License plate covers

[Tom Dunn]

I sent this email to the Highway Patrol this morning:

Hello.
I live on a dead end road in rural northwest Harnett
County.
Last night I observed a very slow moving vehicle driving
up and down the road. As a precaution, I walked outside as
it passed to see if I could get the license plate number
in the event something happened to either my property or
perhaps one of the neighbors. I was dismayed to see that
there was simply no way to read the plate, because it was
obscured by one of those colored tinted license plate
covers that I frequently see on vehicles.
My first question is, are these covers legal?
Second, while fully aware of the workload LEO's labor
under, if they are illegal, do officers routinely stop and
cite the drivers of vehicles with plates so obscured?
Thank you!

I just recieved this answer from the PIO:

"I will share your email with our Troopers."

Guess thats all I get.........

[RayH]

Hopefully one of the troopers who knows the law will answer you. Does not sound like the PIO does.

I think you asked them a very good question. Maybe the local law folks (sheriff?) would add some light to a dark license plate.

Please let us know if you get a better response.

RayH

[skeeter]

According to my son, who is a sheriff's deputy in New Hanover County, any license plate cover other than clear is a Chapter 20 violation which includes window tinting and conceilment of a license tag.

[taandctran]

My dad was once told by a police officer that the clear ones were illegall too. He said you couldnt' have anything over the plate. I think it has something to do with glair

[Robert Arrowood]

I agree with the tinted plate covers.YOU DON'T NEED THEM.I you try to hide your lplate then what else are you hiding.If the officer wants he can pull you because of your trailer hitch.Anything that blocks his view of your plate keeps him from calling in the #.

[junquecol]

Originally Posted by Robert Arrowood

I agree with the tinted plate covers.YOU DON'T NEED THEM.I you try to hide your lplate then what else are you hiding.If the officer wants he can pull you because of your trailer hitch.Anything that blocks his view of your plate keeps him from calling in the #.

I have been stopped a couple of times because of the trailer hitch blocking the license plate. A friendly reminder to officer, that if the trailer was attached, then plate would also be blocked. On a truck with commercial (weighted) tags, you can put the license on the front bumper. When driving my old truck on one certain street in Cary, the dip in the road would fold up my tag. Tag was located on the original factory (DOT approved) mounting bracket. Got stopped once for this. Asked officer to follow me to offending intersection and observe process in action. He did, but couldn't do anything to get town to correct their problem with dip in street. Told me to have a nice day, and if anyone else stopped me, to show them the same demo.