Gov. Abbott signs law eliminating paper license plates in Texas

Texas is eliminating paper license plates.

Gov Greg Abbott (R) signed HB718 into law Monday bringing an end to the state's troubled temporary paper license tag system.

The new law will replace all paper tags with metal ones starting July 1, 2025.

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 during the legislative session 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

• June 12, 2023 - Gov. Abbott signs law eliminating paper license plates in Texas
• May 24, 2023 - Bill to Eliminate Paper License Plates in Texas Passes Texas Senate
• 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