Panel hears competing views on tightening license-plate visibility after court ruling

The Senate Transportation Committee considered Senate Bill 325, a proposal to expand the prohibition on covering or otherwise reducing the visibility and reflectivity of vehicle license plates.

Adam, a committee staff member, said the bill would make it a violation to operate a vehicle with a license plate that is covered in whole or part by clear or opaque materials or with frames or objects that affect legibility, and would define “clearly visible” to include the ability to read the registration number, state of issue and decal color from a reasonably safe distance.

Ed Klump, representing multiple law-enforcement associations, said the measure responds to the Kansas Supreme Court ruling in State v. Beck and stressed officer safety and the need to run accurate tag queries to identify registration and wants or warrants. Klump proposed moving some display provisions into the vehicle-code section so the offense is a traffic infraction rather than a higher misdemeanor, saying that would make penalties more proportionate and the law clearer for officers.

Emily Brandt testified in opposition and said the bill, as drafted, risks criminalizing motorists who unknowingly have plate frames or partial obstructions such as dealer or team frames. “If half the state name is covered, you will be pulled over for a traffic infraction,” she said, warning that the change could increase routine contacts with law enforcement and be used as a pretextual stop. Brandt also noted concerns for foreign, antique or specialty plates that may not include a readily legible state name.

After closing the hearing on SB 325, committee staff clarified that section 2 would impose a $60 fine for unlawful display, making it a traffic infraction under the bill as presented. The hearing closed with no committee vote recorded.