License plates: obstruction or alteration.
AB 1085
California Bills
20250AB__108594CHP INTRODUCED 2025-02-20 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-03-24 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-04-08 AMENDED_SENATE 2025-06-11 PASSED_ASSEMBLY 2025-08-25 PASSED_SENATE 2025-07-17 ENROLLED 2025-08-27 CHAPTERED 2025-10-01 APPROVED 2025-10-01 FILED 2025-10-01 2025 AB CHP CHP 0 Introduced by Assembly Member Stefani LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Stefani
An act to amend Sections and 5201.1 of the Vehicle Code, relating to vehicles. vehicles License plates: obstruction or alteration. Existing law prohibits a person from erasing the reflective coating of, painting over the reflective coating of, or altering a license plate to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate or its characters by state or local law enforcement.
Existing law prohibits a person from installing or affixing on a vehicle a casing, shield, frame, border, product, or other device that obstructs or impairs the reading or recognition of a license plate by an electronic device operated by state or local law enforcement, an electronic device operated in connection with a toll road, high-occupancy toll lane, toll bridge, or other toll facility, or a remote emission sensing device, as specified.
Existing law also prohibits the sale of a product or device that obscures, or is intended to obscure, the reading or recognition of a license plate by visual means, or by an electronic device in violation of the above-described provisions. A conviction for a violation of this provision is punishable by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars $250 per item sold or per violation. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime.
This bill would further prohibit a person from installing or affixing a shade or tint that obstructs the reading or recognition of a license plate by an electronic device operated by state or local law enforcement, an electronic device operated in connection with a toll road, high-occupancy toll lane, toll bridge, or other toll facility, or a remote emission sensing device, as specified. The bill would further prohibit the manufacture of these products and devices in the state and impose a $1,000 fine per item sold or manufactured for a violation of these provisions. The bill would also make clarifying changes.
By creating a new crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. MAJORITY NO YES YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Section of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 5201. (
a) License plates, including temporary license plates, shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, shall be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and so that the characters are upright and display from left to right, and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible. The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than inches nor more than inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than inches from the ground, except as follows:
(1) The rear license plate on a tow truck or repossessor’s tow vehicle may be mounted on the left-hand side of the mast assembly at the rear of the cab of the vehicle, not less than inches nor more than inches from the ground.
(2) The rear license plate on a tank vehicle hauling hazardous waste, as defined in
Section of the Health and Safety Code, or asphalt material may be mounted not less than inches nor more than inches from the ground.
(3) The rear license plate on a truck tractor may be mounted at the rear of the cab of the vehicle, but not less than inches nor more than inches from the ground.
(4) The rear license plate of a vehicle designed by the manufacturer for the collection and transportation of garbage, rubbish, or refuse that is used regularly for the collection and transportation of that material by a person or governmental entity employed to collect, transport, and dispose of garbage, rubbish, or refuse may be mounted not less than inches nor more than inches from the ground.
(5) The rear license plate on a two-axle livestock trailer may be mounted inches or more, but not more than inches, from the ground. (6) (
A) The rear license plate on a dump bed motortruck equipped with a trailing, load bearing swing axle shall be mounted more than inches, but not more than inches, from the ground. (
B) As used in this section, a trailing, load bearing swing axle is an axle which can be moved from a raised position to a position behind the vehicle that allows for the transfer of a portion of the weight of the vehicle and load to the trailing axle. (
b) Temporary license plates shall be replaced with permanent license plates upon receipt of the permanent license plates, and the temporary license plates shall be destroyed at that time. (
c) A covering shall not be used on license plates except as follows:
(1) The installation of a cover over a lawfully parked vehicle to protect it from the weather and the elements does not constitute a violation of this subdivision. A peace officer or other regularly salaried employee of a public agency designated to enforce laws, including local ordinances, relating to the parking of vehicles may temporarily remove so much of the cover as is necessary to inspect any license plate, tab, or indicia of registration on a vehicle.
(2) The installation of a license plate security cover is not a violation of this subdivision if the device does not obstruct or impair the recognition of the license plate information, including, but not limited to, the issuing state, license plate number, and registration tabs, and the cover is limited to the area directly over the top of the registration tabs. No portion of a license plate security cover shall rest over the license plate number. (
d) A casing, shield, frame, border, shade, tint, product, or other device that obstructs or impairs the reading or recognition of a license plate by an electronic device operated by state or local law enforcement, an electronic device operated in connection with a toll road, high-occupancy toll lane, toll bridge, or other toll facility, or a remote emission sensing device, as specified in Sections and 44081.6 of the Health and Safety Code, shall not be installed on, or affixed to, a vehicle. (e)
(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that an accommodation be made to persons with disabilities and to those persons who regularly transport persons with disabilities, to allow the removal and relocation of wheelchair lifts and wheelchair carriers without the necessity of removing and reattaching the vehicle’s rear license plate. Therefore, it is not a violation of this
section if the reading or recognition of a rear license plate is obstructed or impaired by a wheelchair lift or wheelchair carrier and all of the following requirements are met: (
A) The owner of the vehicle has been issued a special identification license plate pursuant to
Section 5007, or the person using the wheelchair that is carried on the vehicle has been issued a distinguishing placard under
Section 22511.55. (B) (
i) The operator of the vehicle displays a decal, designed and issued by the department, that contains the license plate number assigned to the vehicle transporting the wheelchair. (ii) The decal is displayed on the rear window of the vehicle, in a location determined by the department, in consultation with the Department of the California Highway Patrol, so as to be clearly visible to law enforcement.
(2) Notwithstanding any other law, if a decal is displayed pursuant to this subdivision, the requirements of this code that require the illumination of the license plate and the license plate number do not apply.
(3) The department shall adopt regulations governing the procedures for accepting and approving applications for decals, and issuing decals, authorized by this subdivision.
(4) This subdivision does not apply to a front license plate. (
f) This
section shall become operative January 1, 2019.
SEC.
Section 5201.1 of the Vehicle Code is amended to read: 5201.1. (
a) A person shall not sell or manufacture a product or device in this state that obscures, or is intended to obscure, the reading or recognition of a license plate by visual means, or by an electronic device as prohibited by subdivision (
c) or (
d) of
Section 5201. (
b) A person shall not operate a vehicle with a product or device that violates subdivision (a). (
c) A person shall not erase the reflective coating of, paint over the reflective coating of, or alter a license plate to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate or its characters. (d)
(1) A conviction for a violation of subdivision (
a) is punishable by a fine of one thousand dollars ($1,000) per item sold or manufactured.
(2) A conviction for a violation of subdivision (
b) or (
c) is punishable by a fine of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) per violation.
SEC. 3. No reimbursement is required by this act pursuant to
Section of
Article XIII B of the California Constitution because the only costs that may be incurred by a local agency or school district will be incurred because this act creates a new crime or infraction, eliminates a crime or infraction, or changes the penalty for a crime or infraction, within the meaning of