GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – Covering your license plate in the State of Florida is now considered a second-degree misdemeanor, so if you have license plate covers, you may want to take them off your car.
The law that went into effect in October was signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on May 19.
“You know, things change, laws change, let’s just adapt to what the new change is to remove the decorative covering, remove the tinted plate cover, remove the stickers from the tag,” shared Chris Sims, Public Information Officer for the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office.
The second-degree misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to a $500 fine, up to 60 days in jail, or both, meaning you’d have to appear in court.
But the law itself isn’t new. It used to only be a non-criminal traffic infraction.
A non-obstructed plate includes no coverings, sprays, tints, wraps, or frames that will block any information, such as the numbers and letters on the tag or the registration decal. Having an easy-to-read plate also helps law enforcement officials solve crimes.
“We rely a lot on video surveillance evidence,” Sims said. “And so if, as we zoom in from that video, if they have coverings to the tags, or tint on the tags, or the tags painted, it’s very likely that we wouldn’t be able to necessarily get that information from the tag that would lead us to solve that crime.”
If your license plate cover doesn’t obstruct any information on the tag, you should be good to go.
“Leave the tag just as it came to you in the mail, or just as it came to you from the DMV,“ shared Sims. ”Just put the plate on there. Maybe put the stickers or your decorative items somewhere else on your vehicle where it’s not a violation.”
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