Don’t use license plates ordered online, NJ, PA cops warn

☑️ Only plates issued by a state are legal to display

☑️ Displaying anything else can result in a fine or jail time

☑️ "But they sell them online,' is not a legal defense," says a NJ department

Police in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are warning drivers about a license plate available online that does not take the place of your regular tags.

The plates have a black background and a white lettering and can be ordered with the numbers and letters your current plate displays. Some companies will paint your current plate and add a ceramic coating.

But according to police they are not legal in Pennsylvania or New Jersey, where vehicles display two plates.

Warrington police said they have seen an increase in the use of the plates and cite PennDot vehicle regulations. Not displaying a proper plate carries a fine between $75 and $500. Violators could also be sentenced to 90 days in jail.

Warrington police equated them to tinted windows which are also illegal in Pennsylvania.

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Plates must be 'clear, distinct, and free of dirt or other blurring material'

The law is just as tough in New Jersey. Monmouth Beach police in a Facebook post said that "'but they sell them online,' is not a legal defense."

Clearly displayed plates are also the law in New Jersey which requires them to be "clear, distinct, and free of dirt, grease, or other blurring material."

The law in New Jersey also prohibits "the counterfeiting of license plates and markers, as well as the use of forged or counterfeit plates on motor vehicles. It also prohibits the use of markers other than those issued by the commissioner.

Displaying a fictitious or improper license plate has a fine of up to $500 and possibly 60 days in jail.

The plates could also make them not readable by a red light camera or E-Z Pass sensor which carries a $100 fine in Pennsylvania and up to $500 in New Jersey.

Chris Coleman contributed to this report

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