my local Manheim dealer auction there is a huge sign that says:
"OUT OF STATE DEALERS: If you purchase a vehicle, it MUST be exported outside of this state."
Not all auctions have this policy, but the trend is for more and more auctions to follow this rule. The auction does this per the state's request because the state knows most out of state dealers who buy, will try to sell that car in the state the car was purchased in. This is a back-door method that the state is using to further crack down on unlicensed auto dealers.
What this means is that the dealer auction will NOT release the car to you because you have an out of state license - you need to show the auction a bill of lading from a trucking company that says the car is going to be transported out of state. This can be MAJOR problem if you have an out of state license! Do it the right way - get a dealer license in TEXAS.
Free Texas Car Dealer's License Information
There is a set of FREE publications that will help you learn the business and the dealer license process the legitimate legal way. You can find these free car dealer license publications at: http://www.dealerlicense.com/dealers.html
Getting your Texas car dealer's license is the EASY part as far as I'm concerned. The HARD part is LEARNING THE BUSINESS. If you don't understand how the dealer auctions and the car business works, you will be eaten alive!
There are many good deals at the dealer auctions. There are many great cars. However, many sellers will hide major history problems with the cars, hoping you will not notice. Through my 16 years of going to dealer auctions, I've seen it all. I've seen hidden frame damage, hidden flood damage, and hidden rental history. Did you know that sellers are bidding on their own cars? When you're bidding at the auction, there is a great chance that the person you are bidding against is the SELLER! They study your body language to try to bid you up. There are ways to combat this and the best place to learn is to get a hold of training manuals and videos at www.dealerlicense.com. Once you understand what the dirty auction tricks are, you will make plenty of money.
Dealer Auctions in Texas
Texas
Manheim Dallas - Car Dealer Auction – Dealer Auction License Required. See http://www.dealerlicense.com for how to get your car dealer’s auction license.
Phone: (214) 330-1800; (877) 860-1651
Fax: (214) 339-6347
Manheim
Phone: (817) 399-4000; (866) 794-3392
Fax: (817) 399-4251
Manheim
Phone: (915) 833-9333; (877) 587-2277
Fax: (915) 581-9645
Manheim Houston - Car Dealer Auction – Dealer Auction License Required. See http://www.dealerlicense.com for how to get your car dealer’s auction license.
Phone: (281) 890-4300; (800) 444-2444
Fax: (281) 890-7953
Manheim
Phone: (210) 661-4200; (800) 874-2897
Fax: (210) 662-3197
Manheim
Phone: (713) 649-8233
Fax: (713) 640-8395
ADESA
Hutchins
TX
972-225-6000
ADESA
TX
512-873-4000
ADESA
TX
281-580-1800
ADESA
TX
210-434-4999
Learning how to make money is just as important as learning how to get your Texas Car Dealer License
I recommend that you get a hold of training manuals and videos at www.dealerlicense.com. You will not only learn how to get your Texas Car Dealer License, but you will learn the BUSINESS as well!
