Rear window decals are illegal in NY

In Florida you can't legally have a license plate frame that covers any marking on the plate. Given the prevalence of frames that do just this, one wonders whether the violation could be used by law enforcement as a convenient 'probable cause' to stop a vehicle.

320.061 Unlawful to alter motor vehicle registration certificates, license plates, temporary license plates, mobile home stickers, or validation stickers or to obscure license plates; penalty.—A person may not alter the original appearance of a vehicle registration certificate, license plate, temporary license plate, mobile home sticker, or validation sticker issued for and assigned to a motor vehicle or mobile home, whether by mutilation, alteration, defacement, or change of color or in any other manner. A person may not apply or attach a substance, reflective matter, illuminated device, spray, coating, covering, or other material onto or around any license plate which interferes with the legibility, angular visibility, or detectability of any feature or detail on the license plate or interferes with the ability to record any feature or detail on the license plate. A person who violates this section commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a moving violation as provided in chapter 318.

Then the cops would have to remove the badges they place over the center of the plates.

Same's true in Arizona:

A.R.S. 28-2354 (section) A person shall maintain each license plate so it is clearly legible and so that the name of this state at the top of the license plate is not obscured.

Years ago a local PD used "poorly secured license plate" as a reason the pull a car over. Turned out to be the biggest drug bust in the townships history.

Another local PD was pulling over suspected drug running cars on I-95, the reason for the stop was something hanging from the rear view mirror.

And since Florida has 114 specialty plates, there is a lot of "detail" that might be covered up:

http://myfloridaspecialtyplate.com/gallery.html

Many states have these obscure statutes that are rarely enforced. Most are summary offenses and aren't, by themselves, reason to pull someone over.

Pennsylvania also has a statute prohibiting anything from obscuring a license plate. I use a bike rack on my vehicle which makes reading the plate almost impossible. I've been using it for more than 20 years and have never been stopped in PA or any other state for that matter.

Mine are on the glass, but over the black border and can't be seen from the inside. Guess I'll try really hard not to give NY troopers a reason to light me up.

This is the reason most car dealers changed the frames with the ads on them.
They now are made so they don't cover any words on the plates.

However if you were a suspect that they want to stop that could be used as a motive to stop and have a chat with you if only to see how you react or if you are the guy they are looking for.

I've heard that most people commit three felonies a day without realizing it.

I don't know if it's true or not, but something like this is enough to make me believe that it's very likely.

But I would argue they are not creating an obstruction. I put my decals also on the black border around the outside of the glass and if you look through the glass from the inside you cannot see any of the decals so they are not obstructing any of the visible glass. But I suspect that would only get me some other ticket because pulling someone over for this is only a pretense for some other reason.

And what's the difference if you drive a box truck or a panel truck with no back window and have all kinds of writing all over it?

If you've got mirrors on both sides of your vehicle it should be immaterial if your back window even exists or it's opacity.

This is just another stupid, antiquated law from a nanny state.

New York that so explains it!

Well, thank goodness that "trooper" had our safety in mind. We should get down on bended knee and thank him for "protecting" and "serving".