A Lakeland woman received a $114 ticket last week for a law that the majority of Florida drivers are probably violating and don’t even know it.
Victoria Herrington received the ticket not for speeding — which she admits she probably was — but for having part of her license plate obscured by the dealership-issued frame screwed in with the plate.
In her case, the Regal Lakeland frame plate covered part of the MyFlorida.com on the top of the plate.
All the numbers and letters were fully visible.
“I did not know it was illegal,” she said. “I don’t think it really is fair, I don’t understand why it’s a law. If you can see the numbers on the plate and the renewal sticker, why do you need to see Florida dot com?”
ABC Action News found the law is rarely enforced. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said it has issued zero tickets for it this year.
The Florida Highway Patrol said the citations are issued at the trooper’s discretion.
Naturally, Herrington went right to the dealership.
“They couldn’t believe it,” she said.
The owner of the dealership told me by phone that they redesigned the tag frames about 15 years ago to come in compliance so the words at the bottom of the plate could be seen.
But in recent years, the state added MyFlorida.com on the op and the law says nothing can be obscured.
This by no means is an issue with one single dealership. If you look around a parking lot, most of the cars are in violation.
For it’s part, Regal said it will either do another redesign or may have to do away with the popular tag frames all together.
As for that $114 ticket…
“I would love if Regal took care of it,” Herrington said.
After we got involved, Regal called their customer and informed them they’re sending her a check.
They plan to take this issue up with the state.
