A new law in Florida, now in effect, governs the way a driver’s license plate is displayed. Since Oct. 1, all license plate obstructions, such as frames, clear and tinted covers, and stickers, are banned and must be removed. “This includes spraying anything on it, putting stickers on it, y our favorite football team, baseball team, hockey team. These cannot go on that license plate,” said Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Kenn Watson. FHP says law enforcement officials noticed an increase in the size of the frames and the number of items covering tags and asked state lawmakers for help. “We want to make sure that an officer, trooper, a deputy can read that plate,” said Watson. “If something happened to you, you would want us to be able to identify you quickly and efficiently.” Officials say the first step is educating the driving public about the new changes, and anyone currently violating the law will likely get a warning. Some drivers across Florida said they had no idea the law was in effect. “Do I have to remove it now, or will I get pulled over for it?” asked driver Diane Bunsfield. “I’m just going across the East Coast to go on a small trip. But I now know that when I get there, I will take it off.” But others wonder if the new regulations are necessary. “To have the state troopers spend their time looking at license plate covers when there’s so much else going on out there, then I think it’s kinda silly,” said driver Jim Hardesty. While troopers say violations will only result in warnings for now, they can eventually carry penalties. Violations could lead to fines up to $500 and even jail time if someone intentionally obscures a tag while committing a crime. ...read more read less