So I have recently gotten custom license plates in Texas with a CCA design for my chevy silverado. It looks like the fisherman before me had the same plate number, with TPWD Bass fishing plates. The reason I know this, is I have been getting toll violation receipts from his license plate being mounted on a 2013 Ford F150. They have also primarily been violations in the North Texas area and I have not been on those tollways in about a year and did not have this plate number when I was last there, or even this vehicle.

I have called multiple toll agencies to refute each invoice, luckily they have pictures, and then today emailed the TXDMV to see if anyone in the enforcement division would potentially be able to help me.

Has anyone dealt with this kind of issue? The individual that also used to have a toll tag account with the same license plate (the toll authority told me the individual's name), seems to potentially have passed away in the last year, based on my online research. My assumption is that a child or sibling is now driving the vehicle not knowing the tag is no longer valid, or have sold it to an individual who is unscrupulous and left the old plates on, on purpose to avoid paying registration and of course toll fees.

I am not looking to go find the truck and take the plates, as that would leave me exposed to some criminal charges. I was thinking maybe I could have an attorney send them a cease and desist letter? Does anyone think hiring a PI would help me?

Help me OB...surely someone else here has dealt with this.

AnScAggie said:

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Think of the life of crime you could lead if you bought the same year, make and model vehicle as the other guy.

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This is comical, as a close relative has the same vehicle make and model.

I thought of you when I posted this and yes, since he was the legal owner of the plates when he had them officially registered, it is an odd situation. I need to go back and look at the last few invoices I have and see if there is a pattern to the toll stations and times, that the wrong plate is using. Even then, I am not sure what could be done? I will give it a few more weeks and then I may be DMing you to discuss options at least for locating the vehicle and perhaps info on current driver, if possible.

This is evidently a problem all over. And a hassle.

https://www.kbtx.com/2025/11/17/phantom-license-plates-leave-drivers-haunted-by-tolls-tickets/?utm_source=taboola&utm_medium=organicclicks&tbref=hp

FSGuide said:

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This one is very unique since they were/are his plates, they're just not current.

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License plate belongs to the state, not the individual. Even custom plates. You are basically renting the plate from the state and have the sole right to use that plate number. Anyone else using the plate is in violation of state law. Just because he used to have the plate before, that doesn't change anything.

To be honest I would just give up the plate and get a new one (if that's even possible before it expires). Sounds like a pain to get this all sorted out even though you did nothing wrong yourself. No custom plate is worth that stress IMO.

Good stuff.

Charismatic Megafauna said:

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So what's the plate? BASS HOLE?

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Lol....wasn't available. Turns out his plates don't expire until Sept 2025 and I have had these since June. So someone messed up! I could consider new ones, but I am about $150 into these at the moment with 8 mos left on my registration. I guess I will wait until Sept and see if he gives them up.

agnerd said:

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FSGuide said:

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This one is very unique since they were/are his plates, they're just not current.

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License plate belongs to the state, not the individual. Even custom plates. You are basically renting the plate from the state and have the sole right to use that plate number. Anyone else using the plate is in violation of state law. Just because he used to have the plate before, that doesn't change anything.

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You would think this would be the case. I guess someone's enforcement of one unique plate number in the state at a time, is failing.

Are the plates exactly the same? Are there any zeros or o's in the plate number? Sometimes the plates look exactly the same, but one has a zero and the other a letter-O and they are both issued. Some states are better than others at preventing "duplicates" from being issued.

There are neither of those characters in the plate. None that can be mistaken in my opinion

agnerd said:

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Are the plates exactly the same? Are there any zeros or o's in the plate number? Sometimes the plates look exactly the same, but one has a zero and the other a letter-O and they are both issued. Some states are better than others at preventing "duplicates" from being issued.

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Unless something changed, there are no Oceans or Idas (O's or I's) on Texas LPs.

They treat O and 0 and I and 1 as the same at the state level I believe, but the idiot toll software still botched it sometimes. We've gotten photo bills for tolls we have a tag for on our custom plate because it assumes the I is a 1. The state has it as I when I applied, and no matter which way I have it set up with HCTRA, the CTRMA toll tag will occasionally read it the opposite if it glitches an RFID tag read and misses that we have an account.

Aggieangler93 said:

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agnerd said:

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FSGuide said:

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This one is very unique since they were/are his plates, they're just not current.

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License plate belongs to the state, not the individual. Even custom plates. You are basically renting the plate from the state and have the sole right to use that plate number. Anyone else using the plate is in violation of state law. Just because he used to have the plate before, that doesn't change anything.

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You would think this would be the case. I guess someone's enforcement of one unique plate number in the state at a time, is failing.

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I have 2 vehicles with the same Texas license plate number. When TxTag was still around, I have to have a TxTag on one and an EZtag on the other. It would not let them enter them both on the same system.

Aggieangler93 said:

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Charismatic Megafauna said:

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So what's the plate? BASS HOLE?

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Lol....wasn't available. Turns out his plates don't expire until Sept 2025 and I have had these since June. So someone messed up! I could consider new ones, but I am about $150 into these at the moment with 8 mos left on my registration. I guess I will wait until Sept and see if he gives them up.

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If his plates expire in Sep 2025, they're about 7 weeks expired at this point.

Just to confirm, OP - the plates in question are two different specialty plates with the same number/letter combo.

Like having, say, an Army specialty plate and a West Point grad specialty plate that both read "BEAT NVY"

Exactly. Two different plate designs, with exact same text for the license plate number on both.

My mistake. The others plates are good through 11/30/25 l. Don't know why I typed Sept

I don't know if this is a myplates issue or a DMV issue.