Tinted licence plate covers won't shield you from a ticket, OPP says

On a recent drive to an event, OPP Const. Jeff Hare ended up pulling over three drivers.

They weren't speeding or driving dangerously. They weren't impaired, and they hadn't failed to buckle up.

Hare pulled them over simply because he couldn't read the numbers and letters on their licence plates.

"They were almost impossible to see," Hare told CBC News. "Any time you obstruct your plate, you are breaking the law."

Ontario's Highway Traffic Act makes it clear that having an obscured licence plate is against the law and could leave the driver liable for a $110 fine, though it doesn't result in demerit points on their insurance.

The law says a vehicle's entire licence plate must be "plainly visible at all times" and be free from "dirt and obstruction."

The legislation even mentions devices that prevent plate numbers from being photographed and recorded by red light cameras, photo radar systems and automated road toll systems, such as the 407 ETR.

Despite this, Hare said he continues to see illegal covers on the road.

"I've spoken with a number of officers and it definitely appears to be a growing problem," he said. "We're seeing tinted plate covers. We're seeing coloured plate covers."

Hare said he tries to have a conversation with drivers about their plate covers at road stops, because often drivers claim they didn't know that obscuring the plate is illegal.

One challenge for police is that plate covers and other products that obscure licence plate numbers are widely available in stores.

Canadian Tire, for example, sells an Autotrends branded plate cover with a dark tint called a "Smoke Licence Plate Shield." It was on the shelves at the Argyle location on Tuesday.

While the cover doesn't make the plate numbers invisible, the company has taken steps to avoid trouble with packaging that says the cover is for "off-road, showroom use only."

Mostly for show, not to foil police

Barry Trap, who owns Performance Unlimited Auto in London, sells plate covers with some tinting but says he won't sell any product that makes the licence plate difficult to read. He was once approached by a supplier asking him to carry their "prism effect" plate covers, but Trap said he steered clear of selling them.

"This was about the time Highway 407 went through and people were trying to avoid that," he said, referring to the private highway north of Toronto which uses cameras to automatically capture images of licence plates so the owners can be billed.

"I politely declined," he said. "I do have strong feelings that the police do need to monitor licence plates and who they belong to."

Trap said he doesn't believe most customers who buy a licence plate cover are doing it to conceal their plate from police or cameras. He said many are just looking to enhance the look of their car.

"For a lot of people, it's a fashion statement," he said.

Trap said many customers who come to his east London store in search of a plate cover have a personalized plate they want protected.

The plate covers he sells also come with a disclaimer on the packaging stating it's the vehicle owner's responsibility to ensure the covers comply with the law.

Const. Hare said it's important to keep in mind that licence plates need to be visible for safety reasons and to help locate the owner's car if it's stolen.

And while drivers will sometimes raise the argument at the roadside, Hare said arguing that the plate cover must be legal because it was bought at store won't help drivers avoid a ticket.

"They sell really fast cars, that doesn't mean you can disobey the speed limit," he said.