Gov. Abbott signs HB 718 into law, banning paper license plates in Texas

AUSTIN, Texas (KTRK) -- After years of effort, law enforcement groups got a big win this week.

Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 718 into law, which gets rid of paper plates. ABC13 spoke to a sergeant who sits on the very task force which fought to get this done.

According to him and fellow advocates, paper plates create a huge problem in the Lone Star state, especially in Harris County. Not only do some use it to go under the radar while committing crimes, but it cheats the system when it comes to legal registration.

SEE ALSO: Texas lawmakers look to eliminate temporary paper plates in effort to prevent fraud

Under the new law, car dealers will be required to issue metal license plates from the Texas DMV when a vehicle is sold. The $10 metal plates will be issued instead of the current paper one-trip and 30-day temporary permits.

Sgt. Jose Escribano with the Travis County Precinct 3 Constable's Office said the bill is a "mammoth step for law enforcement in Texas."

"That's going to help everybody all the way across the United States, so it's huge," he said. "This is a huge thing, and I'm very, very happy with that. Is it going to end tomorrow? No. We have to wait, and we have to be patient and keep on fighting this fight because we still have another at least a year and a half to two to wait."

The new law goes into effect on July 1, 2025.

The Texas DMV is tasked with establishing an expedited process and has until Dec. 1, 2024, to come up with a rule to implement the change.

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