An illegal license plate is one that falls outside the normal rules and regulations set by your state's DMV
An illegal license plate is a plate that falls outside the normal rules and regulations set by your state's department of motor vehicles (DMV).
For example, in the United States, each state has its own DMV. In each state, those who wish to drive a car must register it with their local DMV and get a license plate. Those who don't do this are breaking the law and can be fined or even have their driver's licenses revoked.
Some people use these to avoid red light cameras or toll roads
You might have seen these on the road. They look like regular license plates, but they have something that normal plates don't: an image of a camera with a red x through it. Some drivers use these to avoid paying tolls or traffic tickets from red light cameras, but it's important to note that these plates are illegal, and using them could result in you being fined up to $200 for just one plate. Plus, if you're caught using an illegal plate and driving without the proper registration and insurance, you could receive two points against your license and be subject to a suspension of your license for 90 days (or longer).
They often have the appearance of a government vehicle
Custom license plates come in all shapes and sizes, but not every custom tag is legal. The good news for many drivers is that anything two states away from California is fair game. In other words, if you buy a license plate from a different state, it's likely legal in the state where you reside. Custom plates with writing like "expired" are also legal; technically they aren't expired because they aren't issued by the DMV.
The vast majority of illegal license plates have the appearance of a government vehicle's plate. These plates are often the same size as a normal plate but may have a different shape or color scheme than that of standard-issue tags. Plates with lettering such as "police," "sheriff," and "CIA" are all illegal, even if they're just being used to look cool while cruising down Main Street on Saturday night. Any plate that isn't the standard-issue plate is considered illegal.
If it isn't a government car, don't use an illegal license plate.
In most countries, it is illegal to put license plates on a non-government car. If you do this and get caught, you can be fined as much as $100.
It's also dangerous to use government license plates improperly. In the event of an accident, the car owner must pay for damages—and if a person got hurt or killed in the crash, the driver would be at fault. That's why police take these cases so seriously.
Making a license plate unreadable is not legal. This is what some people do.
A reflective tape can make a number plate invisible to a camera. You only need reflective tape applied to the license plate. A reflective tape works mainly for roadside photo-radar with cameras using high-intensity flash to tag your plate and, perhaps, speed.
Are license plate covers legal?
License plate covers are available with or without tint. Some will argue that the mere ability to purchase the cover at the automotive store makes it legal to use. However, this is not necessarily true. California Vehicle Code section 5201(f)(2) states (emphasis added):
Are tinted plate covers legal?
The answer is no." "The Vehicle Code prohibits you from having any form of covering over your license plate, whether it be clear or tinted. It is also illegal to have a license plate frame that could obstruct the month, the year, or the state of the vehicle that issued that plate," he explained.
License Plate Covers State Laws
| License Plate Laws by State | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Plate Shields | Plate Frames | Visibility | Comments |
| Alabama | Yes | Yes | Must be visible at all times | "Alabama" must be clearly visible at top of plate |
| Alaska | Yes | Yes | Must be visible at all times | |
| Arizona | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly legible and visible | "Arizona" must be clearly visible at top of plate |
| Arkansas | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly legible | Covers that make the license plate difficult to read or reduces its reflective properties are prohibited |
| California | NO | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Red light/speed camera license plate covers are also prohibited |
| Colorado | Clear only | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Covers that shield or impair the reading of a license plate by devices are also prohibited |
| Connecticut | Yes | Yes | Must be visible | Covers cannot obscure or impair visibility |
| Delaware | Clear only | Yes | Must be clearly readable | Red light/speed camera license plate covers, shields, sprays, etc. are also prohibited |
| District of Columbia | NO | Yes | clearly and distinct | Identification tags must be clearly legible |
| Florida | Yes | Yes | Must be visible at all times | Red light/speed camera license plate covers, shields, sprays, etc. are prohibited |
| Georgia | Clear only | Yes | Must be plainly visible | Red light/speed camera license plate covers, shields, sprays, etc. are prohibited |
| Hawaii | Yes | Yes | Must be visible at all times | Plates must be unobscured at all times |
| Idaho | Yes | Yes | Must be free of foreign materials and visible at all times | Plates must be clearly visible and legible |
| Illinois | NO | Yes | Must be clearly visible | anti red light/speed camera license plate covers, shields, sprays, devices, etc. are prohibited |
| Indiana | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Plates must be free of foreign materials |
| Iowa | Yes | Yes | Permit full view of numbers and letters | Frames must permit full view of all numbers and letters on registration plate |
| Kansas | NO | Yes | Must be clearly legible | license plate covers, shields, sprays, etc. are prohibited |
| Kentucky | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Frames and covers must permit full view of all numbers and letters on plate |
| Louisiana | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Plates must be free of foreign materials |
| Maine | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Plates, letters and numbers must be clearly visible at all times |
| Maryland | NO | Yes | Must be clearly visible | No tinted, colored, painted, marked, clear or illuminated object designed to distort the characters on a license plate is allowed. Plate covers may not even be advertised or offered for sale. |
| Massachusetts | NO | Yes | Must be displayed conspicuously | license plate covers, shields, etc. are prohibited |
| Michigan | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Plates must be free of foreign materials |
| Minnesota | NO | Yes | Must be plainly visible | No clear or colorless material that affects plated visibility or reflectivity is allowed |
| Mississippi | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Plates, letters and numbers must not be covered by any object, marking, paint, etc. |
| Missouri | Yes | Yes | Must be clearly visible | Covers may not impair reflective qualities of plate |
| Montana | Yes | Yes | Must be obviously visible | "Montana" and border outline of state must be clearly visible |
| Nebraska | Yes | Yes | Must be visible | All letters, numbers, etc. on plates must be free from grease dust and other blurring matter |
| Nevada | Yes | Yes | Readable from 100 ft. | Plates must be clearly legible and free from foreign material |
| New Hampshire | Yes | Yes | Displayed conspicuously | Plates must be clean and not be obscured |
| New Jersey | Yes | Yes | Displayed conspicuously | sale or use of anti red light/speed camera license plate covers, shields, sprays, devices, etc. are prohibited |
| New Mexico | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible | Plates must be clearly legible and free from foreign material |
| New York | NO | Yes | Must be visible | sale or use of anti red light/speed camera license plate covers, shields, substances, etc. are prohibited |
| North Carolina | Yes | Yes | Plainly readable from 100 ft. | No clear or colorless material that affects plate visibility or legibility is allowed |
| North Dakota | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible | Plates must be clearly visible and letters and numbers must not be obscured |
| Ohio | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible | Plates must be not be covered by any material that obstructs visibility |
| Oklahoma | NO | NO | Must be clearly visible | No plate frame, cover or material is allowed |
| Oregon | NO | Yes | Plain view and easily read | Any frame or plate holder that alters the plate or makes the numbers, letters or regtistration stickers difficult to read or unreadable is prohibited |
| Pennsylvania | NO | Yes | Must be visible at all times | Red light/speed camera license plate covers, shields, sprays, etc. are prohibited |
| Puerto Rico | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible | Plates must be not be covered by any material that obstructs visibility |
| Rhode Island | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible | Plainly readable from 100 ft. |
| South Carolina | No | Yes | Must be visible at all times | No tinted covers allowed |
| South Dakota | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible | Plates must be clearly visible and letters and numbers must not be obscured |
| Tennessee | No | Yes | Clearly visible | No tinted covers allowed and plates must be clearly visible with no foreign materials |
| Texas | Yes | Yes | No reflective matter or blurring of the plate and plates must be free of foreign material and clearly legible | |
| Utah | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible | Plates must be free of foreign material and clearly visible |
| Vermont | No | Yes | Plainly legible | No tinted covers allowed and plates must be plainly legible at all times |
| Virginia | Yes | Yes | Clearly visible and legible | No colored frame or covers allowed and plates must be clearly visible and legible |
| Washington | Yes | Yes | Must be visible at all times | Unlawful to use frames or covers that change, alter or obscure any portion of the plate or make it illegible |
| West Virginia | Yes | Yes | Clearly legible | Plates must be free of foreign materials and clearly legible |
| Wisconsin | Yes | Yes | Clearly legible | Plates must be at all times be maintained in a legible condition |
| Wyoming | Yes | Yes | Clearly legible | Plates must be free of foreign materials and clearly legible |