No More Temporary Tags? Texas Ends Paper Plates Starting Today

We've all seen them around Texas, and most of us have actually had one of these at some point in our lives. We get them when we purchase a new vehicle from any car dealership in the state, but no longer will we receive them.

I'm talking about those lovely little paper plates they like to slap on the cars. They give you 60 days to get the permanent plates on your new ride. Well, that is no more as the paper plates are officially a thing of the past.

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Paper Plates Dissolved In Texas

As of today, July 1, car dealerships will no longer issue the paper plates they slap on cars. Instead, you'll drive off the lot with your permanent plates and not have to do a thing once you've purchased the vehicle.

Dealerships will have the permanent plates on hand and will place them on your vehicle once you've completed the purchase. There is a reason why they're doing this.

Why Is Texas Ditching The Paper License Plates

The main reason is to stop the criminal acts that tend to happen with them. They are relatively easy to replicate, and there were car dealerships that were fraudulently printing those tags for various reasons.

A tragic event that occurred in Houston happened back in 2021 when a police officer from New Orleans was visiting the city and was shot and killed. The suspect got away using fake tags on the vehicle, making it difficult to be able to track them down.

Read More: Did You Know These Laws Went Into Effect In Texas?

What About Temp Tags

They will still be around, but it won't be in a paper form.

There are four different license plates that will be used for various reasons. Out-of-state buyers, dealer tags, limited use with driving restrictions, and a tag to be used for all other reasons they'd need one. They will also be metal plates.