The practical sideof moving to Austin.
Movers, utilities, your car, your license, doctors and pets. What to do, in what order, and what is different in Texas.
Pick your month.Then check your mover.
Most of the cost and stress of a long-distance move is set by two choices: when you move, and who you hire.
May through September is peak season, and prices run higher. October and November are cheaper and cooler — a normal Austin summer has about 29 days of 100°F or more.
For a long-distance move in peak season, industry guides suggest booking 12–16 weeks ahead. Off-season, a few weeks can be enough. Mid-week, mid-month dates are easiest to get.
Any mover crossing state lines must be registered with the FMCSA. Look up the company’s USDOT number on FMCSA’s Protect Your Move site before you sign, and check its complaint history.
Interstate movers must give you the federal booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move.” A mover demanding a large cash deposit up front is a common fraud warning sign.
Based on 2026 full-service quotes (moveBuddha). The national average for a cross-country move is about $4,567 (HomeAdvisor, 2026). Weight, distance and season move the price most.
If your home is not ready, a container can move and store your things. A cross-country 16-foot PODS runs about $5,400–$7,400; storage about $150–$360 a month (moveBuddha, 2026).
Sources: moveBuddha (2026), HomeAdvisor (Jun 2026), FMCSA Protect Your Move, U.S. DOT Office of Inspector General, extremeweatherwatch (Camp Mabry). Prices are averages; get at least three written estimates.
Your address,not your city, decides.
Utility lines do not follow city limits. Two homes in the same suburb can have different electric companies. Check by exact address before move-in.
Service areas change and overlap. Confirm with the seller’s or landlord’s recent bill, or the utility’s address lookup.
Register first.License second.
Texas has two clocks for new residents, run by two agencies. Do them in this order — DPS asks for your Texas registration.
- Texas insurance first — minimum 30/60/25 liability
- Emissions test — required in Travis and Williamson counties, not Hays; bring the inspection report
- No safety inspection — ended for personal vehicles on Jan 1, 2025; a $7.50 fee is added at registration instead
- County tax office — bring title or prior registration, ID and Form 130-U
- Expect fees — $51.75 base registration, county fees and a $90 new resident tax
- Texas DPS — book online; appointments open up to 180 days ahead
- Surrender your old license — written and road tests are waived for a valid out-of-state license; vision test still applies
- Bring — proof of identity, citizenship or lawful presence, Social Security number, Texas residency, and Texas registration and insurance for each car
- REAL ID — Texas licenses are REAL ID-compliant; use DPS’s online document check first
- Deadline — 30 days before Election Day; check your county’s elections site for the next date
- By county — Travis County Tax Office, Williamson County Elections, Hays County Elections
- Moved from another county — you must re-register in your new county
Several big systems.Check your network first.
Greater Austin is served by a few large hospital systems and clinic groups. Which one is “yours” usually depends on your insurance plan.
Ascension Seton’s downtown teaching hospital with UT Dell Medical School. The only adult Level I trauma center in the 11-county Central Texas region.
In Mueller. The region’s only Level I pediatric trauma center, with the most pediatric specialists in Central Texas.
A network of hospitals and ERs across the metro, including St. David’s Medical Center, North Austin, South Austin, Round Rock and Georgetown.
Strong in the northern suburbs, with hospitals in Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville and Lakeway. The Round Rock hospital is expanding.
The area’s large primary and specialty care group, with about 35 clinics in 15 Central Texas cities.
The clinical practice of UT’s Dell Medical School. UT and MD Anderson plan a new hospital near the Domain, targeted for 2030.
A dog town,with a few rules.
Austin has off-leash parks, dog-friendly patios and a no-kill city shelter. Heat is the one thing newcomers underestimate.
The City of Austin runs off-leash areas at Zilker Metro Park, Red Bud Isle, Auditorium Shores, Emma Long, Walnut Creek and more. Dogs must stay within sight and voice control.
Since 2024, pets over 4 months in the City of Austin must be microchipped with current contact info. Austin Animal Center chips pets of Austin and Travis County residents for free.
Texas requires dogs and cats to be vaccinated for rabies by 16 weeks, by a licensed vet. Bring records when you move and set up a new vet in the first month.
HOAs and landlords can limit the number, size or breed of pets and require leashes in common areas. Suburbs set their own animal rules, so check your city too.
Summer pavement can pass 150°F. If you can’t hold your hand on it for 10 seconds, it is too hot for paws. Never leave a pet in a parked car.
Austin Animal Center is one of the largest no-kill shelters in the U.S. The city requires a live-release rate of at least 95%.
Eight weeks outto your first month.
A simple order of operations. For the rest of your first 90 days — schools, homestead exemption, settling in — see our Living in Austin guide.
- 018–12 weeks beforeGet estimates and book movers
Get at least three written estimates, check each USDOT number, and book. Go earlier for a summer move.
- 024–6 weeks beforeConfirm utilities by address
Find out who provides power, water and gas at your exact address. Schedule start dates and book an internet install.
- 032–4 weeks beforePaperwork and records
Forward your mail, request medical and vet records, and book your DPS appointment now — slots fill up.
- 04Move weekKeep essentials with you
Titles, passports, medications, laptops and anything heat-sensitive ride in your car, not the truck. Power and water should be on the day before you arrive.
- 05Within 30 daysInsure, test and register your car
Texas insurance, then an emissions test in Travis or Williamson, then the county tax office.
- 06Within 90 daysTexas license and voter registration
Visit DPS with your Texas registration, then register to vote in your county.
- 07After thatSettle in
Homestead exemption, schools and the rest of your first 90 days are in our Living in Austin guide.
What locals knowabout moving here.
Melissa Jung, REALTOR®Small things that save time, money and a hot afternoon.
Moving to Austin?Start with the right address.
Your address decides your utilities, school district, tax rate and commute. Tell us what matters, and we will help you narrow it down before you book the truck.