TexasCHLforum.com

Somethign was struck out in the last session, either the requirement or the fine. It was in the paper and there was a thread here about it.

House Bill 2357 was intended as a non-controversial 234-page update to existing law. It passed the state House on May 29 voted 139-6 and the state Senate 31-0, receiving the signature of Governor Rick Perry (R) on June 17.

"The motor vehicle statutes were codified in 1995, but there has not been a complete reorganization of substance since before that time," Representative Joseph Pickett (D-El Paso) wrote in his justification of the legislation. "This bill directly addresses the problem of the statutes being outdated in regard to automation and organization."

As part of the update, the new law deleted the license plate statute, returning parts of it to Section 502.473 and 504.943. In moving around the legal language, the bill went through the entire legislative process without anybody noticing that a key line was deleted without providing a replacement: "An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed $200."

Without the line, it is not clear whether police officers or courts would have the authority to impose a punishment on drivers who chose not to display license plates or registration stickers, especially in jurisdictions that still use red light cameras. Driving with a false or altered plate remains a misdemeanor, however. Lawmakers will not have a chance to remedy their mistake until January 8, 2013 when the legislature reconvenes, unless Governor Perry calls a special session specifically to address the license plate issue.

True but there is no punishment listed for it so what ticket could be written?

Bitterclinger wrote:My Brother In Law handed over his during a traffic stop and the officer handed back his CHL and said, "I don't care about that." My BIL just said."No sir," but I've wondered ever since. Are Police educated about this requirement? I hope they won't think I'm trying to threaten or curry-favor.

They should be but some either didnt get told, dont remember or dont care. Some are still pulling over for no front plate.