How many Temporary Tags?

[JasJ]

Wondering about others recent experience on registration and receipt of a real license plate.

I am now on my third temporary tag with no answer on when an actual plate will be assigned so I can then go pick up my custom plate which has been sitting downtown for months.

The local delivery team member today said Texas was making Tesla go through many hoops. Kind of wish I had been before the switch to Tesla doing the registration.

Wonder if I will get three free months of 'bonus' registration time as I also have no sticker.

Curious how many others are affected by this.

 

[vrykolas]

I got a standard license plate with NO PROBLEM when I registered and paid sales tax.

Maybe custom plates are different?

 

[JasJ]

The difference now is you pay sales tax and registration to Tesla and they send it all to the state. The buyer no longer does it directly with the state. The new process seems to have some hiccups.

 

[TXjak]

I actually got my plate almost a year before I got my Model S.

Have you tried picking it up?

John

 

[TexLaw]

I was one of the first to take delivery after the switch, and my plates and registration showed up about a week before the first paper plates expired.

 

[JasJ]

I actually got my plate almost a year before I got my Model S.

Have you tried picking it up?

John

You can do that? Don't they need to tie it to a vehicle? I no longer have my previous vehicle

 

[namlio]

You can do that? Don't they need to tie it to a vehicle? I no longer have my previous vehicle

Do you have proof or a receipt that shows the sales tax has been paid? If so, that may be all you need to get the custom plate. I had to do everything myself, but I went straight to the custom plate and never had the regular plate. Might be worth a call.

 

[brkaus]

I was one of the first to take delivery after the switch, and my plates and registration showed up about a week before the first paper plates expired.

Same for me.

 

[JasJ]

Do you have proof or a receipt that shows the sales tax has been paid? If so, that may be all you need to get the custom plate. I had to do everything myself, but I went straight to the custom plate and never had the regular plate. Might be worth a call.

The car is not yet registered in Texas - that is the hold up as I understand it. Tesla has had me sign another set of TX registration paperwork and made the comment that Texas has them on 'hold'. Not sure what that means. They need to tie the plate to a registration. Not in any real rush as long as they keep providing temp tags. I was mostly wondering if others are stuck in this loop.

 

[GoTzillaR]

I got a real bad experience this morning. As I've been patiently waiting for my permanent license plate for 2 freaking months and I've made multiple calls to service center/DS for an update, I got a citation for non registered vehicle today. The officer checked the VIN and found no record. Also he told me the temp tag has no record to the VIN. I'll make another call to Tesla to have them taking care of the citation and I'll refuse to drive my car till license plate is on. Will keep you updated.

 

[JasJ]

I got a real bad experience this morning. As I've been patiently waiting for my permanent license plate for 2 freaking months and I've made multiple calls to service center/DS for an update, I got a citation for non registered vehicle today. The officer checked the VIN and found no record. Also he told me the temp tag has no record to the VIN. I'll make another call to Tesla to have them taking care of the citation and I'll refuse to drive my car till license plate is on. Will keep you updated.

Did you receive updated temporary tags every month? Hope I'm not in the same boat, but I suspect I could be. All these electronic plate readers in police cars worry me as I live near several small bedroom communities with aggressive policing.

And good luck with your citation.

 

[GoTzillaR]

Did you receive updated temporary tags every month? Hope I'm not in the same boat, but I suspect I could be. All these electronic plate readers in police cars worry me as I live near several small bedroom communities with aggressive policing.

And good luck with your citation.

I was told that I'd receive another temp tag about a month ago but I haven't seen anything. However I don't know how good those temp tags would work. I knew I'll get pulled over more times because I've been pulled over couple times already for the same reason. The one gave me the citation said how come Tesla cannot give me a temp license plate when there are Tesla "dealers" at malls. Anyways, I'm still waiting for my DS to reply my call/email with a solution...

 

[TexLaw]

Considering the battle (actually, lack thereof) about direct sales in Texas and the number of Teslas that are coming into Texas, I would not at all be surprised if someone in Austin was intentionally gumming up the works.

I also know that the state will only process so many registration applications per day. When they get to that number, they stop--period. Dealers are able to process their own. Another conscious choice to gum up the works in favor of dealerships and against direct sales.

 

[TXjak]

You can do that? Don't they need to tie it to a vehicle? I no longer have my previous vehicle

When I got my plate back in 2012, the plate did not have to be assigned to a car. Here's what the MyPlates Public Relations Manager told me at the time:

"It happens quite often. People purchase specialty plates and do not assign them to a car. They’re called Wall Hangers. Occasionally, we will get calls from customers who’ve dealt with confused county workers who are unfamiliar with the notion, but it is legal; I assure you. For instance, the president of our company owns several plates and rotates them on his family’s vehicles, leaving some not assigned to a vehicle at various times."
​

Things may have changed since then, but a call to MyPlates may help you. The name of the Public Relations Manager I conversed with is Kim Miller Drummond, her cell was (512) 423-4237 and her email was [email protected]. She said that the number that the TxDMV provided all counties for help with My Plates issues was her cell.

Also, she said that the reason they send the personalized plates to the county tax office is so that they can verify that the plate owner is the person who receives it.

John

 

[namlio]

I got a real bad experience this morning. As I've been patiently waiting for my permanent license plate for 2 freaking months and I've made multiple calls to service center/DS for an update, I got a citation for non registered vehicle today. The officer checked the VIN and found no record. Also he told me the temp tag has no record to the VIN. I'll make another call to Tesla to have them taking care of the citation and I'll refuse to drive my car till license plate is on. Will keep you updated.

Was the temp plate still valid or out of date? The temp plate should have the VIN printed on it to show it is tied to the car. If the plate had expired, that may have been the problem.

 

[GoTzillaR]

Update: the Tesla temp tag doesn't mean anything to the court at Stafford. The delivery specialist emailed me a copy of temp license plate which was paid full in Dallas. After I printed it out and attached it to the back of my X, I went to the court to meet the prosecutor who is actually an old gent and a Tesla fan. I told him the whole story and chatted a bit about how the car drives and what energy consumption he can expect. In the end, he dismissed both of my citations, (unregistered vehicle and no license plate) with a $20 dismissal fee.

 

[JasJ]

Just received my official registration yesterday and went downtown to pickup my plates (avatar on left)....seven weeks total wait time.

 

[brkaus]

Update: the Tesla temp tag doesn't mean anything to the court at Stafford. The delivery specialist emailed me a copy of temp license plate which was paid full in Dallas. After I printed it out and attached it to the back of my X, I went to the court to meet the prosecutor who is actually an old gent and a Tesla fan. I told him the whole story and chatted a bit about how the car drives and what energy consumption he can expect. In the end, he dismissed both of my citations, (unregistered vehicle and no license plate) with a $20 dismissal fee.

The State of Texas temporary tag issued by TXDOT was not allowed? What is the justification?

 

[GoTzillaR]

The State of Texas temporary tag issued by TXDOT was not allowed? What is the justification?

That's not it. The temp tag given by Tesla when I picked up the car on first day is not allowed. The temp license plate from txdot is fine.

 

[brkaus]

That's not it. The temp tag given by Tesla when I picked up the car on first day is not allowed. The temp license plate from txdot is fine.

Oh, your referring to the temp tag from California?

Texas has a reciprocal agreement with California, so that should be valid too - http://www.txdmv.gov/txdmv-forms/do...eements-between-texas-and-other-jurisdictions