Starting this month, police in Niagara say they'll be cracking down on faded licence plates.

Many plates rust prematurely, which makes them hard for police to read. Niagara police said in a press release "Much of the problem is the result of a manufacturing defect that caused plates to prematurely degrade."

Police say they'll begin issuing verbal warnings immediately and written warnings next month.

As of August, drivers who don't replace their plates after a warning will be fined $110 with no demerit points. Drivers stopped for the first time in August or after, who have not previously been given a written warning will be issued a written warning and given ten days to replace their plates.