Recently I've notice a lot of California license plates with the white reflective background sanded off. Anybody know the purpose of this?
Altered California license plates?
- Thread starter Dave1027
- Start date
I'd offer the answer "To make the plates less reflective"; but then I'd look like a jerk.
that seems to be the online consensus. People are removing the reflective coating, trying to "beat" red light, and Toll cameras.
but, they're also known to peel by themselves.. defective paint, etc...
either way, it could land you a Fine of ~$1000 if a cop feels like it.
VC 5201.1(c): "A person shall not erase the reflective coating of, paint over the reflective coating of, or alter a license plate to avoid visual or electronic capture of the license plate or its characters by state or local law enforcement.”
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2024
Don’t know I heard they only give out electronic plates now but not sure how true that is. I still need some California license plates for my collection if anyone got any they want to send me lol.
Actually to make hard to photograph one has to make it MORE reflective, that way there is a glare that hides details.
In the EU they spray lacquer on in several layers, just to make it more reflective and render the photo unreadable.
Perhaps this is true for photography, but the reflective plates are easier to read at night with a bit of light bouncing off of them than non-reflective plates. They also play more nicely with automatic plate recognition cameras. My province is in the process of transitioning to reflective plates for this reason.
I've noticed this trend also.
That's all California needs are more morons who are drunk, high and talking to their buddies on their cell phone as they blow through the intersection all while trying to avoid the red light cameras. Hopefully the only one they'll kill is themselves.
Ed
That's all California needs are more morons who are drunk, high and talking to their buddies on their cell phone as they blow through the intersection all while trying to avoid the red light cameras. Hopefully the only one they'll kill is themselves.
Ed
manicrodder
$50 site donor 2022
Probably the answer there.
Agreed. I have had both and the black look a lot better.
Sanding of the reflective coating to defeat cameras is about as effective as hanging a CD from your rearview mirror to defeat radar. I love internet rumors lol. Here in texas a few years ago when the tollway between Austin and San Antonio one of the hot rod shops (Hennesey or Lingenfelter) got permission from the DPS to go as fast as they could (200 mph or moreif I remeber correctly and the road was not open to thepubic yet) to see if the could defeat the toll booth cameras, even at those speeds the cameras still work, its almost impossible to defeat those cameras unless you completely obscure the plate.
I think the black and yellow and the blue and yellow should stay on the vintage cars that they belong on.
My first car was a '68 Volvo 122s and had the original plates, almost 30 years old when I bought it. Now you can just pay extra to get them - at least the DMV figured out a way to get more money on vanity plates, I guess.
As for the reflective removal - haven't seen that here at all. Guess we're blessed to not have the amount of idiots that require cameras.
My first car was a '68 Volvo 122s and had the original plates, almost 30 years old when I bought it. Now you can just pay extra to get them - at least the DMV figured out a way to get more money on vanity plates, I guess.
As for the reflective removal - haven't seen that here at all. Guess we're blessed to not have the amount of idiots that require cameras.
It’s the garbage quality of the paint. It peels off if you park outside. They charge for replacements and DMV is miserable to deal with. We have some busses in our fleet that look fully aluminum. No one sanded it off.
4WD
$50 site donor 2024
I’m going to get a James Bond rotary mount now that I have some plates to copy from here 
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It bothers me when I see the black and yellow plates on anything newer than the early 60s- 1970 and the blue and yellow belong on
cars from 1970 to 1980 give or take a year.
The sun bakes the coating off. Mine are both peeling/ peeled. I did not do it.
I'm a native born Californian who's been driving for 45 years. Never once had a license plate peel by itself. I'm seeing these sanded plates on new vehicles.
Seriously? I have 2 cars right now that have started peeling. First the clear comes off then the paint cracks and starts falling off from washing. It wasn’t an issue until the cursive California plates.
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