posted 09-22-2003 09:30 AM         

It's a sad sad day..

Here is the main story from Wednesdays Dallas Morning News:

License frames: a fine mess
New law prohibits ubiquitous accessories from obscuring plate

11:02 PM CDT on Wednesday, September 17, 2003

By TERRY BOX / The Dallas Morning News

About $10,000 worth of brass and chrome license-plate frames will stay in a box and off the stylish backsides of Aston Martins at John Eagle's dealership in Dallas.

"I'm sending them back," said a flustered Sonny Morgan, managing partner of the dealership.

Like dozens of area dealers, Mr. Morgan learned this week about a new state law that may render most license-plate frames illegal. Although the law affects anyone whose automobile has frames, lights or film coverings that obscure a license plate, it is hitting car dealerships especially hard.

Many dealerships automatically attach license-plate frames touting their stores to every vehicle they sell, and all of those frames – including hundreds of thousands of them in this area – may now be deemed illegal by police, said Drew Campbell, president of the New Car Dealers Association of Metropolitan Dallas. The law went into effect Sept. 1.

The result could be a ticket and a fine of up to $200, and some area cities are already "vigorously enforcing" the new law, said Mr. Campbell, who also represents area dealers in Austin.

"If you drive around, about half [of the frames] out on the street are illegal as I interpret the law," he said. "That includes Texas A&M frames, University of Texas frames, Mothers Against Drunk Driving frames and 'I'm a Grandpa' frames."

Previous state laws prohibited motorists from altering or obscuring the numbers or letters on a license plate, said Tom Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. The new law makes it illegal to attach illuminated devices to a license plate, add emblems to it or obscure the state name on the plate – which a frame can do.

"In our view, this law will be applied with common sense," Mr. Vinger said. "If a frame or bracket interferes with the readability of the state, it could be in violation. If it just touches it, you shouldn't have a problem."

However, he acknowledged that the interpretation is the DPS' and will apply only to its officers. City police departments, sheriff's deputies and other agencies – as well as individual officers – may interpret the law differently.

"If it covers some of the state's name, it's subject to various interpretations," Mr. Vinger said. "We've gotten calls from people who claim they've already been ticketed in San Antonio and Dallas."

Not the intent

He said he didn't know precisely where the tickets were handed out, and local police departments that responded said the law was nothing new because they were already enforcing license-obstruction laws.
The legislation, written by state Sen. Jon Lindsay and co-sponsored by state Rep. Peggy Hamrick, both Houston Republicans, was intended to assist toll-road authorities in their use of optical scanners to read motorists' license plates, Mr. Campbell said.

Mr. Lindsay said the bill was not initially aimed at license-plate frames.

"My main intent was to make it so you could not put those plastic covers over the plates, which reflect light and make it difficult to scan the plate," he said Wednesday. "Then the DPS got involved, and I realized that it wouldn't do any good to prohibit the covers if the scanners couldn't read the name of the state."

Ms. Hamrick said she, too, was surprised by the reaction to the bill. Irate constituents have called to ask why she sponsored the bill, she said.

"The whole point of the bill was a public safety issue," Ms. Hamrick said. "I guess no one realized how many frames cover up the name of the state."

Nonetheless, she said, she doesn't think the bill's wording needs clarification because "it already is pretty clear."

"I think it's clear what the intent was," Ms. Hamrick said. "We've told people who call that if they are worried about the legality of the frame, to take it off."

Mr. Lindsay said he doubts that anything can be done to clarify the language in the bill before next session. No action on it is scheduled in an upcoming special session.

In the meantime, he said, "I want police departments to be reasonable with this and do like the DPS is and just use good judgment on trying to determine when there is a violation."

The frames are a potential public relations headache for car dealerships, which worry that some longtime customers might be stopped and cited because of license-plate frames that the dealerships installed on the vehicles.

"We have literally sold thousands and thousands of cars that we have put license-plate brackets on," said Don Herring, owner of Don Herring Mitsubishi in Dallas and Plano. "How do we go out there and notify thousands of people that we need to do something about these [frames]?"

The frames typically cost $3 to $5 each, dealers said. Most area dealers attach 2,000 or more per year to new vehicles.

'I read the bill'

As many as half of the license plates that pass through some Houston area toll booths cannot be scanned because of frames, neon lights above the plates or a film on them, Mr. Campbell said. The new law prohibits anything that "alters or obscures" the numbers or letters on a license plate – including the word "Texas" high in the center of the plate, he said.
"I read the bill and did not foresee this," he said. "The state [automobile dealers] association read it and did not foresee it. But the bottom line is if any part of the plate is obscured – and some interpret that as the frame covering a portion of the word Texas – the police can pull you over.

"It looks like it fixed more of the problem than they intended."

Mr. Campbell said he will advise dealers to send letters to their customers inviting them in for new frames.

"I've got 2,000 of them in stock and have called the company that manufactured them," said Tom Durant, owner of Classic Chevrolet and Classic Hummer in Grapevine. "They're checking on the legality, but we may have to change the way we do things."

On Monday, Mr. Morgan met with his sales managers at John Eagle Aston Martin and John Eagle Lincoln Mercury/Isuzu and told them to quit putting dealership license-plate frames on new vehicles.

"My suggestion to the state is to drop the word 'Texas' down on the plate a half-inch or so," he said. "It makes more sense than changing out millions of frames."

posted 09-22-2003 09:43 AM         

It all can be blamed on those who were putting the plastic covers on their plates to avoid being seen by traffic cameras. It was only a matter of time before this was going to happen. But don't blame law enforcement - we didn't write the law, we are just charged with enforcing it.
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2001 Mulholland Edition Prowler
2001 King Ranch Edition Ford F-150

posted 09-22-2003 09:47 AM         

The POA frame covers up half of the word TEXAS.....

I really don't want to trash it

posted 09-22-2003 10:36 AM         

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Mickey
1997 Plymouth Prowler #156
Custom car cover
Mopar front splash guards
Real Rod stainless steel transmission cooler cover
Mopar Trailer hitch and harness
Real Rod weekender
1992 Plymouth Grand Voyager SE
Longhorn scratches
Boomerschlobber