new license plate frame law

[cityboi]

Starting December 1st it will be illegal to have a license plate frame that covers or even partial covers the text "North Carolina" on the plate. Just another stupid law and it looks like the state is seeing green and ready to fine people. Almost everyone has a frame over thier plate that partially covers North Carolina. Instead of making people buy new frames why dont the state just move the text up on the plate. Its so much easier. This is rediculous. I can understand if it covers up expiration stickers but most frames are fat at the bottom where the state name is and most people put the stickers at the top where they are clearly visible. Im sick and tired of the government imposing stupid laws that make no sense. I personally dont think there is a need for it. Everyone knows what a NC tag looks like and especially law enforcement. First in Flight and the Wright Brothers plane in the background is cleary visible, frame or no frame. An officer does not need to see the text North Carolina to identify the plate. They'll just have to pull me over because i'm not removing mine until they do. It looks like law enforcement is going to be very busy because they'll have to pull most everyone over. There are more important issues law enforcemnt should be handling. but judging by other states that imposed the same law, the law likely wont be enforced unless it totally covers up North Carolina or the expiration stickers. In Arizona I guess they found themselves pulling so many people over, law enforcement was then adviced to not ticket drivers with fat frames unless they had some more compelling justification for stopping the car. Im sure they found out very quickly that taking law enforcement from more crucial problems for pulling everyone over because of their frames was causing problems.

http://blogs.newsobserver.com/crosstown/legislators-crack-down-on-fat-license-plate-frames

[Spatula]

"Instead of making people buy new frames why dont the state just move the text up on the plate. Its so much easier."

oh I see... so you want taxpayers to subsidize a change in license plate design to an uglier design that caters to a minority of drivers that keep the car dealer's fat license plate frames on

commie

[DPK]

Almost everyone has a frame over thier plate that partially covers North Carolina. Instead of making people buy new frames why dont the state just move the text up on the plate. Its so much easier.

Im sick and tired of the government imposing stupid laws that make no sense.

1. You're exaggerating that everyone has a frame over their plate. Most people do not and of those that do, they are usually dealer frames that were never removed after a vehicle purchase. Dealers will update their frames to comply with the law in the future and existing owners can just as easily remove the plate with a few screws. If that's too difficult for you than I feel sad for you.
   
   
2. How would it be easier to "just move the text up on the plate"? The state would have to reissue and press new plates across the board for everyone. They don't just change a design and let old plates stick around. They have to be consistent.
   
   
3. This is not a stupid law in any form. It's designed to make it easier for not just law enforcement, but plate readers, cameras, tolling, etc to read/verify your plate from a distance. It makes perfect sense if you'd stop and think about it instead of being pissed off that your "cool" frame is no longer valid.
   
   
4. Paragraphs, grammar, and spelling - please use them.
   

[krazeeboi]

OK guys, the name calling and such isn't necessary or justified whatsoever. You can disagree with a person's position and leave out the "commie," "I feel sad for you," etc.

[JerseyBoy]

While we're on the topic, isn't it about time for a redesign of the state's plate? To me, I think it's kind of ugly and was one of the factors in why I chose my Appalachian Trail tag instead of the usual default. NC must like pissing off Ohio to have the same design for 30 years...

[cityboi]

Actually the majority of plates I have seen have North Carolina partially covered up and its not just dealer tags

I guess some of you dont even care about the real motive in why the state is doing this. The truth is police officers can identify our state tags. How many other states tags out there have first in flight and a blue wright brothers plane on there? I just don't buy the argument that law enforcement cant identify the tags. Its all about money. Besides if they pull you over they are going to know you are a North Carolina driver anyway. North Carolina is doing this because they researched how much the state of Arizona made in citations. BTW I heard that at least one state is repealing this rediculous law. Just like the stop light cameras that were put in place in Greensboro several years back. When the city was sued and the courts said the greater portion of the money had to go to schools, the city removed the cameras because it wasn't a money maker.

[Jerseyman4]

Afterall, the Western Wake Expressway aka NC 540 will be the state's first toll road in/around 2011. An excuse for the state to make sure the plate numbers and letters are not blocked in any way for the electronic toll booths to send you a bill at the end of the month!

[101_ce]

This is so stupid. I think that they can read them. I agree with cityboi for most of the things he said. You can clearly see that it says 'North Carolina' on my tag, but I am still going to have to remove it.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

If you you're in NC and have a plate from a different state, does this apply?

[cityboi]

The thing is you cant even have North Carolina partially covered up. But this does not apply to out of state tags. Ironically those tags are ones that need to be Identifiable but North Carolina cant enforce that kind of law on someone from out of state. Many people live in NC but use tags from other states where they use to live. I guess thats one loop hole around that law. Someone said above they cant just replace everyones tags if they changed the design of it so that NC is visible. Thats true but they can give people the option to buy upgraded tags for those who want to keep their frames. Why not? the state already has dozens of specialty tags anyway.

[JerseyBoy]

I, personally, really don't see the problem with this law. I guess it's because I'm a minimalist, but those dealer frames have gotten so large and tacky that something needed to be done about them. Yeah, all of us who are NC residents know what the state tag looks like, but police in other states don't. If you have a dealer/personal frame that goes into your tag about 1-2 inches, then it's hard to actually identify what state your license plate is from.

For instance, look at the similarity between Wisconsin's and Washington's license plates:

Both have red lettering in the upper-left corner and the numbers are the same style. To a police officer that isn't familiar with any of those tags, he doesn't know which is which. An officer in NC doesn't always know either. Is this an inconvenience? Yes, but a very minute one IMO. If they want to help this problem of visibility at night, they should make the tags more reflective like California does.

[101_ce]

I actually want to keep mine. And it is not a dealer license plate holder, it is a plain silver one.

[Gard]

I personally could care less one way or another. I don't like them on my vehicles, so the first thing I did when I bought my new car was rip off the dealer plate cover, considering they aren't paying me to advertise on my vehicle.

[suburban george3]

All I am going to say is I support this rule. Personally I hate the oversized and tacky dealer frames and detest aftermarket frames drivers purchase that do block vital info off the perimeter of the tag.

My bigger problem is the 'plethora' of vanity designs available in all states now. How can ANYONE keep up with where someone is from??

[krazeeboi]

I, personally, really don't see the problem with this law. I guess it's because I'm a minimalist, but those dealer frames have gotten so large and tacky that something needed to be done about them. Yeah, all of us who are NC residents know what the state tag looks like, but police in other states don't. If you have a dealer/personal frame that goes into your tag about 1-2 inches, then it's hard to actually identify what state your license plate is from.

For instance, look at the similarity between Wisconsin's and Washington's license plates:

Both have red lettering in the upper-left corner and the numbers are the same style. To a police officer that isn't familiar with any of those tags, he doesn't know which is which. An officer in NC doesn't always know either. Is this an inconvenience? Yes, but a very minute one IMO. If they want to help this problem of visibility at night, they should make the tags more reflective like California does.

I'm not really understanding this argument, since the NC law only applies to NC tags, not to those of other states.

I'm not a fan of this law because I have a plate frame for my alma mater, and I don't want a full front plate for that (that space is reserved for my fraternity plate). This will just ensure that I hold on to my SC tag for as long as possible.

[ERJ170]

I think the law is utterly rediculous. Anyone can tell a NC license plate from a non-NC simply because you can see North Carolina written on it. I have yet to see a license plate cover that covered up North Carolina so much you couldn't tell where it was from. The reasoning behind this law astounds me! I just can't seem to see how it can benefit anyone except give law enforcement a reason to violate your rights if, by chance, you do have a few mm of "North Carolina" covered.

Hopefully it will be like the red writing and be reverted in a few years.

But that's just my opinion.

[kickazzz2000]

I think the law is utterly rediculous. Anyone can tell a NC license plate from a non-NC simply because you can see North Carolina written on it. I have yet to see a license plate cover that covered up North Carolina so much you couldn't tell where it was from. The reasoning behind this law astounds me! I just can't seem to see how it can benefit anyone except give law enforcement a reason to violate your rights if, by chance, you do have a few mm of "North Carolina" covered.

Hopefully it will be like the red writing and be reverted in a few years.

But that's just my opinion.

Big Brother strikes again. I removed my Dealer tag and bought a Carolina Hurricanes tag with a modest lower lip..still partially covers up the state name. This law is ridiculous.

[DieHardGiantsFan]

The law is necessary, and I'm glad they put it in.

The problem is, nobody here considers the scenario of out of state drivers.

The law doesn't just say that "North Carolina" must remain uncovered. It says the state must be uncovered.

So let's say some Texas Moron drives drunk in Charlotte, Hits you in the back, and drives off. You catch that the license plate is 697BBJ. Clearly, that's not NC as we have 3 letters followed by 4 numbers, and 697BBJ is not a personalized plate anybody in their right mind would use.

Also, notice that Texas is in the top center, another fat part of vanities. So what do I say? "Uhm...officer, the plate was 697BBJ, but hell if I know what state that drunken redneck moron is from."

If you think that every NC Cop knows the design of all 50 states' plates, including special design ones, like the multiple designs that SC has, or states that have changed and the old ones are just going away thru atrition, like NJ used to be a light blue with yellow letters, and now it's a fading yellow, looking like somebody peed at the top of the plate, and it dripped downward as the pee dried.

So yes, State, the Plate Number, and Expiration Month and Year, should all be visible, and ALL 50 STATES SHOULD IMPOSE THIS LAW!