- Texas eliminated paper tags, but criminals are now using fake metal license plates instead.
- Police say stolen vehicles are being sold with convincing fake plates and titles.
- Buyers risk losing both the car and their money if they’re not careful.
Texas had a huge problem on its hands a couple of years ago. Criminals were printing out fake temporary paper license plates. Those would then end up on cars that were doing everything from skirting registration timelines to engaging in serious criminal activity.
More: Texas Now Requires Proof Of Legal Status To Register A Vehicle
To remedy the issue, the state decided to begin using metal plates with the idea that they’d be harder to forge. It turns out that simple stickers were all criminals needed to get around the government’s efforts.
According to law enforcement officials in Central Texas, the new scheme has become common enough that task forces are encountering stolen vehicles almost weekly during routine title checks.
The Heart of Texas Auto Theft Task Force says criminals are either selling stolen cars with counterfeit metal plates already attached or using those plates to avoid detection while driving stolen vehicles.
A New Game of Cat and Mouse
At a glance, the plates can look legitimate. But closer inspection often reveals telltale signs, such as visible sticker edges, mismatched registration decals, or even a real stolen plate hidden beneath the fake one. When scanned by license plate readers, the numbers frequently return information for a completely different vehicle.
Captain Howard Stinehour tells Fox 7 that “It’s a big problem. It causes safety risks for officers because when you’re running that plate, it comes back to a whole different vehicle,” he said. “It causes problems with our license plate reader systems, toll roads, all kinds of things.” The issue affects more than just law enforcement. Everyday citizens are sometimes buying cars with these fake plates on them.
Is That Car What It Says It Is?
Authorities say many victims don’t realize they’ve purchased a stolen car until they attempt to register it. In some cases, sellers provide fake titles and registration stickers that appear authentic but fail once reviewed by a tax office. By that point, the seller has usually disappeared, the transaction was cash-only, and the buyer is left without a car or their money.
Police warn that deals that seem rushed or priced far below market value should raise immediate red flags. Don’t be afraid to look as closely at the plate as you do at the vehicle, either. It could be a telltale sign that you’re dealing with a stolen car, or at least, a fake plate.