Temp Tags Easy To Make And Fake

Written by American City & County Administrator

Florida police officers can typically check a car’s license plate in minutes, but checking a temporary paper tag can be more difficult. Paper tags require officers to access a database at the state’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, followed by contact with the owner using information from a car dealership or the motor vehicles department.

Police say some people use the bogus tags to bypass having to pay for car insurance. Counterfeit tags and registration papers also make it easier to conduct serous crimes. In Florida, genuine temporary tags cost $4.50 and require proof of car insurance, whereas the fake ones can cost up to $50.

A firm called OpSec Security Technologies sells a more secure type of temporary license tag in 15 states. Some states have eliminated the use of temporary paper tags and instead issue metal license plates directly.

Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland rely on holograms and laminated tags to differentiate genuine temporary tags from their fake counterparts. Telltale signs of fake tags include ripped holes and modified letters or numbers.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Miami Herald (11/14/05) P. B1; Neuwahl, Janette .