DES MOINES – Police will be within their rights to pull over anyone with a license plate that is not fully visible, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled last week.
The decision stemmed from a case of an Iowa crack cocaine dealer who was evading law enforcement officers in Davenport. The officers eventually pulled him over because his license plate was enclosed in a frame that obscured the county name on the plate.
The Supreme Court agreed that although the county name on a license plate is unnecessary to conduct a license plate check, it can be useful to help law enforcement track down a vehicle driven by someone who has been observed breaking the law. Citizens unable to remember a complete registration plate number may be able to help identify a particular vehicle by providing the county name with a partial number.
In summary, the Supreme Court ruled that Iowa Code section 321.37(3) is violated when the license plate frame covers up the county name.
The Iowa DOT website also reminds car owners that Iowa Code Section 321.37(3) states that “It is unlawful for the owner of a vehicle to place any frame around or over the registration plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters print on the registration plate.”
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