Are tinted license plate covers legal in Massachusetts? - CBS Boston

By David Wade

October 21, 2024 / 7:24 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON - One trip down the highway and you will likely notice cars with tinted out license plates. Some so dark, it's hard to see the numbers. Richard, a WBZ viewer, noticed the growing trend and sent an email to Question Everything.

"I thought the laws on license plates were strict in Massachusetts," Richard said in the email. "Now I see all these tinted plastic protectors covering up plates and making them hard to read. What's up with that?"

It's a question WBZ-TV's David Wade had himself. For the past year or so, he has seen a lot more of them on Massachusetts roads. It's like your license plate decided to wear shades. In traffic and incognito. Drivers making you squint to see through the tint. But what's the point?

Craig Fitzgerald is the Auto Editor at DCR Marketing. He researches and writes about all things cars.

"People buy them for a couple different reasons," Fitzgerald said. "One of them is aesthetics. They think they look cool with a tinted plate cover. Then there are some other people who are trying to get away with something."

What could they be trying to get away with? Well, if you use the "pay by plate" option on the Mass Pike, overhead cameras take a picture of your license plate and send you a bill. Some tinted covers can make it hard to get a clear picture. So, it's possible to get a free ride.

In New York, officials said they were losing so much toll revenue, they banned tinted covers and recently asked Amazon to stop shipping the plates to certain zip codes.

So, if some people are using these to avoid paying tolls or to avoid red light cameras, they must be illegal right?

"They are not illegal," Massachusetts State Police Trooper James DeAngelis said.

Trooper DeAngelis says Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90 Section 6 allows tinted covers but there's a wrinkle. "There are certain restrictions that they have to meet. Mainly being visible from a distance of 60 feet," DeAngelis said.

Years ago, the state's highest court ruled just driving around with a tinted plate cover didn't automatically mean troopers could say the plate wasn't "clearly visible."

DeAngelis says this goes back to a Supreme Judicial Court ruling of a 2014 case "Commonwealth vs Michael Bernard." Bernard argued his plate was still visible even with the tint. The court agreed.

Most state's actually have this sort of "yeah but..." kind of rule. Can you have a plate cover? Yes... but.... there are exceptions.

During the headline-grabbing traffic stop involving Patriots defensive lineman Christian Barmore in Providence, Barmore was cited with having an "obscured" license plate. It wasn't about tint. Police said the frame of the cover blocked too much of the plate.

Rhode Island law is stricter than Massachusetts. The number needs to be clearly visible from 100 feet any time of day.

So, just remember, with the tint comes a little gray area.

If you have a question you'd like us to look into, please email [email protected].

Multiple award-winning journalist David Wade co-anchors WBZ-TV News at 5, 6 and 11 p.m. with co-anchor Lisa Hughes and chief meteorologist Eric Fisher.

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