Are License Plate Covers Illegal in Louisiana?

With the City of Shreveport talking about installing even more traffic cameras across the city, you'll probably see even more of the tinted license plate covers on the backs of Louisiana cars.

A lot of cars in Louisiana have tinted license plate covers that are more than just decorative. Though we don't have a lot of toll roads in the Arklatex, we do have more and more traffic control cameras, and the tinted plate covers make the numbers and letters on the license plate difficult, or even impossible to read by the camera.

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Now there are aftermarket companies that are selling kits you can install over your license plate that will electronically black out your entire license plate by remote control. If a driver is going through a toll reader, or knows there is a traffic camera, they can activate the blackout feature by remote while in camera view, then unblock it instantly.

Are There Any License Plate Covers That Are Legal in Louisiana?

But are these systems legal in Louisiana?  The answer is easy.  No. Of course not.  And if you get caught with this on your car in Louisiana, expect to pay a hefty fine. According to Louisiana State Law, Revised Statute Title 32 Section 53:

Every permanent registration license plate shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned, so as to prevent the plate from swinging, and at a height not less than twelve inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of such plate, in a place and position to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible. Unless authorized by the commissioner, a person shall not apply a covering or any substance to the license plate or use an electronic device or electrochromatic film that obscures from any angle the numbers, characters, year registration sticker, or name of the jurisdiction issuing the plate. 

The statute even specifies the electronic device specifically as being illegal.  A lot of times, even a clear cover might not be legal if it blocks any portion of the plate from being read clearly from any angle.  Just remember, you are not allowed to obstruct the plate in any way.