Here is how it all went down.
License-plate frames that celebrate your favorite college or sports team become illegal next month if the frame obscures the state's name.
Starting Jan. 1, police can stop you if "Arizona" isn't clearly visible at the top of the plate. Violators will be fined an average of $135, plus court fees, depending on the city where the violation is discovered.
Law-enforcement officials say the law will help officers differentiate between in-state and out-of-state vehicles, a difficult task given the state's profusion of specialty plates. Arizona issues license plates in more than 60 styles, from a plate honoring amateur radio operators to one that promotes wildlife conservation.
The Legislature passed the new-plate law in 2006, but delayed implementation until 2009.
"If a witness can tell us that a vehicle has an Arizona plate because they can clearly see it, that helps us immensely," said Harold Sanders, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety.
Critics say the law is likely to cause confusion among Arizona residents, who are largely unaware of the new rules.
"It's going to cause a lot of headaches for consumers," said Bobbi Sparrow, president of the Arizona Automobile Dealers Association. "Consumers who have had their old frames for years and years are now going to be illegal."
Implementation of the law was delayed to give auto dealers, which use plate frames as a cheap form of advertising, time to redesign.
Some motorists said they were uncertain whether they would be in violation of the new law.
Daren Baker, a software engineer from Scottsdale, has a dealer frame on his Land Rover. With "Arizona" only partially obscured, he wasn't certain whether he would be pulled over.
"Who's going to enforce that?" asked Baker, 34. "It doesn't seem like a great use of officers' time."
It will be up to officers to determine whether "Arizona" is clearly visible. Sanders said most violations would be obvious. Drivers with out-of-state plates are exempt from the law.
With less than a month before the new law takes effect, the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division is encouraging motorists to check their plates. There are about 6.7 million registered vehicles in the state, and no one can say how many might be affected.
"Most people only go look at their license plate when they put their new sticker on when they renew their registration," said Cydney DeModica, an MVD spokeswoman. "The real bottom line here is that everyone should walk around and look at their license-plate holders on the back of their cars."
It's advice that even lawmakers need to hear. On Tuesday, half the 26 vehicles in the Arizona Senate parking lot bore frames obscuring the word "Arizona."
Dave
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