Is it illegal to show a license plate in a photo?
Asked by: Prof. Raphael Reynolds | Last update: October 19, 2025Score: 4.9/5 (61 votes)
Is it illegal to post a picture of a license plate?
No, it is not illegal to take a picture of a person's license plate and then post it online. Generally speaking, anything in plain view from a public place is fair game to be photographed and then do whatever one wants with.
Is it okay to show a license plate on social media?
Always blur your license plate before uploading pictures to social media, websites, and forums. This measure will reduce the risks of vehicle identity theft or number plate cloning.
Why block out license plate in photos?
Number plate blurring is the term used to describe how a vehicle's license plates are covered or obscured in pictures. This is done to safeguard the owners of the cars in the uploaded photographs' privacy.
What can someone do with a picture of a license plate?
Looking up a license plate number can help access vehicle records that include maintenance, driver, criminal, accident and repossession history, mileage, and natural damage information.
Hide Your License Plate from Cameras
Is showing your license plate bad?
Visible license plates can become tools for malicious activities - for example, criminals might use this information to commit crimes ranging from stalking to theft, exploiting the easy access to vehicle owner details.
Can cops take a picture of your license plate while driving?
The technology used in license plate scanning has advanced significantly over the years. Police officers used to have to manually enter license plate numbers into a computer to run a check. Now, license plate scanning systems can automatically read plates from a distance, even while the car is moving.
Why would someone take a picture of my license plate in my driveway?
Anyone has the right to look at it, and as long as they are in a public area, they can take a picture. It could be for an official purpose. Could be a neighborhood watch kind of thing, keeping a record of the vehicles of people who live in the neighborhood, etc.
Why do people cover plates in pictures?
Films, television programmes, newspapers, magazines and social media publishers pixelate or blur number plates in photographs and video to avoid breaching people's data privacy rights, and therefore to avoid a lawsuit.
Can you post someone's license plate on Facebook?
Your license plate is open to the public every time you drive your car. Taking a picture of your car and its license plate when it is parked in a public area is perfectly legal. Posting it on a website is also perfectly legal.
Is it illegal to post pictures of someone's car?
If in doubt ask a lawyer, but in general yes, you would have to legally get their permission to post the photo. A great example of this is in the area of band photographers, some of which are very protective of their work(and they should be).
Is it illegal to show a license plate in a video?
If it shows license plates and other personal data, you might legally need to blur parts of the video to help protect people's privacy. The law on blurring license plates in videos varies by region. In some circumstances, publishing a video showing people's license plates might be illegal or lead to a lawsuit.
Is it illegal to post someone's driver's license online?
You're giving away personal information that could be used to hurt someone. And yes, it's illegal in California and other states. Plus you open yourself up to lawsuits if you damage their credit or other hurt to their reputation, etc. You'll get in more trouble than whatever you think this stunt will get for you.
Is it bad to post your license plate online?
Identity theft: Using the information captured by license plate readers, cybercriminals can steal personal information such as home addresses, phone numbers, and other sensitive information to commit identity theft.
How do I block out a number plate on a photo?
Drag and drop your photos into the Watermarkly app. It will automatically blur all the license plates it can detect. If necessary, change the intensity of the blur, adjust its size and tilt. It's also possible to remove the blur from some of the objects.
What can people do with a picture of your license plate?
Anyone can see a photo of a license plate and connect that to whatever username/screen name you are posting from. That's one more piece of information that can be combined with all the other bits of information or pictures that you may have posted that can lead to doxxing or some level of identity fraud.
Why do people cross out license plates in pictures?
Identity Theft: License plates are considered a key to your personal identity since you register your vehicle with a license, the car title, and other important documents. There is a possibility that strangers who would want to steal your identity would start with your vehicle registration plate.
Why do people display plates?
Whether it's a seasonal plate or a platter designed for everyday use, displaying a dinnerware item is a chance to show off your unique and personal style.
Is it legal to photograph license plates?
While taking pictures of license plates in public spaces is generally legal, using such photographs for malicious purposes, like stalking, harassment, or identity theft, is a different matter entirely. If your intent is to use these photos to harm someone or engage in criminal activities, you could face legal action.
What do cops see when they look up your license plate?
When a police officer runs your plates, they will get information about the vehicle, such as the make, model, and year, as well as the registered owner. If the officer runs your plates and sees that your license is suspended, they may pull the vehicle over and ask the driver for their license.
Why do people take photos of license plates?
It could be a stolen car, a car used in a crime, or the car of someone wanted for breaking the law. If a license plate photo registers on the “hot list,” officers are notified of where the plate was captured on camera and when. Then, officers have a lead on where to find that vehicle.
Why do cops follow you but not pull?
Instead, the general rule is that police are allowed to follow you for a reasonable distance to observe your driving and determine if a traffic stop needs to be conducted. As you might imagine, a reasonable distance is interpretative and will vary based on the specifics of the situation.
Can police track you down by your license plate?
In your situation, if you have a warrant and a probation violation, it's important to be aware that the police can locate you through your license plate, as this information is stored in a national database.