Plugging In: Answers to Common Questions

Can Someone Give Me a List of Numbers I Might Need?

This is list you need to keep near the phone. NOTE: All numbers listed here and throughout this guide are area code 214 unless otherwise noted.

Emergency-Police, Fire, Ambulance …911

Dallas City Council Offices …670-4050

City Manager’s Office …670-3302

Mayor’s Office …670-4054

Consumer Protection Action Center …744-$600

Better Business Bureau …220-2000

Dallas Municipal Court Information Center …747-3800

State Highway Department …320-6100

Texas Department of Public Safety …226-7611

Housing and Neighborhood Services …670-5397

Dallas Park Department …670-4100

County Clerk …653-7131

County Assessor-Taxes …653-7811

Street and Sanitation Department …747-2600

Broken Water Mains …670-5700

Water Department …651-1441

Water Department-Emergencies …744-5005

TU Electric …653-1311

Lone Star Gas Company …741-3750

Dallas Independent School District …824-5251

Chamber of Commerce …746-6600

Time and Temperature 844-(any foul numbers)

Weather Report …787-1111 (D/FW)

…787-1701 (national)

How Do I Get my Texas Driver’s License?

To get around this city, you have to have a car. And that means a trip to the always-convenient, ever-friendly Department of Public Safety. To obtain a Texas driver’s license, which is legally required after 30 days of residency, an out-of-state newcomer must (I ) be 18 or older, (2) apply for a license at one of the many DPS testing stations; (3) produce a certified copy of his or her birth certificate or a valid out-of-state driver’s license; (4) pass a written examination; and (6) pass a driving skill test if the out-of-state license has expired; (5) undergo a vision test. Persons aged 16 or 17 may be licensed only if they have completed a certified driver-education program, are enrolled in school, and have attended at least 80 days of the previous school semester. For hours and locations, call 226-5370.

Where Do I Get my Vehicle Registered?

More paperwork. Out-of-state vehicles may be registered for Texas license plates at substa-t ions of the county tax assessor’s office, which are located throughout Dallas Count y. To estab-lish Texas residency, you must (1) have your vehicle’s serial number verified through an inspection at a sen-ice station or a car dealership; (2) surrender your out-of-state title; (3) apply (or registration within 30 days of moving here; and (4) pay a $15 new resident’s fee, plus a $13 title fee and the cast of your license plates. For more information, call 653-7621.

How Can I Register to Vote?

You must (l)be an American citizen, of course; (2) be 18 years of age, of course; and (3) have a permanent residential address within Dallas County. If you meet these stringent requirements, you need to fill out an Election Department form and return it at least 30 days before an election to Records Building, 500 Main St., Dallas 75202. Voter registration cards can also be obtained at branches of the tax office or post office. For more information, call 653-7871.

Can Homeowners Claim a Tax Exemption?

You bet. Every homeowner living within an independent school district in Texas has the right to claim an exemption of $5,000 per year of the total assessed value of his house. Optional homestead exemptions may be offered by individual city or county governments. To qualify, you must have title to the property on January 1 of the tax year and reside in the house. An affidavit claiming the homestead exemption must be filed with the Dallas Central Appraisal District. For more information, call 631-0910.

How Will I Find my Way Around?

It’s not just a map of Dallas streets; it’s a bible for Dallasites new and old. MAPSCO is published in book form and updated and reissued each January. MAPSCO is sold at office supply companies, bookstores, and selected grocery and drugstores. Suggested retail price: $25.95 plus tax. Call 521-2131 for more information.

Highways and Byways: Cracking the Code of Dallas’ Roads

A true Dallasite is a person who knows all the numbers and corresponding names of every freeway, expressway, and farm to market (FM) road in the Dallas area. Unfortunately, there are only three or four of these true Dallasites, and they’re not talking, so we decided to put together a team of our own experts to uncover the secret to Dallas streets, several of which have more than one name depending on which stretch you’re talking about.

I-30 East R.L. Thornton Freeway Old Dallas/Fort Worth Turnpike

I-35E Stemmons Freeway South R.L. Thornton Freeway

I-45 Julius Schepps Freeway

I-635 LBJ Freeway

Loop 12 Buckner Blvd Ledbetter Dr. Northwest Highway Walton Walker Blvd.

U.S. Hwy 67 J. Elmer Weaver Freeway (Cedar Hill) Marvin D, Love Freeway East R.L. Thornton Freeway I-30 (Garland, Mesquite, Rockwall)

U.S. Hwy 75 Central Expressway (seepage 98) S.M. Wright Freeway Federal Drive/State Drive (Allen) I-45 (Hutchins, Wilmer)

U.S. Hwy 77 I-35E

U.S. Hwy 80 East R.L. Thornton Freeway 1-20 (Mesquite, Sunnyvale)

U.S. Hwy 175 C.F. Hawn Freeway

Spur 366 Woodall Rodgers Freeway

Spur 408 Walton Walker Blvd.

State Hwy 114 John W. Carpenter Freeway

State Hwy 121 Fort Worth-McKinney Road (Coppell, Grapevine)

State Hwy 183 Airport Freeway