Something to consider.- Salsa2004http://
www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metro ... 108460Sept. 19, 2003, 9:43AMNew license plate law worrying car dealersAssociated PressDALLAS -- Car dealers who use license plate frames to advertise are among those worried about a new state law that may render some of the frames illegal. The law, which went into effect Sept. 1, makes it illegal to attach illuminated devices to a license plate, add emblems to it or obscure the name of the state on the plate -- which a frame can do. At John Eagle's dealership in Dallas, about $10,000 worth of brass and chrome license-plate frames will stay in a box and off the backsides of Aston Martins. "I'm sending them back," said Sonny Morgan, managing partner of the dealership. Although the law affects anyone whose automobile has frames, lights or coverings that obscure a license plate, it is hitting car dealerships especially hard. Many dealerships attach license-plate frames touting their names to vehicles they sell, and all of those frames may now be deemed illegal by police, said Drew Campbell, president of the New Car Dealers Association of Metropolitan Dallas. The result could be a ticket and a fine of up to $200, and some cities are already "vigorously enforcing" the new law, said Campbell, who also represents dealers in Austin. Previous state laws prohibited motorists from altering or obscuring the numbers or letters on a license plate, said Tom Vinger, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety. "In our view, this law will be applied with common sense," Vinger said. "If a frame or bracket interferes with the readability of the state, it could be in violation. If it just touches it, you shouldn't have a problem." He acknowledged that the interpretation is up to the DPS and will apply only to its officers. City police departments, sheriff's deputies and other agencies -- as well as individual officers -- may interpret the law differently. "If it covers some of the state's name, it's subject to various interpretations," Vinger said. "We've gotten calls from people who claim they've already been ticketed in San Antonio and Dallas." He said he didn't know precisely where the tickets were handed out, and local police departments said the law was nothing new because they were already enforcing license-obstruction laws. Campbell said he will advise dealers to send letters to their customers inviting them in for new frames.
2004 Vibe GT Salsa two tone, Moon and Tunes.