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FLORIDA - The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) has intensified efforts to enforce regulations against altered license plates, targeting drivers with airbrushed, vinyl-wrapped, and customized license plates.
According to FL Highway Safety, such modifications compromise the plates' reflectivity and safety features, including the visibility of yellow validation stickers, thereby violating Florida Statute Section 320.061.
Florida Statute Section 320.061 deals with the "Prohibited alterations of license plates."
Under this law:
- It is unlawful for any person to alter the face of a license plate issued for a motor vehicle in Florida.
- Alterations include, but are not limited to:
- Applying stickers, paint, or vinyl wraps.
- Airbrushing or modifying the plate’s design in any way that obscures or distorts its reflective properties, characters, or validation decals.
Violations of this statute are typically classified as noncriminal traffic infractions and are punishable as nonmoving violations, which may include fines and other penalties.
Since August, FHP has observed a significant increase in citations for unlawful plate alterations, with a 98% rise since 2020.
Offenders face a $60 state fine, three points on their driver's license, and additional county-specific fees, which can total up to $116 in some areas.
Lt. Alex Camacho of FHP emphasized the importance of compliance to Local 10 News, stating, "If you put this tag on your car, we are going to seize that tag. You are going to get your vehicle towed and get an infraction for it."
Drivers with irreversibly altered plates are required to obtain replacements from their local tax collector's office.