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Here's why there are more Iowa vehicles on the road with paper license plates

Have you noticed more cars with paper license plates? There's a reason for that.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Next time you're on the road, take a look at your fellow drivers. You may notice some of their cars sporting paper license plates. 

It's not a trick.

The Iowa Department of Transportation officials tell Local 5 there's a good reason for this. 

They say it has a lot to do with an uptick in used cars driving off the lots as people use their stimulus checks for their down payment. Early on in the COVID-19 pandemic, Iowa DOT worker Daniel Yeh says they were seeing a lot of title transactions. 

"People who may not have been buying vehicles are buying cars throughout the summer," Yeh said.

County treasurers process and deliver the real license plate, but right now some are seeing a backlog. New car owners are required to get a physical license plate, not a paper one, within 45 days of transferring the title.

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