‘License plate flippers’ help drivers evade police, tickets and tolls

By Amanda Hernández

State and local legislators in Tennessee and Pennsylvania are cracking down on the use of “license plate flippers,” devices that allow drivers to obscure or conceal their license plates at the press of a button.

License plate flippers are commonly used for aesthetic purposes at auto shows, where they allow drivers to switch between custom or decorative plates. But across the country, thousands of drivers also flip or cover their license plates to evade detection – whether by law enforcement, toll systems or automated speed cameras.

Texas and Washington explicitly banned the devices in 2013, but it’s generally illegal across the United States to alter or obstruct a license plate, no matter the method.

In Tennessee, a law that went into effect in July bans the purchase, sale, possession of and manufacture of plate flippers. Lawmakers said they worried about drivers trying to evade law enforcement.

“We don’t have any toll roads today, but we do have criminals today,” Republican state Rep. Greg Martin, who sponsored the legislation in the House, said in an interview. “This (measure) is to make sure that everyone is playing on the same playing field.”

Under the new law, anyone who purchases a license plate flipper could face up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500. Those caught manufacturing or selling these devices could face up to 11 months and 29 days in jail, along with a fine of up to $2,500.

The Pennsylvania House passed, with bipartisan support, legislation that would ban license plate flippers and impose a $2,000 penalty on those caught using or selling them. The bill now goes to the Senate.

“With speed cams and red-light cams becoming more and more prevalent around, there are technologies that are coming out for people to evade safety on the roads,” Democratic state Rep. Pat Gallagher, the bill’s lead sponsor in the House, said in an interview.

Cities take action

Some cities also are looking to crack down on these devices.

In April, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, a Democrat, signed a bill into law banning the purchase, installation, possession of and sale of “manual, electric, or mechanical” license plate flippers, with violations punishable by a $2,000 fine.

“Tag-flipping belongs in a James Bond movie, not on our city streets,” Philadelphia Councilmember Mike Driscoll, a Democrat, said in an interview with Stateline. “It’s not just a problem in the city of Philadelphia; this sense of entitlement and lawlessness is going on all over the country.

“Every municipality has got to take these things seriously,” Driscoll said.

In March, New York state and city officials launched a multi-agency task force dedicated to identifying and removing so-called “ghost cars” – vehicles that are untraceable by traffic cameras and toll readers due to their forged or altered license plates – from New York City streets.

In 2022, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, reached an agreement with Amazon to help search for and restrict the sale of smokescreen and tinted license plate covers to customers with a New York state address. This collaboration followed the passage of a city law earlier that year prohibiting the sale of products designed to conceal or obscure vehicle license plates to New York City residents.

Criminal activity and toll revenue

Recent discussions around license plate flippers have primarily focused on their role in criminal activity and the loss of revenue from tolls and traffic tickets.

Obstructing license plates is a common violation, with some drivers using plate flippers, duct tape or bogus paper tags to avoid detection. In some cases, the obstruction may be unintentional, such as when bike racks partially block the plate.

Chad Bruckner, a retired police detective who is now the president of the private investigation firm Intercounty Investigations & Solutions, said that while he supports legislation banning tag flippers, it’s important to balance protecting citizens’ rights with providing law enforcement the tools needed to promote public safety.

“If you can’t identify a vehicle, you don’t have the legal tooth or authority to execute a stop or something,” Bruckner said in an interview. “There’s just no law and order. That’s not safe for people.”

License plate flippers are widely accessible online, with devices available for as little as $50 and as much as a few hundred dollars, though most typically sell for around $200.

Other devices, such as license plate covers that obscure letters and numbers from certain angles, are already illegal in most states. These covers, whether clear or tinted, can affect visibility for traffic and tolling cameras.

On the Pennsylvania Turnpike, at least 3 in 10,000 people intentionally obstructed their license plates between April 2023 and March 2024, press secretary Marissa Orbanek wrote in an email.

“While the percentage of intentional plate obstruction on the turnpike is very, very small, we are grateful for any additional support and legislation that helps us address toll evasion,” Orbanek said. “It’s really a priority to ensure a fair and equitable toll road system.”

Amanda Hernández covers criminal justice for Stateline, where this story first appeared.