States Ban Devices Concealing License Plates From Cameras and Officers

Recent legislation has become more prevalent around the country as devices that conceal vehicle license plates continue to grow in popularity.

According to a recent Stateline article, some states are stepping in to ban a device called a “license plate flipper”. These tools are used to mechanically flip a license plate, end over end, to conceal the cars official license plate with a false one. This allows drivers to evade law enforcement, toll systems, and automated cameras.

The primary debate revolves around the devices ability to conceal criminal activity and the loss of toll and traffic ticket revenue. States including Texas, Washington, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania have taken action along with cities including New York City and Philadelphia. Other products in the discussion are blur covers that distort the view of a license plate from different angles and shutter devices that simply drop a screen down in front of the plate to conceal the information.

Read the full Stateline article here. 

Some device examples: