Texas to start fingerprinting car dealers in effort to crack down on fraudulent paper plates

Houston – Beginning September 1, anyone who applies for a car dealer license in Texas must be fingerprinted and go through a thorough background check.

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles adopted the plan Thursday as it works to combat Texas’ fraudulent paper plate problem.

KPRC 2 Investigates first exposed the problem last year when reporter Amy Davis explained how the DMV was allowing criminals to obtain car dealer licenses so they could access and sell the temporary paper plates raking in millions of dollars.

Fingerprinting is just the latest measure passed by the DMV over the last 7 months, but lawmakers say it shouldn’t be the last. Senator Paul Bettencourt told KPRC 2 News that the standard paper tag system us too easy to duplicate and counterfeit. He says he told the the president of the DMV board the system needs an overhaul.

“Why are we handing out a piece of paper that somebody can run to a Xerox machine in the 21st century and make a change on?” Bettencourt asked.

One Katy security expert and entreprenuer pitched his idea to the DMV, but he hasn’t heard back. Bettencourt said if the DMV has not made any progress moving towards a more secure, more difficult to copy system by 2023, he will introduce a bill in the Texas Legislature to force the change.