Say Goodbye to Paper Tags: Texas Dealers to Issue Metal Plates

Starting July 1, 2025, Texas residents who purchase a vehicle from a dealership will be required to have a temporary metal license plate instead of the paper license plate used for years.

Reason Behind The Change

The new change will require all dealerships in Texas to issue metal license plates. This new law is going into effect because of fraudulent license plates. The dealerships must use temporary metal license plates instead of the paper ones.

According to the U.S. Sun, the fraudulent paper tags allowed drivers to skip payments and other requirements. The paper licenses were bought online and were easy to purchase for between $70 and $100. Many vehicles with paper tags on the road in Texas were not being charged toll payments, leading to $69 million in unpaid fees.

Civil and criminal crimes were also being committed by people using the fictitious tags, and law enforcement officials say if there is a wreck and the driver leaves the scene, they have no way of tracking the vehicle.

How Much Will They Cost?

The new temporary metal license plates will be issued for $10, and car dealerships are required to provide them at the time of the vehicle sale. The new bill, signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, has received support from both sides of the Texas Auto Dealers Association.

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