Take the frames off your license plate
Another law went into effect last month in Florida that has nothing to do with sex offenders but can disproportionately affect persons on the registry.
It is now illegal (a misdemeanor) to have a frame on your license plate. An arrest for this violation can cause you to be arrested and an arrest can prevent you from EVER being removed from the registry. An arrest, if you are on probation, would be a violation of probation and put you back in prison.
A member informed us that during an address verification, law enforcement noticed his tag and told him that it was illegal and he could be arrested for it. If you have a cover, frame, or anything covering or obscuring your tag, take it off. It’s not worth the risk. If you get stopped by an officer who is looking for anything to arrest you for because of your history, this can give them that opportunity.
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Great video and funny too! It’s nice to have a laugh. Thank you!
This law is solely to keep toll jumpers at bay and so law enforcement can keep track of all of us on most highways and in most cities in the state. Many cities scan every license plate as they drive by and if any warrants or other issues it automatically notifies local law enforcement where a tag was spotted in real time. Cities and the state spend millions using Flock and other companies to keep track of all of us. Should be illegal, 4th amendment and all, but if they make money off it then rights be damned…
I disagree on one thing, It is not against the 4th amendment. Plates are for public view and in public view. Like the plain view doctrine. If you want to see some crazy stuff dealing with the 4th(and first) youtube – first amendment auditing. My favorite is KULT News lol. One thing many do is stand on the street and film license plates. People freak out, call the police. There is a SO that does this kind of stuff.
The problem comes when public surveillance is so pervasive that it become the de facto equivalent of real-time tracking, which is not legal without a warrant. There is some current public discussion to this very point, and may need to be settled in the courts eventually.
Key Provisions of the New Law
Stricter Penalties: Under House Bill 253, altering, defacing, covering, or obscuring license plates is now classified as a second-degree misdemeanor. This includes using tinted covers, decorative frames, or any device that prevents the full visibility of the license plate number or registration sticker. Violators may face fines up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.
Prohibition of Obscuring Devices: The law prohibits the manufacture, sale, or distribution of devices designed to hide license plates from traffic cameras and toll readers. If someone uses such a device while committing another crime, the offense escalates to a third-degree felony, resulting in harsher penalties.
Visibility Requirements: License plates must be clearly visible and legible from a specified distance without any obstructions. This includes ensuring proper lighting for nighttime visibility and correct placement to avoid tampering.
New Design Options: The law also introduces updated design choices for license plates, allowing for more customization while ensuring compliance with visibility standards.
Impact on Vehicle Modifications: The law addresses modifications that could interfere with law enforcement’s ability to identify vehicles. For example, using decorative underglow lights or tinted covers that obscure plates can now lead to criminal charges rather than just minor infractions.
Can you provide the Statue Please. There are two vehicles at my house neither of them are in my name.
Just one more thing they try and trip you up with. Pretty soon we are all going to have to be clean shaven to beards or mustaches with military haircuts. last straw is starting to bend for me.
Cherokee Jack provided the reference to last year’s bill.
If the vehicles are not yours and you don’t drive them, you don’t need to worry about being arrested for the tags.
There’s no bill, presently or in discussion concerning shaving.
I drive the vehicles but nowhere in this bill does it say you can have a frame around the license. What it says is that it can obscure the License plate number or sticker.
(1) As used in this section, the term “license plate 61
obscuring device” means a manual, electronic, or mechanical 62
device designed or adapted to be installed on a motor vehicle 63
for the purpose of: 64
(a) Switching between two or more license plates to permit 65
a motor vehicle operator to change the license plate displayed 66
on the motor vehicle; 67 —– assuming this means that while driving you can switch the plates?
(b) Hiding a license plate from view by flipping the 68
license plate so that the license plate number is not visible; 69 —- assuming this means turning it backwards?
(c) Covering, obscuring, or otherwise interfering with the 70
legibility, angular visibility, or detectability of the primary 71
features or details, including the license plate number or 72
validation sticker, on the license plate; or 73 —- assuming this means the Sticker and license plate number which most dealership frames dont cover this anyway?
(d) Interfering with the ability to record the primary 74
features or details, including the license plate number or 75
Maybe I am being nit picking and should just go take it off but both plates are clearing visible both sticker and number.
You can do whatever you are comfortable with. We are sharing information.
And I totally appreciate you and FAC. Also I will be taking it off my A to B lol. It might be worth $200 for parts. My other one does not have a plate cover.
On today’s news they said one small city had already issued over 90 tickets and some arrests for the license plates. (Didn’t take them that long did it). Also, I could not find a written story online from that crack down but did find another that had more information from today.
https://fastlaneonly.com/floridas-license-plate-crackdown-can-now-land-drivers-in-jail/
According to the actual bill on the House website, its anything that interferes with the “legibility,angular visibility, or detectability of features, or any detail on the license plate” The bill also explicitly targets tag switchers or anyone selling them. That being said, it seems to me that as long as everything is visible, a frame shouldn’t be an issue. (Tag frames aren’t even mentioned directly in this bill either) I’m also pretty sure the only reason they did this was because of people beating the toll by plate system.
The voters should put an initiative on the ballot to reverse this. This is ridiculous.