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License plate laws do flush your 5th Amendment right down the toilet!
They are so the police can track you down!
Police agencies persuaded lawmakers to pass a plate frame law because they say an obscured state of origin makes it more difficult to track down vehicles involved in traffic violations or more serious crimes. New Law: Plate Frames May Be Illegal POSTED: 1:43 pm MST December 27, 2008 TUCSON, Ariz. -- *Your license plate may have a cactus, a mountain scenery and the words 'Grand Canyon State,' but if the word 'Arizona' is obscured by your license plate frame, you could be ticketed for up to $130 starting Jan.1. The Arizona Legislature approved the state plate ban in 2006, but enforcement was delayed until 2009. Police agencies persuaded lawmakers to pass a plate frame law because they say an obscured state of origin makes it more difficult to track down vehicles involved in traffic violations or more serious crimes. "If a witness can tell us that a vehicle has an Arizona plate because they can see it clearly, it helps us immensely," said Harold Sanders, a Department of Public Safety spokesman. Some motorists think it's a silly law."You mean they can't tell that it's an Arizona plate?" asked Roger Foley, 43, an employee of an international delivery service. "That's a lot of money. It's ridiculous."The plate frame on Foley's Ford obscures the state name and will become illegal next week. "I got lucky and heard about it a few days ago," Foley said. "Or else I wouldn't have known. "Tucson police said they will enforce the law just like any other statute governing motor vehicle equipment, such as license plate lights and tail lights, spokesman Sgt. Fabian Pacheco said Tuesday. "It's pretty clear what (the law) says," Pacheco said. "It will be like any other equipment violation." [ie: its a lame excuse to pull over people so the cop can run their name thru the computer to see if they have any warrants out for their arrest] About 50 percent of the license plate frames in the metropolitan Tucson area may become illegal New Year's Day, said Jay Peskoe, co-owner of Automotive Gold, a Tucson-based manufacturer of plate frames for many local car dealerships. But not those made by his company. "We don't make the wide top" that obscures the state name, he noted.Many of the frames that will become illegal likely are low-quality ones made in China, Peskoe said. Owners of vehicles bearing low-quality frames may be forced to change out oversized plate frames soon anyway, Peskoe said."They're garbage," he said. "They don't last."Some local motor vehicle dealers are notifying customers that the frame that came with their vehicle will soon be illegal and are offering to replace them free."We sent out cards to customers going back five years," Rob Draper, assistant general manager for O'Rielly Chevrolet, said. |