Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias recently gave an emphatic heads up. He is trying to crack down on the illegal and widespread practice of switching out license plates on vehicles registered in Illinois. His office is arguing that all Illinois-registered vehicles should be required to display front and back license plates. Vehicles registered in other states may only need a rear plate. This new directive is meant to assure that vehicles comply with state laws, requiring them to be properly licensed.
It took one viral video to bring the issue back into focus. In it, a Customs and Border Protection officer told a protestor “We change the plates out every day.” Giannoulias raised alarms about what this means in a recent video announcement. In his statement, he doubled down on his department’s actions, stating that replacing Illinois license plates is illegal in the state and “will not be tolerated.”
“Swapping out Illinois license plates on Illinois-registered vehicles is illegal and as secretary of state, I have zero tolerance for this type of illegal activity. We are investigating these allegations as we speak,” – Alexi Giannoulias
There the penalties for displaying the wrong license plates or altering plates carry steep fines and potential incarceration. The Secretary of State’s office has the power to suspend or revoke license plates that are counterfeit or tampered with. This enhanced enforcement highlights the need for compliance with local licensing requirements for every vehicle that drives on Illinois’ local streets and roads.
The problem of license plate tampering has gained prominence amid heightened federal immigration raids and rising tensions between immigration agents and local communities. To address these worries, Giannoulias declared the upcoming debut of a “Plate Watch” hotline. This ticketing program allows residents to report cases of police vehicles with fake or changed plates. It especially harasses anyone connected to a federal immigration agent.
“No one, including federal agents, is above the law, and we intend to hold them accountable, especially while driving on our roadways. This is a matter of public safety and protecting the wellbeing of our communities,” – Alexi Giannoulias
This forthright approach is in line with the best practices of a number of other leading states. For example, California is proposing legislation to prevent immigration agents from concealing their identities. These proposals would mandate conspicuous displays of agency name and/or officer badge number on all vehicles.