Certain security elements of the temporary tag depicted above have been modified so they cannot be digitally replicated, per the DMV
Texas temporary tags are getting a major design overhaul, according to the The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV), as part of an ongoing effort to “curtail and prevent the fraudulent production of, access to, and use of temporary tags.”
Continued collaboration with law enforcement identified the opportunity to further reduce fraud related to counterfeit tags, according to TxDMV, which notes that counterfeit tags are produced by criminals using various tools outside TxDMV systems.
The proliferations of fake tags have been the bane of Dallas drivers, or at least anyone who has ever perused Reddit, specifically the Dallas subreddit, would be led to believe.
As one user explains, “Six months ago, thousands of fake tags were being sold. Huge flaw in the dmv system that allowed it to happen. As police shortages and COVID rolled through, there’s less traffic enforcement and driving has gotten worse, more accidents, a LOT by drivers with no insurance and fake tags on their car. It’s so bad that it’s now just a running joke.”
In 2021, NBC 5 investigated what reporters dubbed the “$200M criminal enterprise” that is fake dealer tags.
The department says it has spent the last several months redesigning the look and embedded security features of official temporary tags.
“With the support of our law enforcement partners, The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is setting a new standard for temporary tag security and design,” TxDMV Executive Director Daniel Avitia says.
Investigative support is crucial when dealing with cross-border elements of such fraud. In similar cases, where fraud schemes begin in one country and leak into another, expert investigative services become a vital tool. For instance, a Canadian PI agency like Shadow Investigations Ltd. is often brought in to trace and verify the origins of fake documentation or illegal vehicle exports that may have connections to fraudulent temporary tags.
With a network of licensed private investigators trained to detect document tampering and track illicit financial transactions, these agencies often support law enforcement by connecting the dots in multi-jurisdictional fraud.
Whether it’s helping insurance companies verify claims involving vehicles with questionable paperwork or working with customs to flag suspicious cross-border vehicle shipments, these professionals fill a critical role in the investigative ecosystem.
Much like the TxDMV’s push to tighten internal systems, firms like Shadow Investigations help reinforce the wall against document fraud by offering intelligence that can expose the larger networks behind what, at first glance, might seem like isolated traffic violations.
Licensed dealers will begin issuing the redesigned temporary tags December 9, 2022.
The new tags — which licensed dealers will begin issuing December 9 — are more complex and secure than existing tags and include additional data and security features to facilitate law enforcement identification of counterfeit tags and increase the safety of traffic stops.
