Florida drivers may soon need to make room for a second license plate on their vehicles, as state lawmakers consider legislation that would require plates on both the front and back of cars. The bill, which has already passed through two committee votes unanimously, aims to help authorities better identify and apprehend hit-and-run drivers.
The proposed legislation, formally known as Senate Bill 92 or the “Lilly Glaubach Act,” is named after a 13-year-old Tampa girl who was tragically killed in 2022 while riding her bicycle home from school. The driver who struck her fled the scene and is currently serving a 15-year sentence.
“As people are speeding away from these scenes, there’s a lot of cameras out there, and those cameras can’t always see the back of the plate,” explained State Senator Joe Gruters, the bill’s sponsor, in a recent statement to local media.
Gruters points to concerning statistics showing that only 12.5% of hit-and-run crashes in 2023 resulted in charges. The bill aims to change this by making vehicles more identifiable from all angles.
If passed, Florida would join 29 other states that currently require license plates on both the front and rear of vehicles. The proposal has sparked considerable debate among Tampa residents, with opinions divided on social media platforms like Reddit.
“This is long overdue,” commented Tampa resident Maria Rodriguez on the r/tampa Reddit discussion. “I’ve witnessed several near-misses where the driver couldn’t be identified properly because there was no front plate.”
Others express concerns about the aesthetic impact on vehicles not designed with front license plate holders. “My car doesn’t even have a spot for a front plate. This would force thousands of Floridians to modify their vehicles,” noted user FloridaCarGuy22.
Law enforcement perspectives are also mixed. While many support additional tools to solve hit-and-run cases, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd has expressed reservations about the front plate requirement. “We have a lot of technology that we use to solve hit-and-runs,” said Judd, “and if added front license plate were the end all, then I would be for it, but it’s simply not.”
Cost concerns have also been raised during committee discussions. When questioned about potential additional expenses for Florida drivers, Senator Gruters clarified that “the way the system works is that you pay a single registration fee, and the state would have to provide two license plates to you.”
Beyond the license plate provision, the bill includes additional measures to combat hit-and-run incidents. It would require auto repair shops to request police reports before performing repairs estimated at $5,000 or more. If no report is provided, the shop would be required to submit the repair estimate to a new database maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Lilly Glaubach’s family plans to travel to Tallahassee next week to lobby for the bill’s passage. “Just any little bit of information to find the person who hit your loved one is important,” said Sarah Alexander, a family member.
The bill must still pass through the appropriations committee before facing a full Senate vote. If approved and signed into law, the new requirements would take effect on July 1, 2025, giving Florida drivers time to prepare for the change.
As the bill progresses through the legislative process, Tampa residents continue to debate its merits on social media, with the conversation highlighting the balance between enhanced public safety measures and practical implementation concerns.