No More Paper Plates: How the New Registration Requirements Can Affect Hit-and-Run Cases in Texas

In hit-and-run car accident cases, they are known as “ghost cars.” These are vehicles with paper temporary registration tags that turn out to be fraudulent. If you were hit by a ghost car, you had little or no chance of ever locating the owner. Those injured by hit-and-run ghost cars had no opportunity to seek compensation for their injuries or damage to their vehicle.

Fortunately, the new registration requirements that are now in effect in Texas are making ghost cars a thing of the past. The new requirements will be useful to law enforcement authorities and to personal injury attorneys seeking to help accident victims recover damages for the harm caused by a negligent hit-and-run driver.

The Law Ending Temporary Paper Tags

The new law prohibits car dealers from issuing temporary paper registration tags when a buyer purchases a new or used vehicle. Instead, dealers are required to issue metal license plates at the time of a sale. In some cases, temporary plates can be issued, but they must be metal.

This law was enacted in 2023 but did not take effect until the middle of 2025. So, the effects of the change are just now becoming apparent. Paper tags issued before the effective date of the new law remained lawful until their expiration date, but the maximum term for the last paper registration tag has now passed.

The new requirements establish six types of license plates, some of which are intended to replace various types of temporary paper tags. In most cases, buyers will be issued a black-and-white metal plate, which is the standard vehicle registration identification plate. These plates contain security threads embedded in the sheeting, making it easy for law enforcement officials to identify fraudulent plates. Temporary paper tags lacked this feature.

Dealers use different tags for vehicles used for test drives or on loan. Other types of license plates are issued for vehicles purchased for out-of-state use, temporary registrations, and other specific, limited uses.

The Problems with Paper Plates

Attorneys and law enforcement officials sometimes referred to temporary paper registration tags as the lawbreaker’s best friend. Paper license plates could be easily forged, duplicated, or printed through fraudulent “dealerships.” Even legitimate temporary tags can quickly become illegible.

When a driver flees the scene of an accident, people will often write down or photograph the vehicle’s license plate. This can be used to identify the vehicle’s owner, if not the driver. A proper license plate also leads to information about where the owner lives, and other information, such as whether it is a business vehicle.

But when a plate is fraudulent or a temporary tag has become illegible, the “license” number is of no help in locating the vehicle’s owner. Even when a paper registration tag was legitimate, law enforcement officials often had difficulty verifying information from the numbers.

How the New Laws Help

The metal tag requirements help police, attorneys, and accident victims in various ways. In addition, because vehicles with metal plates are easier to trace, the requirement can deter drivers from fleeing the scene of an accident.

Law Enforcement Assistance

With metal plates issued to all legitimately registered vehicles, police can obviously spot potentially stolen vehicles at a glance. When a vehicle has a metal plate, law enforcement officials can use the DMV database to quickly identify its owner. 

In addition, dealers are required to use an ePLATE system to log in all plate numbers before the vehicle leaves the dealer’s lot. This allows cars to become traceable immediately. Under the old system, there was a 30-day period during which most vehicles could not be traced electronically. This new system also holds dealers accountable for all license plates issued, reducing opportunities for black-market dealing in fraudulent tags.

Assistance for Accident Victims

Anything that helps police identify a hit-and-run driver can also help accident victims hold that driver accountable. In addition, information from a permanent metal plate logged into the system provides immediate details on insurance coverage. This can enable the victim’s attorney to determine whether insurance coverage is available or whether the victim will need to seek recovery through uninsured motorist coverage.

Metal plates are also easier to read than temporary paper tags. Witnesses at an accident scene may find it easier to see the number, and the image may be captured better in phone photos. Dashcams can also read the numbers on a metal plate more clearly than on a temporary paper tag. The paper tags were known to flap around while the vehicle was in motion, often tearing. The numbers also faded in the sun and rain. Metal plates provide a much more identifiable source of information for accident victims.

Legal Help for the Victims of Hit and Run Accidents

Hit-and-run drivers cause property damage and injuries every day in Texas. While the new law may not prevent any of those accidents, it could make it much easier to identify those responsible and initiate a lawsuit without excessive delays. This can enable attorneys to obtain testimony from witnesses while their memories are still fresh.

Being injured by a hit-and-run driver is an extremely frustrating and painful experience. While it is not always possible to recover compensation from the at-fault driver, it is wise to contact a knowledgeable attorney for advice and assistance. At DeKeyzer Law, we offer free consultations where accident victims can learn more about how we may be able to help them recover damages to provide justice and offset the harm caused by the accident. To schedule your free consultation, call us at 713-904-4004 or contact us online now.