Having a damaged or otherwise illegible license plate could potentially land you in some trouble,
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, a vehicle registration plate is deemed illegible when one or more numbers or letters cannot be recognized from 50 feet or if the registration plate shows any blistering, peeling, discoloration, or loss of reflectivity. The plate needs to be replaced once it’s illegible. In order to facilitate plate replacements, PA state senator Wayne Langerholc organized an event with the Northern Cambria Police Department where people were able to line up inside their vehicles and fill out the necessary paperwork on the spot.
“In this area I see a lot plates peeling, illegible plates, you’d be surprised how many there are right now,”
There are some consequences to having illegible plates, but officers tell us that it’s fairly easy to get them replaced.
“You can get pulled over and cited for having an illegible plate, However, it’s free to get it fixed you can go to any police station and get a MN-44 form and fill it out. They can view the plate and sign it for you, and you can send it in yourself.”
Illegible plates can get in the way of effective searches when it comes to amber alerts or even kidnappings.
“It’s important to have a legible plate, There could be an event where there’s a kidnapping. We’re looking for a certain license plate through a plate reader or on the turnpike. Also, if you’re on the turnpike and they can’t read your plate they can’t bill you Obviously PennDOT makes the plates. They will replace them but ultimately it’s your responsibility to make sure you have a legible plate displayed on your vehicle.”
For more information on license plate replacements you can contact PennDOT or visit your local DMV.