Drivers, Stay Alert: License Plate Theft is On the Rise in Texas

You may be wondering why someone would want to steal your plates. Thieves want to conceal the identity of a stolen vehicle, so they end up using your registered plates. Some may take your license plates so they can do as they please on the streets. If traffic violations occur and traffic cameras capture the license plate, it will be your stolen plate.

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WHAT IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU

If you walk to your car and the license plates magically disappear, you must report it immediately. First, you must report it to your local police department. They most likely won't find our stolen plate but they will cross-check your plate in the system and create an incident report. Filing a police report for stolen plates is required by law.

Get a police report! This will come in handy for a couple of reasons. The report can be used to help prevent identity theft if you ever receive a ticket for a traffic violation committed by the person who stole your plates. The report can also be used if you need to make an insurance claim if your car is in an accident.

NOW YOU NEED NEW ONES

First, you must report the stolen plates to the DMV and cancel the stolen plates.

Next, you need to fill out a replacement license plate form. It will cost you $6.50 to register your new plate number. You can mail these or take your application up to your local county tax assessor collector's office.

Don't be like young me and think your plate fell off while driving. Only to realize you are being summoned for an unpaid ticket you never received.