Click the play button on the video window to the see the storyValley car dealerships are ordering tens of thousands of new custom license plate frames for their vehicles.
Some dealerships told ABC15 they've been prepared for several months for the new license plate rule that went into effect on January 1.
Others said they have frames on back order as a result of the rule requiring the word Arizona to be clearly visible at the top of license plates.
According to Eric Zimmerman, the new car director at Toyota on Camelback Road, the dealership ordered new license plate frames long ago to comply with another Arizona rule that requires all license plate stickers to be unobstructed.
Fortunately, he said, the design also allows for people to see the word "Arizona" on the license plate to comply with the newest license rule.
Zimmerman said customers have started coming in to the dealership to replace their old license plate frames with the new, more appropriate model.
"We've actually had 30, probably 30 people that have come in that had the old license plate bracket and we just exchange it for the new one," he said.
Sales associates at Courtesy Chevrolet on Camelback Road and 12th Street said they're offering free license plate frames until the end of the month. They ordered their new frames a few months ago.
An associate at the Honda dealership nearby said they've also ordered new frames for their vehicles, but they are on back order and may not arrive for a few days.
And other dealerships, like ABC Nissan, indicated they've been using adequate frames for a few years already.
Many police departments, including the Department of Public Safety, told ABC15 they will not be doing special enforcement for the new rules.
Several departments also said it is extremely difficult to track the type of violations that lead to a particular citation.
The Scottsdale Police Department, for example, told ABC15 officers have written five citations in the last five days that pertain to the license plate statute.
However, four of the citations included other charges. Authorities said it would be difficult to determine whether the citations were written specifically because of an improper license plate frame or for some other reason that also fell under the same statute.
There are 23 shops in the Valley that will inspect your plate and fix it for you for free.
To find a shop near you, click on
NAR PRO's website.
