Motorists, beware! As of Thursday, January 9, traffic police will be actively checking for Jalisco vehicles with obscured license plates.
If the letters, numbers, or QR codes identifying a vehicle are hidden or obscured in any way, officers are authorized to stop the driver and issue a ticket for violating the state’s traffic laws. In some cases, the vehicle may even be confiscated and impounded.
Article 374 of the Ley de Movilidad specifies that fines can be imposed for driving a vehicle with plates that are partially or fully hidden, or deliberately altered. Common obstructions include license plate frames, cover screens, bumpers, and even bicycle racks.
Fines for this violation, based on the national unit of measurement (UMA), may range from 150 to 200 UMAs—equivalent to between 16,285 and 21,714 pesos at the current rate.
State authorities justify this crackdown as a public safety measure designed to prevent motorists from evading detection by surveillance cameras, which can capture violations such as speeding or involvement in criminal activity.