AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill into law Monday that will eventually lead to the removal of paper tags from Texas roads.
Editor's note: The videos attached to this article are from previous reports about crime related to paper plates.
House Bill 718, which was introduced by Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth, will let car dealerships keep metal plates on hand to give to people who buy vehicles, eliminating the need for temporary paper plates.
Initially, the bill called for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to have everything in place and start issuing metal plates on March 1, 2025. But the bill that was signed into law changed the deadline to four months later, on July 1, 2025.
Paper plate problems
The ability to replicate Texas paper plates proved to be a challenge for investigators. Late last year, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles revealed a redesigned version to try to combat the problem. The redesigned plates introduced new security features aimed at fighting fake paper license plates on vehicles involved in crimes and drivers trying to avoid tolls and registration fees.
County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia said fake plates cost Harris County an estimated $80 million in lost revenue over about six years.
In June last year, a Sugar Land man was charged in an elaborate scheme that included hundreds of thousands of fake paper license plates. Daniel Rocky Christine-Tani, 33, is accused of creating fake car dealerships to issue more than 700,000 illegal paper tags, according to U.S. Attorney Jennifer Lowery.