License plates in Texas

There were recently a number of news reports on a ruling that, in effect, made anything obscuring a license plate in Texas illegal. Previously, the law had seemed to ok thin borders, trailer hitches, etc. Now there have been bills filed to correct this situation.

Relating to an offense involving a motor vehicle with an altered or obscured license plate
(S.B. 369 or H.B. 348)

Introduction to the Senate bill analysis:

BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center
C.S.S.B. 36980R7309 JRJ-D
By: Williams
Transportation & Homeland Security
3/1/2007
Committee Report
(Substituted)
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The 78th Legislature enacted a provision aimed at preve nting motorists from obscuring their license plate in order to prevent toll enforcement cameras from reading a vehicle's license plate and subsequently recovering that toll or prosecuting that individual. The Court of Criminal Appeals of Texas recently ruled that Section 502.409, Transportation Code, states that a motorist is in violation of this section if any part of the motorist's license plate is obscured. This law has been used by law enforcement to pull over otherwise law-abiding motorists although the license plate number and state are readable. C.S.S.B. 369 clarifies that a vehicle is not in violation of the law as long as the state in which the vehicle is registered and the license plate number are not obscured or altered.