Paper license plates are officially a thing of the past for Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 718 on June 12, 2023, during the 88th Legislative Session, replacing all Texas paper license plates with metal ones.
The new law went into effect today. Here is what you need to know about HB 718.
What is the deadline for paper license plates in Texas?
All licensed car dealers must issue metal license plates to buyers at the time of sale starting July 1, according to HB 718. Temporary tags will no longer be available for printing.
Why was HB 718 signed into law?
The Texas Legislature enacted HB 718 in 2023 to address concerns related to the fraudulent use of paper license tags. Bootleg paper license plates have raised civil and criminal concerns in Texas.
For example, according to the North Texas Tollway Authority (NTTA), more than 16 million vehicles traveled on North Texas toll roads without making payments, resulting in over $69 million in outstanding toll charges.
Grand Prairie Police Chief Daniel Scesney hopes HB 718 will rid the state of dangerous drivers. In November 2022, fellow Grand Prairie police officer Brandon Tsai died in a crash while in pursuit of a driver with a fraudulent paper tag.
Here is a list of complications that law enforcement and lawmakers have cited that led to the signing of this bill:
What is replacing Texas paper plates with?
Paper license plates are being replaced with metal plates, effective July 1, 2025. Dealers will now be required to issue temporary metal tags to replace the paper plates at the time of sale.
Here are the four limited metal tags and what each color means:
How much are metal plates in Texas?
Here is what you need to know about license plates under HB 718:
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: New Texas license plate law kicks off July 1. Here’s what to know when buying a new car
Reporting by Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman / Austin American-Statesman
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
