Wyoming’s temporary vehicle tags are getting a makeover to make them more secure and to prevent fraud.
The Wyoming Department of Transportation is moving from the green temporary tags to a non-destructible white tag, featuring a hologram sticker. Two auto dealers in Cheyenne will start issuing the new white temporary tags starting this week.
WYDOT’s Motor Vehicle Services program will cease issuing the green temporary tags on Aug. 31. Dealers will have up until Dec. 31 to use their surplus of green tags. The green temporary tags are good for 60 days after they’re issued, which means the last of the green tags could be on vehicles until February 2019.
“The new temporary tags will provide better protection for the people of Wyoming when buying a vehicle,” said Debbie Lopez, Motor Vehicle Services program manager. “The new tags have several security features designed to prevent fraud from occurring.”
The new temporary tags are printed on white, non-destructible paper. When a dealer or the county issues the new temporary tags, they will add a special Wyoming hologram sticker.
The new temporary tag also includes the year, make and color of the vehicle, while the current ones don’t. The new tags are designed to be mounted to the rear bumper, in the same manner as a regular license plate.
A number is assigned to the temporary tag, which must match the number on the hologram.
The new temporary tags also have an expiration date, similar to the current green temporary tags, and a temporary placard that is removed and kept in the vehicle with the owner’s information.
Besides improved security, dealers and counties will now get their tags electronically. Instead of buying temporary tags from WYDOT, dealers and counties will log into a website and print out the placard.
They will order the special paper and holographic stickers from OpSec Security Inc., the vendor that WYDOT has partnered with to implement the new temporary tag system.
“The new system means everything will now be electronic,” said Kristi Pomeroy, Motor Vehicle Services deputy program manager. “If a temporary tag is currently issued and information is not filled out properly, we have to send it back to the dealer. With this new system, a dealer or the county will be filling out that information online, which will help make the process smoother.”
The temporary tag information is also stored in a centralized database, making it easier for law enforcement to verify ownership.
“The new system will ensure law enforcement has access to that information 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Lopez said. “Right now, law enforcement has to call us to verify information when they stop someone who has a temporary Wyoming tag. That means if they stop someone outside of regular business hours, they won’t be able to check with us.”
WYDOT’s Motor Vehicle Services and WYDOT Compliance employees will hold training for auto dealers, county and law enforcement personal starting next week. If a person can’t attend training, WYDOT will post video tutorials and other training materials on its website in the future.