By Emilie Gilbert
Herald Intern
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issued a memo clarifying regulations regarding license plate frames and covers for drivers.
The memo issued in December clarifies Florida Statute 320.26, which took effect on Oct. 1. It prohibits obstructions that interfere with the visibility of primary license plate features.
The law does not make license plate frames illegal, but the license plate number and validation sticker on the top right corner must be visible.
“The Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles does not consider the information on the bottom of the plate to be a primary feature of the plate,” the memo explains. “A plate frame that impinges on the information at the top of the plate is permissible, as long as law enforcement is able to identify the state that issued the plate.”
The law applies to other license plate alterations that reduce visibility, such as covers. Selling devices intended to obscure plates is also illegal.
What used to be a non-criminal traffic infraction now has a greater penalty. Violations are punishable by fines of as much as $500 or up to 60 days in jail.
“We often use remote License Plate Readers or LPR’S to identify stolen vehicles, missing seniors, vehicles involved in crimes, etc.,” Seminole County Sheriff’s Office public information officer Bob Kealing said. “Readability of the tag is crucial to this process.”
License plate readers are used throughout Seminole County. Recently, in September, the Oviedo City Council approved the lease of eight automatic license plate readers.
