- Florida announced license plate frames are legal if key elements remain visible.
- The DMV says some plate text can be covered without violating the law.
- Drivers may still face tickets depending on how officers interpret the statute.
Floridians are facing a wave of confusion after different legal authorities have put license plate frames in the crosshairs. A new law made obstructed plates a second-degree misdemeanor, but it appeared to apply to anything on a plate, including a decorative frame.
More: Florida Just Made Your Cute License Plate Frame A Criminal Offense
Now, after mass confusion among authorities, we have a little more clarification, but the risk for those with license plate frames doesn’t appear to be zero.
HB 253, the bill that seemingly made, if not all, most plate frames illegal, says “A person may not apply or attach a… covering, or other material onto or around any license plate which interferes with the legibility, angular visibility, or detectability of any feature or detail on the license plate or interferes with the ability to record any feature or detail on the license plate.”
When we asked officers for clarification, Florida authorities didn’t respond. Then, just a day ago, the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) began selling its own license plate frame and claimed that it didn’t violate the law.
Commenters called it out, and the FSA even admitted that you could still get a ticket, depending on the officer’s discretion. The sales page even told buyers to measure their plate before purchasing just to be safe.
The Florida Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is now trying to clarify things, saying that the act doesn’t prohibit the use of a plate frame so long as it doesn’t obscure “the alphanumeric plate identifier,” and “The decal located in the top right-hand corner of the license plate.”
Of course, it then goes on to tell officers to consult their agency if they have additional questions.
The Seminole Sheriff also piped up on social media to offer some visual references. Based on what it shared, plate frames should be completely okay even if they cover the top and bottom of the plate, provided that law enforcement can tell the state the plate came from, and again, that the registration sticker is visible.
Will that post hold up when an officer ignorant of this clarification pulls a person over? We can’t wait to hear when it doesn’t.
