You may pass dozens of cars a day on the road. But have you noticed the license plates?

Some may look brand new, while you may not be able to read others.


Diego Sandino, a press officer for Driver Vehicle Services at PennDot explained, "A license plate is deemed illegible when one or more letters can no be recognized from more than 50 feet of it, or if the license plate shows any blistering, peeling, discoloration or loss or reflectivity."


You may wonder what's causing license plates to peel.


The DMV of PennDot said license plates peel due to the weather and wear and tear of being in the elements. However, local mechanics who see these peeling license plates daily, said they believe it's a different problem.


 Saad Kadum, the owner of Al's Auto Services said, "I think something that has to do with the materials being used, the product they use between the paint and the metal. There is no bond and after a year, a year and a half sometimes two years , that's when they paint peels because there is no bond to sit on it.


If this is happening to you and your license plate. What comes next?

One option is going to a car inspection place and having them inspect it for you. If they deem it not readable they will give you paper work to fill out to get a new free license plate from PennDot, the same goes if you get pulled over by the police. They too will give you paper work to allow you to get a new plate.


But if your plates begin with specific letters, you don't even have to go to all that trouble.


"These are the oldest on the road license plates that we have and they need to be replaced , if you have a standard issue plate beginning with D,E,F, Y in the configuration, you will get a new license plate the next time your license plate is transferred to a different vehicle", explained Sandino

To learn more from PennDot, click here.