For Police In New Jersey, New Temp Tags Make Vehicle Checks Much Easier
By Ian Bush
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Buying a new or used car or truck is going to look a little different in New Jersey, where they're doing away with the old-school temporary tags.
The traditional interim licenses, scrawled on paper and taped to the inside rear window, have proved popular with counterfeiters. That, of course, becomes a problem for police.
"When they pull someone over, half the time they can't see the temp tag because it's inside a tinted window. Even when they do see it, there's also information that's written in by the dealership that can easily be changed by whoever is driving the vehicle."
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission chairman Raymond Martinez says the cop would have to call the place that sold the car to check the tag; they'd have to go through their paperwork.
"Way, way overdue to change this."
So starting this past week - and rolling out across the state by the end of June - dealers will issue eTemp tags, printed on a coated paper that holds up to the elements, and put in the spot where the back license plate eventually will go.
"The police can read it right from their squad car, they can tell if that temp tag matches the vehicle that it's posted on," said Martinez.
Martinez says they've bumped the temp tag fee a couple bucks, to $5 for in-state cars and $7 for out-of-state.
To see the new tag, click on the link. 03-20-12ETempTag.
