Texas temporary tags are getting a new look. Redesign may give car thieves headaches
Just days after a Grand Prairie police officer was killed when his patrol car crashed as he tried to stop a car with a fake paper license plate, state officials on Thursday announced that Texas temporary tags will be getting a new look due to their battle with thieves creating counterfeit tags.
Officials with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles said the state will redesign the tags, which are issued by license Texas motor vehicle dealers.
Licensed dealers will begin issuing the redesigned temporary tags on Dec. 9.
“With the support of our law enforcement partners, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is setting a new standard for temporary tag security and design,” said TxDMV Executive Director Daniel Avitia in a Thursday news release.
Texas officials noted that the design overhaul was undertaken in an ongoing effort to curtail and prevent thieves from the fraudulent production and use of temporary tags.
Grand Prairie Chief of Police Daniel Scesney said earlier this week in a news conference that fictitious paper plates are a major problem in North Texas, and they are becoming more prevalent.
The police chief said that according to the latest numbers available to him, more than 200 fake plates had been spotted around North Texas in recent months. He said that was making it more difficult for police to solve crimes, including violent crimes, and can put officers’ lives in danger.
Grand Prairie Police Officer Brandon Paul Tsai died in a crash Monday night when he tried to stop a car with a fake paper license plate near SW 3rd Street and Pioneer Parkway around 10:45 p.m., police said.
The vehicle fled and Tsai gave chase but lost control of his squad car and hit a light pole. Tsai died in Methodist Dallas Medical Center later that night from his injuries.
On Thursday, police announced the arrest of the driver Tsai had been pursuing.
Texas officials noted that counterfeit tags are produced by criminals using various tools outside TxDMV systems. The department has spent the last several months redesigning the look and embedded security features of official temporary tags.
The new tags are more complex and secure than existing tags and include additional data and security features to facilitate law enforcement identification of counterfeit tags and increase the safety of traffic stops, the department said.
Features of the new tag design include:
▪ Numerous pieces of embedded data and text, linked to law enforcement databases, that can be created only by internal TxDMV computer systems.
▪ A Texas flag watermark.
▪ Enhanced depiction of tag expiration date, vehicle year and make, and name of issuing dealer.
▪ Identification of the specific type of tag issued.
▪ Font selection and size that maximize readability of primary components.
▪ Active and passive security features identifiable by law enforcement.
Officials said for security reasons, not all features are included or fully described in the list.
Implementation of House Bill 3927 allowed the department to place limits on the number of tags licensed Texas dealers can create. The bill also provided TxDMV authority to immediately deny access to the temporary tag system when fraudulent activity is identified, according to the Thursday news release.
Other changes have included simplified coordination with law enforcement, expanded access to data by law enforcement, additional data validation prior to issuance of temporary tags and timed permits, more automatic checks on vehicle identification numbers, enhanced licensing review standards and fingerprint-based criminal background checks on dealer license applicants.
Additional information can be found at www.TxDMV.gov/temporarytags.
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 2:10 PM.
