Governor Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1073 on Tuesday, March 28 that bans license plate covers typically used in Arizona to prevent photo enforcement cameras from capturing an image of the plate. You probable thought this was already illegal.

Senate Bill 1073 amends Arizona Revised Statute 28-2354. License plates; attachment; civil penalty. Senate Bill 1073 revises sub sections D, E and adds subsection F.

Section D now reads in part…a person shall not apply a covering or any substance to the license plate….that obscures from any angle….the plate. So no more covers on your plate.

Section E now reads in part… A peace officer shall not stop or issue a citation to a person ….unless the peace officer has reasonable cause to believe there is another alleged violation… So you can’t be pulled over for just the plate cover.

The new section F reads in part …..The person is subject to a civil penalty of $30 or $100 if a second violation within 12 months.

Arizona laws generally become effective 90 days after the after the legislature adjourns. The legislature adjourned on May 7th in 2016. So it probably will be around that time this year, making the news laws effective sometime in August 2017.
The full text of Senate Bill 1073 is listed below.

– i –
Senate Engrossed
State of Arizona
Senate
Fifty-third Legislature
First Regular Session
2017
SENATE BILL 1073
AN ACT
AMENDING SECTION 28-2354, ARIZONA REVISED STATUTES; RELATING TO LICENSE
PLATES.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
S.B. 1073
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1 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
2 Section 1. Section 28-2354, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to
3 read:
4 28-2354. License plates; attachment; civil penalty
5 A. A person shall display the license plate or plates as follows:
6 1. For a motor vehicle, motorcycle, trailer or semitrailer, on the
7 rear.
8 2. Except as provided in paragraph 3 of this subsection, for a
9 vehicle for which two license plates are issued, the vehicle owner shall
10 display either of the following:
11 (a) One plate on the rear.
12 (b) One plate on the front and one plate on the rear.
13 3. For a vehicle for which two special license plates are issued
14 pursuant to section 28-2409, one plate on the rear of the vehicle and one
15 plate on the operator’s wheelchair carrier or wheelchair lift when it is
16 attached to the vehicle.
17 B. A person shall display all license plates as required by
18 subsection A of this section until their lawful use expires or is canceled
19 or revoked. A person shall maintain each license plate so it is clearly
20 legible. A person shall securely fasten each license plate to the vehicle
21 as follows:
22 1. To prevent the plate from swinging.
23 2. At a height of at least twelve inches from the ground to the
24 bottom of the plate.
25 3. In a position to be clearly visible.
26 C. A person shall maintain each license plate so that the name of
27 this state at the top of the license plate is not obscured.
28 D. UNLESS AUTHORIZED BY THE DEPARTMENT, A PERSON SHALL NOT APPLY A
29 COVERING OR ANY SUBSTANCE TO THE LICENSE PLATE OR USE AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE
30 OR ELECTROCHROMATIC FILM THAT OBSCURES FROM ANY ANGLE THE NUMBERS,
31 CHARACTERS, YEAR VALIDATING TABS OR NAME OF THE JURISDICTION ISSUING THE
32 PLATE.
33 D. E. A peace officer shall not stop or issue a citation to a
34 person operating a motor vehicle on a highway in this state for a
35 violation of subsection C of this section unless the peace officer has
36 reasonable cause to believe there is another alleged violation of a motor
37 vehicle law of this state.
38 E. F. If a person violates subsection C of this section, the
39 person is subject to a civil penalty of thirty dollars, except that if a
40 person violates subsection C of this section within twelve months after
41 the date of a prior violation of subsection C of this section, the person
42 is subject to a civil penalty of one hundred dollars.