New Law Bans License Plate Flippers In California

California is joining a growing number of states that are banning the use and sale of license plate flippers.

The crackdown on license plate flippers is gaining momentum, with California joining a growing list of states that are prohibiting the sale and use of the devices.

A license plate flipper is a manual, electric, or mechanical device installed on a vehicle that allows the operator to quickly obscure, conceal, or switch between two or more license plates, often with the push of a button or remote control

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, California Assembly Bill 1085 will make it illegal to use or sell license plate flippers, devices that have long frustrated law enforcement, The Sun reported. Drivers caught using a license plate flipper could face fines up to $250, while anyone caught selling the device may be fined up to $1,000.

Although license plate flippers have been illegal to use since 2008, they remained widely available for purchase online and in stores like Amazon, making enforcement challenging. But that didn’t deter Assemblymember Catherine Stefani, D-San Francisco, from advancing the law, citing the significant risks these license plate-obscuring devices pose.

“They’re linked to vehicle thefts, robberies, and toll evasion – undermining public safety and costing the state millions in lost transportation revenue,” Stefani said.

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Stefani’s bill into law on Oct. 1, with the measure set to take effect at the start of the new year. With the bill’s passage, California is now one of five states to outlaw the devices, joining Florida, Illinois, Delaware, and New Jersey.

In Florida, using, selling, or possessing a license plate-obscuring device is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine. Illinois Sen. Steve Stadelman’s SB1883 seeks to make it explicitly illegal to use tape or flippers on any registration plate. Delaware’s HB26 would ban the devices, with first-time offenders facing 30–90 days in jail or $50–$200 fines, and repeat offenders facing up to six months or $300 fines. In New Jersey, A3751 aims to prevent toll evasion, banning the devices and increasing penalties; displaying a fictitious plate can result in up to 60 days in jail or a $500 fine.