Be wary in states with 2 plates.
In Harris County, Texas, law enforcement reports a significant increase in the theft of physical license plates from vehicles. This trend is expected to worsen following a new state law that eliminates temporary paper tags, pushing criminals to steal permanent metal plates instead. Victims, like one Houston-area mother, often only discover the theft after receiving erroneous toll bills or fines for vehicles and locations they’ve never been, creating a bureaucratic nightmare and linking them to activities they didn’t commit. The thefts highlight a growing vulnerability for drivers, where a simple piece of metal can lead to false accusations and financial penalties. While authorities suggest deterrents like special screws and increased vigilance, the underlying issue underscores how easily physical identifiers can be compromised, exposing citizens to the risks of a surveillance infrastructure that relies on plate data for enforcement without foolproof methods of verifying the driver’s identity.