The actual LAW on covering your license plates?

H

Halo549

New Member
I only want to hear from someone who knows the LAW not what you think it is. Thank You...

What is the actual law in Maryland on weather or not you can put a clear cover to protect your license plates?

I see in the early 2000's that a law was passed on tinted license covers.
I can not find any amendment on clear.

No I am NOT talking about the clear paint like substance that makes it so the cameras have a hard time taking a picture of you when you run the red lights.

I have had several friends get stopped by police and given a ticket or a warning on clear license covers.

I see police vehicles and police officers personal vehicles with clear covers.
What gives are the police able to have them and not the general public?

Thanks

Maryland Front Plate Elimination Petition
 
mAlice

mAlice

professional daydreamer
Halo549 said:
I only want to hear from someone who knows the LAW not what you think it is. Thank You...

What is the actual law in Maryland on weather or not you can put a clear cover to protect your license plates?

I see in the early 2000's that a law was passed on tinted license covers.
I can not find any amendment on clear.

No I am NOT talking about the clear paint like substance that makes it so the cameras have a hard time taking a picture of you when you run the red lights.

I have had several friends get stopped by police and given a ticket or a warning on clear license covers.

I see police vehicles and police officers personal vehicles with clear covers.
What gives are the police able to have them and not the general public?

Thanks

Maryland Front Plate Elimination Petition
Click to expand...


I was recently looking for clear plastic covers for my plates and couldn't find them. Was told by the guys that work in the stores that they no longer carry them because a law was passed that they could no longer be used. Never looked it up. :shrug:
 
chernmax

chernmax

NOT Politically Correct!!
Halo549 said:
I only want to hear from someone who knows the LAW not what you think it is. Thank You...

What is the actual law in Maryland on weather or not you can put a clear cover to protect your license plates?

I see in the early 2000's that a law was passed on tinted license covers.
I can not find any amendment on clear.

No I am NOT talking about the clear paint like substance that makes it so the cameras have a hard time taking a picture of you when you run the red lights.

I have had several friends get stopped by police and given a ticket or a warning on clear license covers.

I see police vehicles and police officers personal vehicles with clear covers.
What gives are the police able to have them and not the general public?

Thanks

Maryland Front Plate Elimination Petition
Click to expand...

I have had a clear cover over both my front and rear license plate for over 6 years and have had zero issues. And yes I've been pulled over at times for spirited driving (knock on wood no tickets) but never once did an officer say my clear plate was illegal. My wifes SUV has them also. We also purchased them from the local auto stores over the years...
 
chernmax

chernmax

NOT Politically Correct!!
mAlice said:
I was recently looking for clear plastic covers for my plates and couldn't find them. Was told by the guys that work in the stores that they no longer carry them because a law was passed that they could no longer be used. Never looked it up. :shrug:
Click to expand...

I bought mine at NAPA Auto and also Advanced Auto...
 
John Z

John Z

if you will
I'm curious of the actual law too. I don't have covers, but I do see "clear" covers that are foggy that should be replaced. Nice new ones look good on a car.

I see a lot of cars with foggy covers, tinted covers, or frames that cover the registration stickers. I guess I'm getting old and crotchety, because I think if I were a Cop, I'd pull them over, give 'em a screwdriver and 2 minutes to remove the offending cover/frame and give it to me or they get a ticket. :lmao:
 
mAlice

mAlice

professional daydreamer
John Z said:
I'm curious of the actual law too. I don't have covers, but I do see "clear" covers that are foggy that should be replaced. Nice new ones look good on a car.

I see a lot of cars with foggy covers, tinted covers, or frames that cover the registration stickers. I guess I'm getting old and crotchety, because I think if I were a Cop, I'd pull them over, give 'em a screwdriver and 2 minutes to remove the offending cover/frame and give it to me or they get a ticket. :lmao:
Click to expand...

That's why I was trying to replace mine. Old and cracking, but hadn't yellowed too terribly bad.
 
L

limblips

Well-Known Member
PREMO Member
Halo549 said:
I only want to hear from someone who knows the LAW not what you think it is. Thank You...

What is the actual law in Maryland on weather or not you can put a clear cover to protect your license plates?

I see in the early 2000's that a law was passed on tinted license covers.
I can not find any amendment on clear.

No I am NOT talking about the clear paint like substance that makes it so the cameras have a hard time taking a picture of you when you run the red lights.

I have had several friends get stopped by police and given a ticket or a warning on clear license covers.

I see police vehicles and police officers personal vehicles with clear covers.
What gives are the police able to have them and not the general public?

Thanks

Maryland Front Plate Elimination Petition
Click to expand...

In Maryland, tag covers -- whether they are tinted or clear -- are illegal, with a fine of $60. However, when it came to defining license plate covers, officials in the state all interpreted the law differently.

A spokesperson for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration said covering a license plate means placing something over it, while Montgomery County Police and Maryland State Police said the law applies to anything that obstructs the tag. (DC has removed them from their police cars).
 
BillNSOMD

BillNSOMD

New Member
Maryland Code Transportation 13-411.1 Plate Cover

Maryland Code > Transportation > 13-411.1


Current as of: 2010
Check for updates

(a) In this section, "registration plate cover" means any tinted, colored, painted, marked, clear, or illuminated object that is designed to:
(1) Cover any of the characters of a vehicle’s registration plate; or
(2) Distort a recorded image of any of the characters of a vehicle’s registration plate recorded by a traffic control signal monitoring system under § 21-202.1 of this article.
(b) A person may not sell or offer for sale a registration plate cover.
(c) A person may not advertise for the purpose of promoting the sale of registration plate covers.

This also means those frames around the plate are also not allowed because it covers any of the characters of a vehicle’s registration plate
 
BillNSOMD

BillNSOMD

New Member
Yeah some of those frames cover up the month and year stickers plus the name of the state , I got stopped few years back for little over the posted limit and got a warning for the speed and for having "partial license plate covered " , the frame around the back plate was just barely covering the stickers and the name of the state , but you could see the State Flag in the middle of the tage and all the numbers. So I removed it got the blessings from MSP and went on my way.

Now days I have the new Bay tag and like it just the way it is you can see everything on it .
 
ylexot

ylexot

Super Genius
So even the "Maryland" has to be uncovered? Darn, I was thinking of making some specifically to cover up the "www.maryland.gov".
 
willie

willie

Well-Known Member
The County cop that gave me a warning did not quote a law but said they too closely resembled the anti-radar covers so they had to be removed.
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Halo549 said:
What is the actual law in Maryland on weather or not you can put a clear cover to protect your license plates?
Click to expand...

During inclement weather you're allowed to use clear slickers to keep them dry.

During clear weather you'd have to remove them.
 
Sweet 16

Sweet 16

^^8^^
BillNSOMD said:
This also means those frames around the plate are also not allowed because it covers any of the characters of a vehicle’s registration plate
Click to expand...

Obviously, this is not enforced that much or they'd be pulling over half the cars on the road. It's probably one of those, "I can cite you if I pull you over for a moving violation first" kind of things.
 
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