License Plate Obstructed or Not Visible
A CVC 5201 citation for an obstructed plate means the officer found your license plate was not clearly visible or legible, or had a cover or frame the law does not allow. Vehicle Code 5201 requires plates to be clearly visible and legible, bans coverings on plates with narrow exceptions, and bans any frame, cover or tint that keeps law enforcement cameras or toll readers from reading the plate. Removing the obstruction, then getting the correction signed off, resolves this.
Correction Window
The deadline is printed on your citation. Act before that date.
Fee After Correction
These steps apply when your ticket was issued as correctable. An officer does not issue it that way if there is evidence of fraud or persistent neglect, the violation presents an immediate safety hazard, or you cannot promptly correct it (Vehicle Code 40610(b)). When the court accepts your proof of correction, the court clerk collects a $25 fee for each corrected violation (Vehicle Code 40611). There is no fee if the agency that cited you handles the correction and nothing is sent to the court (Vehicle Code 40611(c)). Without proof of correction, you may owe the full fine. Check your notice or ask your court for the amount.
Who Can Certify
A police department, the CHP, a sheriff, a marshal or another agency that enforces the Vehicle Code can certify the correction once the plate is fully visible and unobstructed.
The court must dismiss a corrected violation when you deliver proof of correction on or before the date on your ticket (Vehicle Code 40522). After that date it may not accept the correction, and you may owe the full fine. If you fail to appear without good cause, the court may add a civil assessment of up to $100 after mailing you a warning notice (Penal Code 1214.1). Willfully failing to appear, or willfully failing to deliver proof of correction, is a misdemeanor (Vehicle Code 40508 and 40616). If you need more time, ask the court before the date passes.
Step by Step
How to Correct This Violation
- 1
Identify what is causing the obstruction: a plate frame, a tinted cover, dirt buildup, or something else.
- 2
Remove or correct the obstruction. Clean the plate thoroughly or remove the offending frame or cover.
- 3
Confirm that all characters, the state name, and the registration sticker are fully readable.
- 4
Have a law enforcement officer inspect and sign the certificate of correction on your citation.
- 5
Submit the signed citation and $25 fee to the court before your deadline.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are plate frames always illegal?
- No. The Vehicle Code does not ban frames as such. A frame is a problem when the plate is no longer clearly legible (Vehicle Code 5201(a)) or when it keeps a law enforcement camera, a toll reader or a roadside emission sensor from reading the plate (Vehicle Code 5201(d)).
- What about clear plastic plate covers?
- Vehicle Code 5201(c) does not allow a covering on a license plate, clear or tinted. The only exceptions are a cover over a lawfully parked vehicle and a security cover limited to the area over the registration tabs. Remove any other cover before seeking sign-off.
This guide covers passenger vehicles. Some rules differ for commercial vehicles and truck tractors (for example, where registration tabs go under Vehicle Code 5204(a)). If you were driving one, check with your employer or a licensed attorney.
This guide provides general procedural information only. It is not legal advice. For questions specific to your citation, contact the court listed on your ticket.
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