California moves to crack down on license plate concealing devices with steep new fines of up to $10,000 per violation
California – Proposed legislative reforms in California are fueling the fight against toll evasion and other illegal activities employing concealed vehicle license plates by threatening major financial penalties on those allowing such crimes. Assemblywoman Catherine Stefani has proposed legislation directly targeting sellers and producers of license plate concealing devices. Called AB 1085, the law aims to raise the current fines from $250 to an incredible $10,000 per violation.
The reason for this legislative drive is obvious. Devices made to flip, cover, or otherwise hide license plates are not just instruments for evading tolls but are more and more often used in severe crimes such as car theft and burglary.
“These devices have become a tool for lawbreakers,” said Assemblymember Stefani. “They’re linked to vehicle thefts, robberies, and toll evasion – undermining public safety and costing the state millions in lost transportation revenue. This bill ensures that enforcement can keep pace with technology designed to deceive.”
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Those caught producing or offering such devices under current law face a $250 penalty for every unit sold or produced. But, should AB 1085 be approved, this penalty will jump to $10,000, therefore significantly increasing the stakes for everyone who participate in these activities. This legislative action is part of a larger initiative to make sure enforcement powers keep up with fast developing technologies usually used to deceive.
Ranging from mechanical plate flippers to advanced covers using electro-tinting, these technologies let scofflaws not only avoid tolls but also avoid detection when speeding or participating in reckless driving. The San Francisco Standard’s studies indicate that people involved in more illicit activities like burglary also utilize such devices.
Interestingly, a change was made to the suggested law on April 8 altering the penalty from the first suggested $10,000 to $2,500 each fine.
A spokesperson for the state explained this change to Carscoop, stating, “We lowered the number in the legislation because actual fines include uniform bail and penalty schedule additions. So the new number in the bill will amount to about $10,000 per violation in the real world when implemented.”
This change shows a strategic fine calibration to guarantee that, when added with other legal and administrative costs, the overall cost for each infraction does not go above the intended $10,000 limit. Despite these changes, the measure still has a number of legislative obstacles to clear before it can become law. The direction and purpose are obvious, though; California is about to adopt a far more serious attitude on a rising issue aggravated by technology developments in vehicle plate obscuration.
