Texas is one step away from eliminating paper license plates.
Late Wednesday afternoon, the Texas Senate voted 30-1 to pass a bill that would replace paper temporary tags with metal license plates.
The bill is now headed to Gov. Greg Abbott’s (R) desk.
A yearlong series of reports from NBC 5 Investigates led to calls for change. Our series, “Paper Tag Nation” exposed how criminals obtained car dealer licenses so they could access the Texas DMV’s online system and then print and sell fraudulent paper tags.
Some of those tags were then used on cars involved in serious crimes.
State Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) told the Senate that passage of the bill would deliver a blow to organized crime.
Over the last year, the Texas DMV has implemented new security measures and suspended dozens of licensed car dealers suspected of using the state’s own system to sell fraudulent tags on the black market.
But as the DMV cracked down, counterfeiters stepped in making and selling entirely fake tags and capitalizing on the widespread confusion created by the proliferation of fraudulent tags printed out of the DMV’s system.
PREVIOUS REPORTS
March 27, 2023- Texas DMV’s New Paper Tag Design Easily Counterfeited, Police Say
Nov. 17, 2022 – Texas DMV Redesigns Paper License Tags to Include New Security Features
Nov. 15, 2022 – Police Searching for Paper Tagged ‘Ghost Car’ in Deadly Grand Prairie Chase
June 1, 2022 – Police Make Bogus Tag Bust Tied to Social Media Ads
May 18, 2022 – TxDMV Names New Executive Director Amid Paper Tag Crisis
May 17, 2022 – Vehicle Used in Dallas Salon Shooting Had Paper Tag
May 12, 2022 – Ads for Fake Tags Persist, Despite Facebook, TxDMV Efforts
May 4, 2022 – Texas’ Paper Tag Problem Compounded by Small Dealers Misusing Them
May 3, 2022 – Dallas Police Shut Down Accused Fake Paper Tag Dealer
April 26, 2022 – Texas House Set to Hold Paper Tag Hearings
April 14, 2022 – Texas DMV Cracks Down on Dealers Selling Temporary Paper Tags
April 13, 2022 – TxDMV Closes Inspection Loophole That Put Unsafe Cars on Roads
April 12, 2022 – Dallas Police Go Undercover to Fight Illegal Paper Tags
April 7, 2022 – Police Warn of Fake Paper Tags Used to Cheat Car Buyers
April 5, 2022 – Texas Senate Will Investigate Illegal Paper Tag Crimes, Smuggling
March 9, 2022 – Texas Paper Tag Crime Danger Extends Nationwide
March 5, 2022 – Texas House Will Hold Hearings on Paper Tag Mess
Feb. 28, 2022 – License to Smuggle: Drug Cartels and Human Smugglers Use Paper Texas Tags to Evade
Feb. 15, 2022 – Fort Worth Police Announce Special Operation Targeting Paper Tags
Feb. 14, 2022 — Crash Victim’s Parents Want More Cops to Police Paper Tag Fraud
Feb. 13, 2022 – More Funding Need to Fight Criminals Using Bogus Paper Tags: Police
Feb. 10, 2022 – Police Report Drop in Fraudulent Tags But Warn Crooks Are Adapting
Feb. 9, 2022 – Texas DMV Shuts Down Six More Dealers Suspected of Selling Paper License Tags
Feb. 7, 2022 – TxDMV Director Resigns Amidst Paper Tag Mess
Jan. 27, 2022 – TxDMV Takes Emergency Action to Keep Crooks From Selling Paper Tags
Jan. 21, 2022 – Dallas Police Operation Targets Fraudulent Paper Tags
Jan. 17, 2022 – Recording Shows Police Warned TxDMV of Paper Tag Security Flaw Years Ago
Dec. 16, 2021 – DMV Committee Recommends Fingerprinting Some Dealers to Slow Paper Tag Fraud
Dec. 14, 2021 – Texas House Transportation Chair Vows to Stop Paper Tag Fraud
Dec. 6, 2021 – Texas DMV Boss Deflects Blame for Paper Tag Debacle
Nov. 23, 2021 – Illegal Paper Tags Costing Texas Taxpayers and Toll Roads Millions
Nov. 10, 2021 – Suspected Paper Tag Peddler Shut Down Tuesday, Reopens Wednesday: Investigators
Nov. 8, 2021 – How Texas Paper Tags Became a $200M Criminal Enterprise: NBC 5 Investigates
