Florida drivers could see their cars unknowingly become police magnets due to new law

Florida drivers should scrutinize their license plate frames, because House Bill 253 has transformed something seemingly harmless into a potential legal trap.

For years, dealership-installed frames and novelty borders were treated as mere style choices or rolling ads.

Now, they could be enough to trigger a traffic stop.

And as of October 1, 2025, the consequences for getting it wrong have become far more serious.

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Even dealership-issued frames could get you into trouble

The new rules revolve around one central concept: full plate visibility.

Anything that blocks any portion of the tag, whether it’s the state name, county, sticker, numbers, or letters, can trigger enforcement.

This means even dealership-issued frames, which many people assumed were compliant, could now get drivers pulled over.

WINK News found plenty of motorists were blindsided by this, discovering that something installed before they even bought the car was now considered illegal.

While the law feels like a major shift, its foundation is decades old.

Back in 1971, Florida Statute 316.605 established a simple rule: your plate must be readable from 100 feet away.

What lawmakers have done in 2025 is crank up the penalty.

Under House Bill 253, knowingly covering or altering a plate is no longer a traffic citation, but a second-degree misdemeanor.

A conviction can carry up to 60 days in jail and fines reaching $500.

But intent is the crucial variable here.

Prosecutors must show that the driver purposefully obscured the plate.

So faded paint, sun-worn stickers, or aging hardware won’t get you hauled into court.

However, a novelty frame that blocks the county or state name, or perhaps one that is closer to an art project than actual plate?

That’s where trouble begins, and where an unsuspecting driver could end up with a criminal record.

Florida drivers should opt for simpler plates

But frames aren’t the only items the law cracks down on.

The bill also targets plate-hiding gadgets, such as electronic shutters and flipper devices that conceal plate numbers from cameras.

Simply owning one is now a second-degree misdemeanor, while selling them escalates the charge to a first-degree misdemeanor.

And activating one during a police pursuit is officially a third-degree felony.

For everyday motorists, the takeaway is simple: ditch bulky license plate frames and stick to a simpler license plate.

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