Is Your Maine License Plate Breaking The Law?

I was completely unaware of the significance, but it turns out that license plate additions are quite a big deal in Maine!

Side note: just recently, I swung by the town office to pick up a new license plate for the car I bought. To my surprise, something really magical happened. I opted for a random plate, and it turned out to have all the initials of my family members on it! How amazing is that?

In other license plate news, some folks in Maine have added plate frames to their cars. The point? For decoration, ads, or to add some character to your plate. They are also meant to protect your plate and avoid any incidents or dents.

According to WGME, your license plate frame might show off your favorite sports team or glittery flare, but be aware that this could be a violation of Maine's laws!

Okay, so there's no specific law against frames or license covers, but the Bureau of Motor Vehicles advises against their use because of public safety. What is so unsafe about a license plate cover?

As the article states, many of these decorative covers impede the primary function of the plate, which is to identify the vehicle. They can also make it harder for law enforcement officers and even toll readers.

The Maine statutes states that all characters on a license plate must be "plainly visible and legible." This requirement means everything on the plate, except for the state's iconic chickadee or pine tree.

Get this. Just last year, 30 tickets were handed out for illegible plates, according to the article.

One Maine driver named Jeff said,

Recently, I got pulled over and the officer told me I had an illegal license plate frame. He said it's a $150 fine because the frame cannot cover any part of the plate that says Maine or the registration stickers. Is this true? If it is, a lot of Mainers are breaking the law. – WGME

So if you didn't realize before that your framed license plate could cost you a hefty fine, now you do!