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A NEW license plate law will go into effect on January 1 – with drivers risking fines of over $100 if they fail to abide.
Officials say the ruling will help to “clear up confusion” that many car owners might have on the matter.
A new license plate law goes into affect in the new year[/caption]
Drivers risk hefty fines if they fail to abide[/caption]
Vehicle owners should already know that obscuring their license plate in the state of Washington is illegal – but a revision to the law this year might catch out a few who are unknowingly breaking the law.
As reported by Chris Sullivan of KIRO Newsradio, drivers that use a license plate cover may find themselves in trouble.
These covers, which can be found on Amazon for under $20, are usually made of clear plastic and go over the license plate as a way to protect them from damage.
However, they are now illegal in Washington and have technically always been illegal – although the state law has never mentioned them specifically.
Sullivan picks out RCW 46.16A.200, Section 7B, which states: “It is illegal to display a license plate on any vehicle that has been changed, altered or disfigured, or has become illegible.”
Indeed, license covers are clear, but they do still change the license plate.
To this end, the legislature passed House Bill 1963 last session, which now includes plate covers specifically.
They became officially illegal in June with fines for violations – which will be more than $100 – set to start in January.
WSP Trooper Rick Johnson weighed in on the ruling and believes the change is necessary, with clear covers a particular issue at night as they reflect light from headlights, making identification near-impossible for police officers.
What’s more, they also make it tough for toll cameras or red light cameras to read the plates.
He said: “Some will say, well, ‘that that’s protecting my plate, and it looks nice.
“The problem is that it is altering that plate. And most of the time, especially at night, the plate is unreadable if there’s a cover on it.”
He added: “There are different ways that people will alter or obscure their plate, and to have a law that specifically speaks to a cover over your plate, I think it’s clear.”
Trooper Johnson added that selling plate covers in Washington is still legal; it’s just using them that is not.
He said: “You can go to O’Reilly’s over there, across the freeway, and buy a lot of things that aren’t legal to have on your vehicle when it’s traveling on the road.
“Those license plate covers have really tiny print on them that say ‘may not be legal for street use.’”
Clear license plate covers such as these are illegal to use[/caption]
These are illegal because it makes license plates near impossible to read in the dark[/caption]
