The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee voted to release legislation that would make it illegal to possess, install, sell or otherwise distribute a device designed to switch or hide a motor vehicle's license plate, the committee said during its meeting.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Williams, would amend Title 21 of the Delaware Code to outlaw a "number plate flipping device," defined in the draft language as a manual, electric or mechanical device designed or adapted to switch between two or more plates or to hide a plate from view. Sergeant Ripple of the Delaware State Police told the committee the devices were first observed in Delaware last year and have been used at least three times in the Troop 1 area, and that some devices are sold online.

The committee considered the bill in response to Delaware State Police concerns that the devices make it harder to track vehicles connected to incidents and violations. "It's kinda like the James Bond bill," Sergeant Ripple said when describing a device with an inside button that flipped a plate out of view. Representative Williams told the committee the Department of Justice reviewed the draft and raised no objections.

Committee members asked how frequently officers encounter the devices and whether related products—such as pull-down curtains or clear plastic covers—are already addressed by existing law. Members noted Title 21 already restricts certain clear plastic covers that can obscure automated plate readers; Representative Williams and Sergeant Ripple also said another curtain-style cover has appeared for sale online.

After brief public comment was opened and no members of the public spoke in person or virtually on this item, Vice Chair Brzezinski moved to release the bill from committee; Representative Roemer seconded. Roll-call responses recorded in the transcript show a unanimous affirmative vote among those present: Representative Marks (yes), Representative Ortega (yes), Vice Chair Brzezinski (yes), Representative Roemer (yes), Representative Gurett (yes) and Chair Cook (yes). With the required votes recorded, the chair announced the bill would be reported out of committee.

The vote was procedural: the committee released the draft for further legislative processing rather than adopting final statutory text. The transcript records the Department of Justice agreeing to follow up on the question of online sales enforcement.