Editor's notes.

- In light of the similarity of the statutory provisions, decisions under former Code 1910, § 1770(28) are included in the annotations for this Code section.

Constitutionality.

- Former Code 1910, § 1770 was not open to attack on the ground that the statute was not one of the subjects included in the Governor's proclamation convening the legislature in extraordinary session. Lee v. State, 163 Ga. 239, 135 S.E. 912 (1926) (decided under former Code 1910, § 1770 (28)).

License plate covering.

- There was clear evidence of a violation of O.C.G.A. § 40-2-41 since the defendant's license plate was heavily obscured by a smoky covering. Knight v. State, 234 Ga. App. 359, 506 S.E.2d 245 (1998).

Trial court erred in granting the suppression motions filed by both the first and second defendant, who occupied the vehicle stopped, as a violation of O.C.G.A. § 40-2-41 provided a sufficient reason for the traffic stop; moreover, the trial court erred in ruling that some portions of O.C.G.A. § 40-2-41 did not apply to the out-of-state license plate on the subject vehicle and by ruling that even though the word "Carolina" on the license plate was not legible, and hence, there was no violation of the statute because the police officer testified about an inability to recognize the tag as a South Carolina license plate. State v. Davis, 283 Ga. App. 200, 641 S.E.2d 205 (2007).

Stop of vehicle justified by obscured plate.

- Although the defendant's car had license plates from South Carolina, a state trooper was still justified in making a stop of the defendant's car because the visibility and display portions of O.C.G.A. § 40-2-41 were applicable to all vehicles, and the defendant's license plate had a bracket around the plate that blocked the view of the registration expiration date. Wilson v. State, 306 Ga. App. 286, 702 S.E.2d 2 (2010).

Obstruction of one number on the defendant's license plate by the ball of a trailer hitch violated O.C.G.A. § 40-2-41 as the officer testified that the officer was unable to read the entire license plate and the video from the officer's car showed the hitch concealing at least one number. Worlds v. State, 328 Ga. App. 827, 762 S.E.2d 829 (2014).

Cited in Cumbie v. State, 38 Ga. App. 744, 145 S.E. 667 (1928); Undercofler v. White, 113 Ga. App. 853, 149 S.E.2d 845 (1966); State v. Tate, 208 Ga. App. 117, 430 S.E.2d 9 (1993); State v. Aguirre, 229 Ga. App. 736, 494 S.E.2d 576 (1997); Gonzales v. State, 255 Ga. App. 149, 564 S.E.2d 552 (2002); State v. Long, 301 Ga. App. 839, 689 S.E.2d 369 (2010); Hernandez-Lopez v. State, 319 Ga. App. 662, 738 S.E.2d 116 (2013).

C.J.S.

- 60 C.J.S., Motor Vehicles, §§ 283, 284, 285.

ALR.

- Validity and construction of statute making it a criminal offense to "tamper" with motor vehicle or contents, or to obscure registration plates, 57 A.L.R.3d 606.