As of November 30, 2010, there will be no more warnings given out by North Carolina State police/authorities for obscured license plates and illegal license plate covers. Those unlucky enough to be caught with an obscured license plate will be subject to a $100 fine and court costs. This new law, which applies only to vehicles that are registered in North Carolina, has been implemented to ensure law enforcement safety. It may seem unimportant, but in reality, there are several states that use the same license plate color schemes as North Carolina. It is a safety issue if police officers and state troopers cannot see the state name or registration information on license plates, because it could mean that the tags are falsified. In order to avoid being stopped and fined, be sure to take a second look at your own vehicle. If any information is obscured by a license plate frame, do yourself a favor and remove the frame!
Example of what NOT to have on your vehicle:
Example of an APPROVED license plate: