Vehicles: license plates.

(1) Existing law authorizes the Department of the California Highway Patrol to establish requirements for equipment and devices to be used on any vehicle and defines the types of vehicles for this purpose. Existing law requires that license plates be securely fastened at all times to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible. A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime, with specified exemptions. This bill would also require that license plates be parallel with the ground so that the characters are upright, thereby imposing a state-mandated local program by creating a new crime. (2) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.