A NEW law coming into force next month could see select dealerships disappear – leaving drivers with fewer places to buy cars.
This is the latest attempt by lawmakers to crackdown on counterfeit license plates.
Car dealerships in Texas will no longer be allowed to issue paper license plates GettyThe rule will come into effect next month[/caption]On July 1, car dealerships in Texas will no longer be allowed to issue paper license plates.
They will instead be ordered to provide metal plates upfront before any vehicle is bought and taken away.
Lawmakers say the new bill will help tackle car theft but for many car dealers it may mean shutting down their business.
Car bosses have hinted at potential closures as garage owners work out where to store old plates.
Samuel Tijerina, Vice President of the Valle Automobile Dealers Association, said he’s secured a spare room at his dealership to keep trade-in licence plates.
He told KRGV: “Imagine a mom and pop that doesn’t have that extra space, that doesn’t have the means to invest in that.”
House Bill 718 will be rolled out next month in a bid to help remove fraudulent paper plates from the streets.
According to Police Chief Robert McGinnis, the bill with “go a long way to help safeguard the communities in the Valley.”
He said: “[The new law] makes it more difficult for the counterfeiting of those paper plates, it’s a win for law enforcement.”
Not only are those driving with fraudulent plates committing civil crimes, but some are also committing criminal crimes.
On November 14, 2022, police officer Brandon Paul Tsai, 32, was killed while chasing a driver using a fictitious paper license plate.
Tsai spun out during the chase and crashed into a light pole.
The identical tag used by the car he was chasing was also used on 200 other vehicles.
“Somebody gets out here and gets in a wreck and hits somebody and drives off, we have no way to track that vehicle,” said Officer Jones.
Officer Thomas Berrettini told CBS News about a time when four people in a car with fake plates crashed into a car and escaped by foot.
“The car was unregistered, fake license plate, there was nothing that led us to the house,” he said.
The new bill has received support from both sides and from the Texas Auto Dealers Association.
“Texas Franchised Dealers are united with state officials with the goal to reduce fraudulent tags,” Jennifer Stevens, a spokesperson for the Texas Auto Dealers Association, told CBS News in 2023.
“The TxDMV recently made a number of changes and added protections that have already helped reduce the prevalence of fraudulent tags and we hope that these efforts will be given the opportunity to be fully implemented.”
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