Quick Facts About License Plate Covers
- Covering a license plate may interfere with its visibility and violate traffic regulations.
- Some jurisdictions also restrict license plate frames that obscure expiration stickers and other tag information.
- License plate cover packaging typically includes a disclaimer warning buyers that the product might not comply with state laws.
It’s not uncommon for car owners to have license plate covers on vehicles. While many drivers install them because they think a dark cover looks fantastic on their ride, others might use the dark tint to obscure the plate number for nefarious reasons.
Even if a license plate cover’s only intended purpose is to boost the coolness factor of your new car, you might prevent a citation by checking your state laws before buying one for yourself or as a gift. In some jurisdictions, a simple frame surrounding a license plate can violate vehicle or traffic regulations.
- What Is a License Plate Cover?
- Are Plate Covers Illegal?
- Where to Buy Plate Covers
- Types of Plate Covers
- Are Plate Covers Good Gifts?
What Is a License Plate Cover?
A license plate cover is a colored, tinted, painted, clear, reflective, or illuminated object installed over a vehicle’s registration tag. Their design may protect plates and enhance vehicle appearance, but they often obscure or distort the characters on the license plate from traffic monitoring systems, including human eyes.
Benefits of Plate Covers
Car owners use plate covers and frames for various legitimate purposes:
- Customize vehicles by expressing the driver’s personality with logos or slogans of affiliations on license plate frames or enhance the car’s appearance with a tinted plate cover.
- Protect the license plate and registration sticker from weather and road damage.
- Deter license plate theft by using anti-theft screws to attach the plate cover.
- Advertise a dealership or another company’s services or promote an organization’s cause on a license plate frame.
Are License Plate Covers Illegal?
We suggest you check with your department of motor vehicles or local law enforcement agency because license plate obstruction laws vary with each state’s traffic code. Most jurisdictions have laws prohibiting material covering a license plate or obscuring, blurring, or interfering with the readability of the letters and numbers on the plate. Depending on where you live, the frame showing where you bought the car or boasting your support for a sports team or alma mater is a violation if it covers the plate’s expiration sticker, county name, or state slogan.
Laws restricting license plate covers are in place to help law enforcement identify plates and aid cameras detecting vehicles on toll roads and bridges. A typical fine for violating a license plate obstruction law is $50 to $200.
Where To Buy Plate Covers
Some state laws prohibit selling license plate covers that don’t comply with the motor vehicle code. Manufacturers may include a product disclaimer warning buyers to check local laws before installing a cover or indicate that the shield is a novelty product not intended for street use.
Still, if you want one, you can buy a transparent or tinted cover for less than $20 online or in person at many auto parts stores and big-box retailers selling auto accessories.
Types of License Plate Covers
Despite the widespread prohibited use with state-issued plates, plenty of plate covers are available.
- Clear Plate Cover – Drivers in states without front license plates can use clear plastic covers, for example, to protect a personalized airbrush design, sports team, or other novelty plate mounted on their car’s front bumper.
- Tinted License Plate Cover – Smokey gray tint gives a stealth look that many desire. However, tinted or colored covers likely don’t comply with traffic laws when covering a license plate.
- Electronic Plate Cover – Electronic or mechanical license plate covers resemble equipment from a spy novel. These motorized license plate blockers pull a dark cover over a license plate on the fly with the press of a button. While sometimes marketed as a tool to combat identity theft or a security feature, it’s reasonable to assume their intended purpose is to prevent traffic or toll cameras from recording the car’s plate numbers. Some might even consider a license plate flipper if evasion is the intent, but we recommend avoiding these devices.
Is a License Plate Cover a Good Gift?
No, a plate cover is not a good gift. Whimsical gift guides sometimes include them, but obscuring a license plate number is probably against the law where you and the potential gift recipient live. While the mechanical varieties might be a fun novelty, there are better uses for your money than spending $100 or more on an automotive gag gift. Instead, save that cash toward the down payment on your next car, buy some car cleaning products, or invest in a good set of jumper cables.
