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From my perspective, over the past five years, I have noticed that there has been a significant increase in the number of automobiles out on the road that either have no license plate at all, OR a plate that is partially obscured by a tinted cover or total lack of illumination (bulbs burnt out and not replaced).
At first I suspected that it was just in the town I live in due to lax enforcement policy, but I just got back from a cross-country road trip and noticed it in multiple states.
I used to live in Austin, Texas, and in the 35 years I lived there, I was pulled over a couple of times for a dim or burnt out lightbulb above my rear license plate.
But nowadays, seems like LE doesn't enforce this much anymore. So many cars with NO PLATES?!
Sometimes there is a paper plate in the window, but the windows are often too tinted to see them.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have not noticed a trend in obscured plates at all, in fact around here the police and state patrol like to collect revenue so they do enforce the laws requiring two plates, front and back, with no coverings.
As for the new cars with paper in the windows, yes, more cars than ever have privacy glass to prevent break-ins by obscuring views of what's in the back, and you cannot read the temporary paper plates. In fact, it's hard to see that there is even one in there. Law enforcement is well aware of that and not likely to stop someone whose rear shows a dealer advertisement instead of a plate unless they do something wrong.
I live in the Milwaukee area. Every single time I'm out and about, I notice at least a couple of cars with no plate at all, not even a paper one in the window. In addition, I also notice at least a couple of cars with tinted plate covers that greatly obscure the letters/numbers. Every single time. AND during my recent road trip to Louisiana and back, same thing.
In Texas, where I'm from, you have to have front and back and they must be not obscured in the least.
Obscured license plates, what are you hiding from. Just means you're a lawbreaker and gets the attention of the police.
In our area you do get cited and in some case vehicle gets towed to a holding area.
Obscured license plates, what are you hiding from. Just means you're a lawbreaker and gets the attention of the police.
In our area you do get cited and in some case vehicle gets towed to a holding area.
+1
In my town, they periodically park a police car with 4 license plate readers (one at each corner of the vehicle) at the various entry points to town. The type of tactic mentioned by the OP would result in a summons very quickly around here, and it is likely that the vehicle would be impounded.
I've noticed a number of expired out-of-state plates.
One was a disabled plate; the car was driven and parked in a disabled spot every Friday afternoon by a guy who marched around protesting something. For over a year. California, why did you let him get away with that?
Another was from Michigan, expired for TEN YEARS, parked in various places around Hilo, Hawaii.
Where do people live that these violations are not enforced? I spend time at houses in CT, FL, KS, and CO -- and all of them have strict vehicle code enforcement.
My town in FL reads every license plate coming and leaving. Stolen cars are pulled over within minutes. The town in KS with 2000 homes has four police cruisers going at all times, they follow almost every car coming in from the large city next door. Here in a Colorado mountain town, the police are only slightly less strict -- but they are prowling nonetheless.
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