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Texas DMV, law enforcement cracking down on unlawful use of temporary vehicle tags

In some cases, the fraudulent tags are being used in illegal activities, while others are being sold through social media or in-person deals.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) said it is working with law enforcement to further crackdown on people unlawfully using temporary vehicle tags.

The TxDMV said in a press release that criminals are obtaining vehicle dealer licenses to fraudulently issue temporary tags to vehicles used in illegal activities in Texas and across the country. In some cases, the fraudulent tags are being used in the illegal activities, while others are being sold through social media or in-person deals.

“The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is grateful for the ongoing cooperation and engagement of law enforcement agencies across the state to combat the fraudulent use of temporary tags,” TxDMV Executive Director Whitney Brewster said. “My staff and I are committed to working with law enforcement in every way we can to end this illegal activity.”

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To fight back against this criminal activity, the TxDMV said it is pursuing "multiple fronts," including passage of House Bill 3927 in the 87th Texas Legislature, which went into effect September 2021. The bill provides the authority for TxDMV to limit the number of temporary tags available to licensed dealers and terminate access to temporary tags when the department identifies licensed dealers are involved in fraudulent activities. 

The TxDMV said its board will consider these rules for immediate adoption at its upcoming special meeting on Jan. 27. 

The TxDMV said it will also work closely with local, state and federal law enforcement to stop criminal activity related to temporary tags. The department noted that the implementation of collaboration between the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office recently resulted in numerous arrests in Montgomery County. The sheriff's office posted about the arrests on Dec. 31, 2021

At the beginning of 2021, TxDMV officials began to review licensing application records to verify existing licensed dealers and refer specific concerns to local law enforcement for potential criminal investigations, the department said in the release. With this information, TxDMV staff is able to take administrative action to reduce access to temporary tag systems when appropriate and allowed by law. 

KVUE's sister station in Beaumont, KBMT, reported in October 2021 seeing an increase of fake, temporary license plates. KHOU also reported earlier this month that the Harris County Toll Road Authority was cracking down drivers with fake paper license plates. 

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