A crumpled, peeling or otherwise unreadable license plate can earn drivers a $100 fine, but people can get a free replacement through a local program in April.
Under state law, PennDOT will replace a license plate for free if it is verified as illegible by police or mechanics during the annual safety inspection.
State Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-West View, is partnering with Harrison police to process paperwork during an event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. April 5.
Anyone with a damaged license plate can visit her office in the Heights Plaza for the event.
“In Pennsylvania, you can be pulled over if any of the letters or numbers on your plate can’t be recognized from 50 feet away,” Williams said.
Damage from blistering, peeling or discoloration could make the plate hard to read, which is illegal in Pennsylvania.
A Harrison dispatcher said township officers see “quite a few damaged plates on the road.”
Likely, it’s because people don’t realize it’s a problem.
“I mean, who really looks at their license plate?” he said.
PennDOT will replace the license plate for free once the paperwork is processed.
The new license plate will be delivered to the driver’s home in about two weeks. Personalized plates take up to six weeks.
