Old EZ Tags out, new stickers in

The Harris County Toll Road Authority is switching out the old plastic EZ Tag transponders for sleek new stickers — a move that will reduce headaches for the county, but may not sit well with drivers who like being able to move their EZ Tags from vehicle to vehicle. About 150,000 of the old tags have already been replaced with stickers, but that leaves an estimated 850,000 to go.

The good news: Anyone who has an EZ Tag can trade in their plastic box for a sticker without paying an additional deposit. If you do, you won't have to pay the $1 monthly rental fee on the box, because the sticker will be your property, and the new-style tag will help prevent the fees that can accrue when you move your transponder to another car (that's against the rules, in case you didn't know). The bad news: You still have to put the sticker in the right spot, just to the right of your rearview mirror, in order for it to work; if you try to remove the sticker, it'll be invalidated.

Not all vehicles will use the stickers: Motorcycle tags and the tags placed on the front bumpers of certain cars will be replaced with something, but not stickers, HCTRA spokeswoman Jonnie Bryant said. You can switch your old tag for a new sticker at any EZ Tag Store location; call 281.875.3279 for more info.