Police: Illegible License Plates Illegal, May Not be Read by New Tobin Cameras

By Michael Bednarsky

The Massachusetts State Police and Massachusetts Department of Transportation are reminding motorists that state law (Chapter 90, Section 6 of Massachusetts General Laws) requires vehicle license plate numbers to be legible and free of covers obscuring the numbers.

In the first six months of 2014, state and local police have issued approximately 4,000 violations of the legible plate requirement law.

A violation of the legible plate results in a $35 fine for first offense, $75 for second offense and $150 for third.

Legible plates are a traffic safety priority and necessary for implementation of the new All Electronic Tolling (AET) system now in place on the Tobin Bridge and set to expand on all Mass. tolled roads in the next two years.

“Easily identifiable license plate information is not only critical to highway safety, but also promotes the fair collection of tolls from vehicles lacking an E-ZPass transponder,” said Frank DePaola, MassDOT Highway Administrator. “We want to warn motorists about the legible plate requirement and also encourage everyone to sign up for E-ZPass.”

For vehicles without an E-ZPass, a camera captures an image of the vehicle license plate and a pay-by-plate invoice for the toll is mailed to the vehicle’s registered owner.

Mass. drivers can get more information on how to sign up for E-ZPass transponders by calling 1-877-627-7745 or visiting www.mass.gov/ezpassma.