What we do
Explain source material, direct residents to official directories, and generate editable advocacy drafts.
Maryland · Virginia · District of Columbia
Show the policy gap.
Protect the person.
Show Your Plates helps residents cite the governing law and send a focused, respectful policy request to the elected official they choose. It does not identify drivers, declare violations, or publish reports.
0photos accepted
0addresses collected
0messages sent for you
Evidence-led
Primary sources before conclusions.
Privacy-first
Policy patterns, never personal dossiers.
Nonpartisan
The same careful standard for every office.
Why this exists
Civic pressure can be precise without becoming personal.
Obscured or altered registration plates raise questions about traffic safety, tolling, public accountability, and consistent administration of existing rules. A useful public response begins with verified law and a concrete policy request, not an accusation against a vehicle owner.
This launch focuses on one safe action: helping a constituent draft a message to a representative using an official statute and an official representative directory.
What we do not do
Identify people, adjudicate conduct, accept evidence, contact agencies, or send messages on anyone’s behalf.
What comes later
Any photo or observation system remains disabled pending counsel review, privacy engineering, moderation, and a documented takedown process.
State-by-state source cards
Office-style placards.
Official law underneath.
These graphics are independent public-education artwork, not official signs. The linked government code page, not the graphic or our summary, is the authoritative source. Laws can change.
Maryland
Transportation § 21-1112.1
Addresses obscuring or modifying a registration plate in a manner that may prevent identification. Related attachment, visibility, and legibility requirements appear in Transportation § 13-411. Read the official Maryland statute ↗
Virginia
Virginia Code § 46.2-716
Sets requirements concerning attachment, visibility, legibility, and certain plate coverings. Read the complete current text. Read the official Virginia statute ↗
District of Columbia
D.C. Code § 50-1501.04a
Addresses materials and covers placed over vehicle identification tags. Read the official code page for scope and exact language. Read the official D.C. statute ↗Source links checked August 14, 2026. A citation is informational, not a legal conclusion about any specific event.
What to look for
Four conditions.
Illustrated, not reported.
These are synthetic training images with fictional DEMO 000 plates. They show visual categories only. They are not photographs of real vehicles, proof of intent, or a determination that a law was violated.
Synthetic illustration · Maryland
Tinted or reflective cover
Look for a transparent or colored layer that changes contrast, color, glare, or readability across the plate.
Maryland source context ↗Synthetic illustration · Virginia
Defaced, damaged, or peeling
Look for missing or altered reflective material that prevents characters, the state name, or decals from being read.
Virginia source context ↗Synthetic illustration · District of Columbia
Obscured temporary tag
Look for a paper tag whose identifying or expiration information is hidden by material, damage, glare, or grime.
D.C. DMV guidance ↗Synthetic illustration · Maryland
Physical obstruction
Look for a frame, holder, hitch, hardware, or accessory that blocks a character, jurisdiction name, or required decal.
Maryland source context ↗Do not investigate a vehicle.Never approach, follow, confront, touch, or attempt to identify a person. Context and legal treatment can vary, and an image alone does not establish a violation.
Constituent message builder
Address a real person.
Make a bounded request.
Use the official directory to identify your representative, then enter only their public office details. Your draft is created entirely in this browser and includes the official statute plus a link to this site’s synthetic examples. It is not uploaded, saved, or sent by this site.
Your representative-specific draft will appear here.
The draft will name the selected official, cite the jurisdiction’s code, link to the primary source and this illustrated resource, and make one restrained policy request.
JL
Prepared for
Subject:
Review every fact and personalize this draft before sending. Show Your Plates does not verify your constituency, create a legal record, or communicate with the office.
Legal and safety boundary
Legitimacy starts with saying exactly what this is.
Independent, not official
This is a private civic-education project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or speaking for any government, court, police department, motor-vehicle agency, or elected office.
Information, not legal advice
Statute summaries are educational and may become outdated. The official source controls. Nothing here determines whether conduct is lawful or advises you how to act in a specific situation.
No reports or evidence
The current site does not accept photos, plate numbers, locations, narratives, or allegations. Do not send us those materials. No submission is transmitted to government.
Use safely and lawfully
Do not trespass, follow, confront, obstruct, harass, or attempt to identify anyone. Photography, recording, and publication rules vary by place and circumstance.