License plate flippers: Philly lawmakers crack down on lawless practice avoiding tolls, tickets

PHILADELPHIA - A Philadelphia lawmaker has a new plan to crack down on license plate flippers, the devices police say enable illegal behavior on the roads, allowing drivers to avoid tolls and tickets and more.

"There’s been this sense of ‘We can whatever we wanna do,’ and if we don’t start nipping that in the bud, it’s gonna get worse," Councilmember Michael Driscoll stated.

The devices are demonstrated on the internet, showing how a driver can change a license plate on a car with the push of a button, using a fake, stolen or expired license plate to avoid tolls and tickets with the flip of a switch. Another flip of the switch changes the plate back to the legitimate one after illicit activity that may have been captured on surveillance or speed cameras or through a toll booth.

"It’s a remote device that in your car, you can push a button and it will flip the license plate to a different fake ID when they’re doing illicit behavior," Driscoll explained. "When they go back to good behavior, they’ll flip it back the right way."

Police figured out why drivers had no fear of being recorded, because they have license plate flippers.

"That could be anything. They might be avoiding a toll, they might be going through red lights, they might be speeding, they might be committing a crime," Driscoll continued. "Any of the above is something we don't want in the city of Philadelphia, so we wanna crack down and give the police one more tool to crack down on bad behavior."

Councilmember Driscoll wanted to put even more teeth in the legislation beyond the $2,000 fine. He wanted Philly police to be able to seize and impound the cars of those caught using license plate flippers but was told by city attorneys that would violate state law.

"At least we have the teeth of a two thousand dollar fine," Driscoll added.

No one in local law enforcement even dares to estimate how many more drivers are using them.

"One is too many," Driscoll said. "My guess is if police brought it to my attention, they're seeing it more than they ever did."