There's a lot of confusion surrounding S.B. No. 439 which adds new restrictions regarding visibility of Texas license plates. One of the biggest uproars involves the use of license plate brackets - those decorative frames that hold a license plate and are often used to show school pride, proclaim support for a cause, or to simply express the owner's thoughts or interests. Lighting, stickers, and other reflective devices are also included. The law does not make all license plate brackets illegal. However... even among those who recognize the stated intent, the exact wording of the law leaves some gray area that has citizens concerned.

The stated intent is to make sure license plate numbers are clearly visible and are not obscured by stickers, frames, or other devices that render the plate unreadable.

Some more obvious abuses would be thick frames that make it difficult, if not impossible, to read the plate clearly unless viewed straight on and those frames that include clear or tinted plastic covers (which may be intended to keep the plate clean but often trap dirt and dust and moisture ultimately obscuring the plate entirely). Decals on the plate that obscure the numbers are not allowed. License plate frames with lights, such as those "moving" lights that appear to chase a path around the plate are also a target.

The exact wording is less precise:

A person commits an offense if the person attaches to or displays on a motor vehicle a number plate or registration insignia that: (1-4 omitted here)
(5) has letters, numbers, or other identification marks that because of blurring or reflective matter are not plainly visible at all times during daylight;
(6) has an attached illuminated device or [is a] sticker, decal, emblem, or other insignia that is not authorized by law and that interferes with the readability of the letters or numbers on the plate or the name of the state in which the vehicle is registered; or
(7) has a coating, covering, or protective material that:
(A) distorts angular visibility or detectability; or
(B) alters or obscures the letters or numbers on the plate, the color of the plate, or another original design feature of the plate.

Here is the complete text.

Questions this raises:
"interferes with the readability of... the name of the state" If the license plate frame slightly covers the name of the state but "Texas" is still clearly recognizable, is that against the law?

"original design feature of the plate If some decorative elements (such as the fringe of artwork that includes the space shuttle, moon, and oil wells in the corners of some plates) are partially covered but the actual license plate number and the state are clearly readable, is that a violation of this law? Inquiring minds want to know...

PubliusTX.Net Weblog proclaims "License Plate Brackets Are Now Illegal" with a sarcastic take on the new law. Readers respond with their own yays and nays, clarifications, and questions. One concern is that this new law is simply a way to make it easier to pull over drivers to "carry out drug searches, to check sobriety, and the like."

The Texas Department of Public Safety focuses more on the lighting aspects of the law changes, stating (emphasis theirs) ...subjectively (or in the eyes of the law enforcement person), all illuminated license plate frames - especially the neon ones, are NOT LEGAL.

TruthOrFiction.com says License Plate Brackets Illegal in Texas is Fiction and Snopes.com expands on the myth of illegal license plate brackets with more details on the intent of the revisions, the perception, and how it may be interpreted and enforced.

History of Texas License Plates (just fun and interesting stuff with pictures of license plates)