Overview
- Florida’s HB 253, in effect since Oct. 1, makes any obscured license plate a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine and 60 days in jail, according to Ocoee police.
- Officials say frames are allowed only if they do not cover any numbers, letters, or the validation sticker, and they warn that covers, sprays, tints, and reflective treatments are not permitted.
- The statute creates separate crimes for license-plate–obscuring devices: buying one is a second-degree misdemeanor, manufacturing or selling one is a first-degree misdemeanor, and using one during another crime can become a third-degree felony carrying up to five years.
- Reporting highlights that dealership-installed decorative frames have surprised some motorists with potential citations even if the accessories were added years earlier.
- Coverage notes that wording targeting anyone who sells or distributes obscuring devices could reach dealerships, with clarification requested from Sarasota police.