New Arizona License Plate Law in Effect on January 1, 2009
Well, as if life is not complicated enough, a new Arizona law goes into effect today regarding your license plate, and if it’s not displayed correctly, it will definitely not be the start of a Happy New Year!
And what is so pressing regarding one’s license plate…it’s that the word “Arizona” must be able to be seen in full view, unobstructed by anything, including your license plate frame (even if it was put on by the dealership).
So starting on January 1, 2009, you can be pulled over just for the fact that your license plate does not show “Arizona” in full view, and if it’s in the Phoenix Metro Area and the officer decides to give you a ticket, that will run you somewhere around $135 plus your court costs.
It seems the Legislature passed this law back in 2006, but decided not to implement it until this year.
No one is really sure how it came about, but they estimate that Arizona has 60 different styles of license plates and that if “Arizona” is showing on all of them, this will make things “safer” for all. Other reasons cited are that it will be a safety measure for Police Officers and a help to citizens calling in on Amber Alerts.
Of course those who are against the new law say it’s just another means for the state to collect revenue, since our budget is in dire straits.
Now we’re not going to say what will happen with this one, but something tells us we’ll see it as a ballot measure very soon with the goal of being repealed.
To see the actual ruling for yourself, you can read it right here at the AZ Department of Transportation’s website.
So be sure to check your plates on all your vehicles and have a Happy New Year in 2009!