By Gabriella Scozzafava
Herald Intern
A driver recently received a criminal citation and court date, after police found a remote-controlled license plate-obscuring device wired into their vehicle, Altamonte Springs Police said.
Officers patrolling the Ronald Reagan Boulevard area discovered the device during a traffic stop on the driver after noticing an obscured license plate on the vehicle, police said.
License plate-obscuring devices violate Florida Statute 320.262, which took effect Oct. 1, 2025. The new law prohibits the use or sale of any device intended to allow a vehicle operator to switch between multiple license plates, hide a license plate from view or interfere with the visibility and recordability of the plate information.
Purchasing or possessing such a device is considered a second-degree misdemeanor under the statute.
Criminal defense attorney Geoffrey Golub said using an electronic license plate cover on a vehicle could be punishable by up to a year in jail and up to a $1000 fine, FOX35 reported.
License plate-obscuring devices come in a variety of styles. PlateVanish, a website based in Arizona, sells motorized license plate curtains, flippers, foggers, vanishers, and blackouts that cost up to $229.95.
The devices operate through a wired setup that allows vehicle operators to instantly manipulate the plate using a remote control with a range of up to 50 meters, according to the PlateVanish website. It states that its products are intended for off-road use at private events, such as car shows and photography sessions, as an extension of the vehicle owner’s expression.
“PlateVanish expressly prohibits and does not endorse or authorize the use of any License Plate Kits on public roads or in any situation that violates local, state, provincial, federal, or international laws,” the website states in its terms of service policy.
The Altamonte Springs Department said the case is an open investigation, and the driver’s license plate device was seized and taken into evidence.
