Pat Trevino | March 17, 2026
A new scam is making the rounds across Texas, targeting residents with alarming emails and text messages claiming to be from the Texas Department of Public Safety. The message warns of an unpaid citation and threatens driver’s license holds, registration denials, and additional fees unless the recipient clicks a link and pays immediately.
Local officials stress that DPS does not send text messages or emails about unpaid tickets, and any message of this kind should be deleted, blocked, and reported. To help the public recognize the scam, the full text of the fraudulent message is included below.
Full Scam Message Being Circulated
SCAM ALERT
The below is an email/text message from Scammers that is going around. It is completely bogus. It is being shown here in its entirety so you will recognize it if you receive it. DO NOT RESPOND OR CLICK ANY LINKS!!!
Texas Department of Public Safety – Driver License Division
Administrative Review of Driving Record
An administrative review of your Texas driving record shows an outstanding citation that remains unpaid.
Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 706 (Failure to Appear / Failure to Pay Program) and related provisions, the following enforcement actions will be applied unless the violation is resolved by March 17, 2026:
- Driving Record Notation
The unpaid citation and failure to appear/pay will be reported to the Texas Department of Public Safety and permanently noted on your driving record, which may affect future insurance premiums, employment background checks, and CDL qualifications. - Vehicle Registration Denial
Your Texas vehicle registration renewal may be denied. You will be unable to renew or obtain new registration for any vehicle registered in your name until the matter is cleared. - Driver License Renewal Denial
Your Texas driver license will not be eligible for renewal. If your current license expires after the hold is placed, you will be unable to renew it and your driving privileges in Texas may become invalid. This action may also be reported through the Nonresident Violator Compact (NRVC) to other participating states. - Additional Fees
The following costs will apply in addition to the original fine:
• $10 Failure to Appear / Failure to Pay Program fee (per Texas Transportation Code § 706.006)
• Possible court-specified late fees
• DPS reinstatement fee (currently $100 for most license-related holds)
• Any applicable OmniBase administrative processing fees - Further Collection & Court Action
The unpaid amount may be referred to a collections agency. The issuing court may issue a warrant for Failure to Appear or Failure to Pay, and the debt may be reported to credit bureaus.
Action Required
This is a final notice before enforcement actions take effect. Resolve the citation by March 17, 2026 to prevent these restrictions.
The fastest way to clear this hold is to contact the court that issued the citation directly or use the official Texas Failure to Appear website.
Check status and make payment: (Fraudulent Link Removed)
Taking care of this today is the fastest way to stop tomorrow’s suspensions and halt additional collection activity.
(Reply Y to reopen this message and tap the link. Or manually copy and paste the link into your browser.)
As mentioned above, Scammers are constantly trying to victimize people, and this is just one of the hundreds of methods they employ. DPS does not send out emails or text messages about unpaid tickets. Block and report the junk. Share this info with friends and family.