Moving to Katy from out of state: what to sort out in year one

Moving to Katy from another state comes with a specific to-do list, and unlike a lot of moving advice, the deadlines here are real and state-set: Texas gives you 90 days to swap your out-of-state driver's license and 30 days to register your vehicle. This guide walks through the paperwork in order, then covers the local details that surprise transplants, from MUD taxes to Katy ISD zoning. It is written for year one, because that is when every deadline lands.

The two deadlines that matter most

Your out-of-state driver's license stays valid for 90 days after you establish Texas residency, and after that day it no longer counts for driving here. The license itself comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), not the state's motor vehicle agency, and DPS appointments fill up, so book yours early rather than near the deadline.

Your vehicle is a separate process. You register and title it in Texas within 30 days of establishing residency, through the county tax assessor-collector for the county where you live, and you need Texas-compliant liability insurance in place before you register. One change worth knowing: Texas ended annual safety inspections in January 2025, but emissions tests still apply in some urban counties, so confirm what your county requires instead of assuming.

What a 'Katy address' does and doesn't tell you

This is the part that surprises the most transplants. A street address that says Katy does not mean the home sits inside the Katy city limits; most of Cinco Ranch is unincorporated land in Greater Katy, and the community spans more than one county. Which county, MUD (municipal utility district), and tax jurisdiction applies is set by each individual property, not by the neighborhood name, so treat any general statement about 'the Katy side' with suspicion and verify the specific address.

That granularity shows up in the bills. Property taxes include county, Katy ISD, and MUD levies, and combined rates vary by section, which is why two nearby homes can carry different tax numbers. The property taxes and MUDs post explains why the bill varies by address, and the homestead exemption post covers the April 30 filing deadline in your first year of ownership, the single easiest tax break to leave on the table.

Schools work the same way. Katy ISD serves the community, but the campus assignment belongs to the exact address, not to the name Cinco Ranch. The schools guide shows how to verify any address in about a minute, and it is worth doing before you fall in love with a listing.

The practical local stuff

A few things that do not make the brochure. Summers are hot, humid, and long, and hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, so flood awareness and a plan for storm season are normal parts of ownership here. Trees grow fast in the humidity, which gives you shade and gives you maintenance in equal measure. And for many households the commute into Houston is the real question, so the commute guide gives honest ranges for the Energy Corridor, Uptown, and downtown rather than a best-case number.

Start with the guides