VIDOR, Texas — Vidor Police feel the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles needs to do more when it comes to temporary paper license plates.
The push to outlaw them comes four months after the agency revamped the old design. In December 2022, The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles added a watermark of the Texas flag and a bar code to temporary tags.
Vidor Police Captain Ed Martin feels the recent revamp is not enough and said criminals followed with their own revamp.
“The pdf format that goes with those tags is now out there,” Capt. Martin said.
The department feels the ongoing issue is a matter of safety. Officers said technology has made it too easy to tamper with paper tags, and people are using cars with fake tags to commit crimes.
“Bad dealers, in order to keep from being caught, will use that pdf format to create their own outside of the DMV system,” Capt. Martin said.
Capt. Martin said the pdf files are being accessed by criminals who are selling fake tags.
“There are people out there that still hold a GDN, which is a general distinguishing number, that's what lets you be a car dealer, and they're still on the email list,” Capt. Martin said.
The captain is fighting to eliminate paper tags.
“I'm telling you instead of giving me that and then going to get my metal plates, go get my metal plates first and just issue them to me at the time of sale,” Capt. Martin said.
Capt. Martin is focused on the state capitol and a bill being considered by the Texas Transportation Committee.
“The big one is that 718, if we can get Texas buyers tags and there's hope to take that even further,” Capt. Martin said.
He feels lawmakers need to take action and protect drivers.
“Now we don't know if we're dealing with somebody that just committed a robbery, somebody that bought a car on the side of the road. You just created a victim. That's my goal is to do away with all these victims,” Capt. Martin said. “Kill the system"
Capt. Martin is waiting to hear if he will get a chance to speak at that hearing for bill 718. He said it is a lengthy process of amendments and going through proper channels.
Texans probably will not know if the bill gets passed until the summer.
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