Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced his office has upgraded temporary license plates (also known as TRPs or temporary registration permits.) They are made more durable and provide more information to Law Enforcement, in a continued effort to combat fraud and criminal activity.
Approximately 500,000 temporary license plates are issued each year. There are more than 10.2 million vehicles in Illinois. Newly designed temporary license plates are being issued Statewide at all Driver Services facilities, as well as the 10,048 automobile dealers, currency exchanges, and remitters.
The license plate features a more-durable material that is thicker and will better withstand car washes and inclement weather. This ensures information on the temporary license plate is easily visible to Law Enforcement. They also include a bar code and enlarged expiration date, as well as identification including the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, and model. It indicates the name of the automobile dealer that issued the temporary license plate. Like old temporary license plates, new ones will be affixed to the rear license plate holder.
In addition, the issuance process of temporary license plates has been be upgraded. It is requires that applications for title and registration are completed before an automobile dealer may issue a temporary license plate. This change improves consumer protection and helps combat fraud, ensuring automobile dealers and remitters apply for title and registration before a temporary license plate can be printed. This step guarantees that ownership of the vehicle will be properly transferred in a timely fashion to the purchaser.
“This newly designed temporary license plate continues to give Law Enforcement the tools to quickly and accurately identify the owner of a vehicle,” said White. “Illinois was the first State in the Nation to connect temporary license plates with LEADS (Law Enforcement Agency Data System.) We continue to make upgrades to our program and to the temporary license plate itself.”