Better check that license plate frame

Jan. 1 ushered in more than the new year. It also brought enforcement of a new regulation governing the size of license plate frames that often proclaim a motorist's sports team preference or favorite cause.

Frames that obscure the state's name on the license plate are now illegal. That means law enforcement officers now can stop and ticket drivers if the word "Arizona" isn't clearly visible at the top of the license plate or if it is obscured or partially covered in any way.

Fines can range from $110 to $200, depending on the traffic court that has jurisdiction. The revision to state statute applies to all Arizona license plates and their proper display, no matter how long the motorist may have had the frames.

The looming deadline has resulted in increased purchases of frames at some auto parts stores and no more activity than usual at others.

"We're stocking them and selling them," said Erik Garcia, manager of the Checker Auto Parts store at 2330 S. 4th Ave. "But we're not really selling any more than usual."

It apparently was another story at Autozone, where Isaias Chavez estimated that perhaps 100 people have come into the store over the last couple of weeks to get new frames.

"We're selling a lot," he said. Fortunately, the store was stocked up in anticipation.

However, he reported, there also seems to be some confusion about the new regulation, such as whether any frame at all is allowed and if the new law applies to all license plates.

According to a news release from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, frames aren't specifically banned.

"The new state statute requires that the state name at the top of Arizona license plates must be visible," the release stated. "Any license plate holder or cover that prevents the license plate from being clearly legible is in violation of this new law."

As for the second question, the requirement applies only to Arizona license plates. Drivers with out-of-state plates or plates from other countries are exempt.

The Legislature passed the plate frame law in 2006, but implementation was delayed until 2009.

The most important benefit of the change centers on citizens who witness a crime involving a motor vehicle or otherwise recognize a license plate from a broadcast for an Amber Alert or other attempt-to-locate.

Fisher Chevrolet was notified about the change in December about the same time the dealership received a new shipment of frames from the Arizona Automotive Dealers Association, according to sales manager Sal Pina. The new frames were checked out and found to be the correct size to be legal under the new regulation.

Anyone with old frames that don't fit the new guidelines can come to the dealership and have them replaced at no cost.

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Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.