DECEMBER 22, 2009 ISSUE
Don’t Get Framed
License Plate Frames Now Banned in North Carolina—Is Yours Still On?
Is your license plate frame still on your car?
On December 1, a new law went into effect in North Carolina that requires the state’s name across the bottom of the license plate as well as the year and month stickers on a license plate to be fully visible, meaning that the use of license plate frames is now illegal.
The new law, which carries a $100 penalty, was introduced in the 2009 session of the General Assembly and was supported by law enforcement officials because it increases the readability of registration information on the plates and helps identify vehicles registered in North Carolina.
“We want to give everyone a chance on this one,” said Watauga County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Kelly Redmon.
Redmon said he understood that car dealerships place the frames on most new cars for advertisements and admitted that some motorists may not even know they have one on their license tag. Because of that, Redmon said his officers would start by passing out verbal warnings “so folks get used to the new law.”
“On into summer, though, we’ll start enforcing with citations,” he added. Motorists receiving a citation will face a $100 fine.
Boone Police Capt. Jim Wilson said his department is currently in discussions concerning how to enforce the license plate frame law. Wilson believes Boone Police will begin with warnings for motorists who are in violation and not immediately start issuing citations.
“We may even do written warnings,” said Wilson. “We probably won’t start enforcing [the new law] that heavily very quickly.”
Gary Knight, general manager of Mack Brown Chevrolet Pontiac Buick GMC in Boone, said his dealership stopped installing license plate frames on new vehicles 12 months ago in anticipation of the new law taking effect.
“I think [the new law] is fine. I don’t see a problem with it,” said Knight. “The authorities need to see license plates to do their job.”
Raymond Goda, general manager and operating partner of Ross Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Boone, also stopped installing license plate frames on new vehicles a few months before the law took hold. Goda, however, said he thinks the North Carolina General Assembly should be focusing on other, more important issues than legislating about license plate visibility.
Gene Swift, general manager of Southern States Subaru in Boone, quit installing license plate frames on his new vehicles when he ran out of his stock a few months ago. Like most car dealerships, Swift uses the frames to advertise his business and is currently researching and working with a supplier to find license plate frames that meet state requirements under the new law. In other words, if Swift finds a frame that allows for visibility of the state name and year and month stickers, he’ll start installing them on new vehicles. Swift is alone in his hunt, though, as he knows of no other car dealership in the state that is using, or has found, such frames.
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