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State senator emphasizes intent of new Pennsylvania license plate rule

Two weeks after a Pennsylvania court ruled police officers can pull over drivers for having a frame or holder around their license plate, drivers are still unaware of the decision.

“I had no idea,” said driver Christen Russo. “They should spread the word better or make it so that people can’t get in trouble.’’

State Sen. Scott Martin is trying to do that. He’s planning to introduce a new bill clarifying the existing law that is the basis for the recent court decision.

The ruling says no part of a license plate can be obstructed, including the “visitPA.com” at the bottom — not just the plate’s identifying numbers and letters.

“If I were pulled over for something like that, I would just assume they were trying to meet their quota,” said Russo.

“This decision would now mean that any one of those drivers could be pulled over with probable cause,” Martin told Channel 11 in a statement. “I do not believe this was the intent of lawmakers, and how can we reasonably expect law enforcement to consistently apply this ruling in their daily activities? My legislation is important to clear up any confusion that the ruling has caused.”

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