What you need to know
Texas dealers will no longer issue temporary paper tags for new and used vehicles, according to the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. This change is due to House Bill 718, a state law passed during the 2023 legislative session that took effect July 1.
HB 718 was designed to crack down on fraudulent use of paper tags, according to a bill analysis by then-state Rep. Craig Goldman, R-Fort Worth. Goldman currently represents Fort Worth in the U.S. House of Representatives, a role he was elected to in 2024.
“The current temporary paper license plate system in Texas has provided criminals an easy way to disguise vehicles, avoid prosecution and inflate a public safety problem in Texas,” Goldman wrote.
After Texans purchase vehicles with metal plates, they must keep a buyer’s receipt in their vehicle to verify the purchase until their registration sticker arrives in the mail, according to the TxDMV.
Senate Bill 1902, which Texas lawmakers passed this year, also became law July 1. That measure allows consumers who trade in a vehicle at registered dealers to transfer their existing general-issue plates to their new vehicle. Texans with specialty or personalized plates cannot transfer them, according to a TxDMV news release.
More details
The rules will not change for private vehicle sales, the release said. Private sellers will continue to remove their license plates and registration sticker from the vehicle and submit a vehicle transfer notification form, while buyers must submit a title and registration application to their local tax assessor-collector's office.
For more information, Texans can visit the TxDMV website or contact their local tax office.
