HOUSTON – A new state law set to go into effect in 2012 has a big mistake that allows motorists to drive with fake license plates or none at all.
Texas law has required front and rear license plates since 1934.
Legislators revamped the law this year to make it simpler, but the 234-page bill, sponsored by El Paso Rep. Joe Pickett and passed after a half-dozen rewrites, did not include a penalty for not having license plates. There is currently a $200 fine for driving a car without license plates.
That could jeopardize about $1 billion in yearly revenues that the state raises from licensing fees, and it would make it tough for police to enforce the law.
"So many crimes are solved by police officers on patrol having a pickup on a license plate or car wanted, and it always starts with the license plate," said Capt. Leroy Michna of the Harris County Precinct 5 Constable's Office.
Pickett's office said the omission was human error, but fixing it could require reconvening the legislature.
"You'd think they'd pay a little closer detail to the laws they're making nowadays," driver Angel Lopez said.
"It was quite an oversight," driver Richard Tomasini said. "I wonder what he was doing when he was supposed to think about what he was doing."
The attorney general has been asked to make a ruling. He has six months to do that, but the law goes into effect in two months.