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Is your license plate frame illegal? Florida clarifies new plate law

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TAMPA, Fla. — There’s been a lot of questions recently about Florida’s new license plate law.

What You Need To Know

  • A Florida law went into effect Oct. 1 and established harsher penalties for anything that obstructs vehicles’ license plates

  • Confusion spread on social media about whether plate frames are legal 

  • FLHSMV says the law does not prohibit the use of a license plate frame as long as it does not block the alphanumeric plate identifier or the validation sticker at the top right of the plate

  • FLHSMV does not consider the information on the bottom of the plate to be a primary feature on the plate. The top of the plate can be covered as long as law enforcement is able to identify the state that issued the plate 


It went into effect on Oct. 1 and established harsher penalties for anything that obstructs your license plate — including fines or even jail time.

That’s led to many drivers wondering if their license plate frame is legal or not.

That includes Florida resident Belle King — known on social media as Pikabellechu — who has built a large following for her Pikachu collection.

She owns a Volkswagen decked out in the famous Pokémon, which includes a Pikachu license plate frame. When she heard about the law, she removed the frame.

(Courtesy of Belle King)

“It’s been on my plate for 24 years. One of my fans actually gifted it to me. They were so excited that I put it on the car. It stinks that it’s coming off after all these years. But it is what it is,” King said.

Based on what she was seeing on social media, King removed the frame.

But a Florida Highway Patrol spokesperson said the law isn’t really about the frames.

“This is for vehicles that have an obstruction on their tag,” FHP Lt. Tara Crescenczi said. “Meaning, they have a mechanical switch that can block out the tag completely. Or they can use a switch to make the tag flip up. And really it’s about law enforcement trying to stop dangerous drivers or someone who has committed a crime.”

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) also put out clarification on the new law.

FLHSMV said the law does not prohibit the use of a license plate frame as long as it does not block the alphanumeric plate identifier or the validation sticker at the top right of the plate.

In addition, FLHSMV does not consider the information on the bottom of the plate to be a primary feature on the plate. The top of the plate can be covered as long as law enforcement is able to identify the state that issued the plate.

(Courtesy of FLHSMV)

Under that clarification, King’s plate should be OK.

“I thought as long as your numbers were showing, or in my case, my words were showing, and then your little registration tag. I was like, ‘OK that’s fine. Mine’s only covering a little bit of the top and the bottom’,” King said.

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Tim Wronka

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