On the day I first moved to Fort Worth, I found myself unsure of what to do first after arriving.

Even though I had moved, there were many administrative issues that needed to be addressed all at once. I've compiled a list of things I wish I had known in advance.

First and foremost is exchanging your Texas driver's license. Once you register as a Texas resident, you must change your driver's license to a Texas license within 90 days at the Texas DPS. The required documents include your current driver's license, an ID (passport or birth certificate), your social security number, and two documents proving your Texas address. There is a Fort Worth Mega Center, and the DPS office in Arlington is also nearby. If you go without an appointment, you may face long wait times, so I recommend making an online reservation first.

You need to register your vehicle within 30 days after confirming your residency. This can be done at the Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector office, and Tarrant County requires emissions testing. For car insurance, Texas mandates a minimum liability coverage of $30,000 per accident, $60,000 total per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. When registering for school, keep in mind that your Fort Worth address may fall under multiple school districts, so it's important to check which district your address belongs to first. Required documents include proof of residency (utility bill or lease), vaccination records, previous school transcripts, birth certificate, and guardian ID.

And one very important thing: you absolutely need a car. Planning to rely on public transportation in Fort Worth is realistically difficult. In the early days of moving, administrative tasks are scattered all over the place, and you'll find that having a car is essential. You'll need to drive to the hospital, grocery store, and school. If you handle these five things—driver's license, vehicle registration, insurance, school, and hospital—one by one within the first month, it will significantly reduce the chaos of settling in.