No more paper license plates: Smith County holds training for new law going into effect on July 1

TYLER, Texas (KETK) – Starting on July 1, Texas will no longer be issuing paper license plates. Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 718 into law back in 2023 which will now require dealers to issue metal plates to buyers at the time of sale.

Another major change included in the bill is that all title transactions must now be processed electronically through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicle’s online webDEALER system.

On Tuesday, the Smith County Tax Office hosted a free training for vehicle dealers regarding the new law. Paper tags issued prior to July 1 will remain valid until expiration. The different types of tags that will be provided are as follows:

• Buyer’s Temporary Tags 
• Dealer’s Temporary Tags 
• 30-Day & One-Trip Permits
• Dealer Agent Tags
• Dealer Vehicle Specific Tags
• Internet Down Tags

Texans buying a vehicle from a dealer will receive metal license plates at the time of delivery, allowing them to immediately display the plates while awaiting their registration window sticker.

When a customer sells or trades a vehicle with general issue plates, dealers will be able to remove the plates and transfer them to another vehicle of the same class sold within 10 days. The process remains unchanged for person-to-person vehicle sales.