Legality Grey Areas - License Plates... and more

"MountainCommand" (MountainCommand)
10/16/2014 at 21:32 • Filed to: None

My dad got pulled over in TN just recently. He has NJ plates and his car is still registered and insured in nj (we are in the process of moving). A Memphis officer pulled him over. The reason: for having no expiration sticker on the license plate. If you're in NJ, you ask yourself: what sticker? We dont have any stickers?! NJ has no expiration sticker on license plates. Tennessee does. It may give the cops a reason to pull you over, and then ticket you for other unsafe behavior or things like cracked windshield, or that blunt in your left hand. If the cop gave my dad a ticket for not having an expiration sticker on his license plate, when NJ doesnt require it, that ship should sink the day it sails into court. Enforcing that law on him makes no sense! But is it legal?

I cant answer that unfortunately. For my dad, the cop didnt give him a ticket, but she told him expect to be pulled over a lot for that specific reason.

This was part of a reply to Dsscats about the LEO thing. It got me thinking.
Each state has its own set of rules and regs regarding motor vehicles, right. It is up to each state to enforce their own rules upon their own residents.

Now what happens when you throw in out of state drivers? Drivers who are registered, insured and inspected in their own respective state, abiding by all their state laws.

In nj, you cant tint your front windows. In surrounding states you can. Can NJ police ticket a NY driver for illegal tint?

Can a NJ police officer ticket a texas man for having straight pipes on his truck?

After some searching, im getting answered defending both sides. If you car is physically driving in a restriction state, your car must comply with that states rules. Regardless of what the state of origin its from.

And then i wonder what happens when i take my NJ registered car to California. Are they gonna ticket me for not having smog while driving through their state?

I leave a lot of this open ended because im honestly curious about hearing any answers to these questions.

DISCUSSION (90)

Milky > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:37

I'm also interested.

Not for personal reasons though, I live in Michigan. The land of the free and the home of the we-dont-give-a-shit-what-it-is-just-pay-us-yearly-and-you-can-drive-it.

Doug DeMuro > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:39

Here's a really crazy one. In Texas, they stopped issuing license plate registration stickers beginning in 1995 and went to a windshield thing like NJ (which makes no sense btw— having actual stickers is WAY more logical). But anyway — for years Texas cars drove around with all their license plates expiring in 1994. All of them. Because after that, they went to windshield decals, so it was the last year they issued plate stickers.

People from Texas got pulled over CONSTANTLY out of state, for almost a decade, until finally all the 1994 expiration plates were off the road. Connecticut drivers are in the same situation now. When DC went to window stickers, they actually gave drivers a little decal that says "See Window Sticker" to cover up expired registration stickers. It has been printed on the plates ever since.

HammerheadFistpunch > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:43

ive always wanted to know the answers here, but im afraid that the answere may be " there isnt one". I see this potentially as a country to country thing since states dont have federal oversight on this issue, i.e. What if you drive in france from england and dont comply with this specific laws...whos is going to oversee a Cross jursidictional impartiality? That is, even if its the english way to allow french drivers to be french, who says the french will do the same and who is going to stop them from going to town on you? Thought i cant wait to hear from some law types

dogisbadob > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:43

When the cop pulls you over, don't they ask for registration? So they should see that it's still valid.

The NJ cops can ticket the Texas truck because the straight pipes are illegal in all 50 states; there is a federal EPA law that makes it illegal to remove a cat for any reason other than its immediate replacement, and it's also illegal to replace a working cat.

In regards to the tinted windows, those states are nearby, so some of the cops, especially in bordering towns, may be familiar with those laws. TN does not border NJ.

What if you live in a state that doesn't require car insurance and you drive in a state that does?

KirkyV > Doug DeMuro
10/16/2014 at 21:43

What role do the stickers perform, exactly?

(Where I come from, a car's only registered once, at the very start of its life. I'm guessing they're like tax disks?)

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:48

I don't really know, but to the best of my knowledge they shouldn't be able to take any legal action. But they apparently can. And they do.

Our constitution contains something called the Full Faith and Credit Clause: "Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof"

This clause is why restraining orders filed in New York are still valid in Connecticut, and why a legal gay marriage that occur in Massachusetts are still valid and have to be recognized in Texas. You would think that a similar interpretation could be valid in the case of cars. If it's legal in the state it is registered in, that law should be respected in any other state. If my car is registered in Florida, and my tint is legal in Florida, than my tint should be legal everywhere else. For some reason that doesn't seem to be the case, which I don't understand at all. I don't fully understand the way the Supreme Court has interpreted this clause, so I might be slightly off base but it still doesn't make any sense to me.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:48

One question that I have is this: In Florida the tint limit is 10%, but in Alabama the tint limit is 30%. If I crossed the state line, could I get a ticket for my 20%?

mcseanerson > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:49

From my understanding you can get pulled over for these reasons but should not be ticketed for it. That said it could also lean more one way or the other. They could issue a ticket you'd have to go to court to fight and potentially lose depending on how unsympathetic the judge is but you could also accuse the cops of harassment for repeatedly pulling you over for something they know you're in the clear for. Take all this with a grain of salt because I'm not a lawyer.

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Doug DeMuro
10/16/2014 at 21:51

No one in my family or anyone I know has ever had this problem and I (we) live in Connecticut... CT drivers just took off their expired registration stickers or got new plates (we recently started using a different plate number format).

jariten1781 > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 21:57

You'll get mixed answers because different states treat it differently. I'm most familiar with VA where the equipment laws read "No vehicle may be operated in the state of VA with tint >x" (substitute other equipment exhaust etc.) So here it doesn't matter what your state law is, you've got to conform to VA regs to be on the up and up. Other states tag it to the registration process so if you're registered out of state they can't enforce equipment violations.

Braniff747SP > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 22:12

I'd be inclined to say no under Article IV, Section 1 (the Full Faith and Credit clause), but that doesn't mean that they can't get away with it.

Doug DeMuro > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
10/16/2014 at 22:15

I've seen a few CT people driving around with expired decals!

SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O) > Doug DeMuro
10/16/2014 at 22:20

Thats so weird. Parking enforcement and some local cops in my area used to go around and take off expired/unnecessary stickers while they checked the meters for money or whatever they were doing.

Birddog > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 22:25

Why even have stickers to begin with? It's pretty antiquated.

Especially now with the tech Police have at their disposal. (I know that some Illinois State Troopers have plate readers first hand.)

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 22:28

I've always heard that as long as your vehicle is legal in the state it's registered in you're good...that would also make the most sense, but we are talking about the government

twochevrons > KirkyV
10/16/2014 at 23:24

Yeah, the sticker on the license plate or windscreen basically serves the same purpose as the tax disc, showing that the car's registration is current.

Most states seem to replace license plates every few years, or at change of ownership. It strikes me as weird, having been used to the New Zealand system, where, like in the UK, a registration number stays with a car for life, but I suppose that with cars being bought and sold between states all the time, it makes sense that plates be a bit more ephemeral.

burpbeepburp > MountainCommand
10/16/2014 at 23:25

In Kansas you don't have to license a single axle trailer (and under 6M, I never understood). If you want they will give you a cardboard 'license plate' to screw to your trailer that says "Under 6M". (They don't have truck plates, just stickers that say 'Under 12M' or 'Over 12M'). When I moved, we pulled our Kansas bought trailer 1900 miles to WA with no license plate and the cops never hassled up once. The first time it was ever registered was in WA.

KirkyV > twochevrons
10/16/2014 at 23:46

Ah, I see. That does strike me as rather odd; I've always taken it for granted that cars and plates stay together for life. We actually just did away with paper tax disks completely: everything, from tax to whether your MOT's still valid, is now done digitally, through the licence plate number. I renewed my road tax last month, and I've now got my last ever tax disk, and old tax-disk holder, stuck to my kitchen window.

Rainbow > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 00:37

Kinja'd!!!

DIE

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > twochevrons
10/17/2014 at 00:43

whats weird is I live in Idaho, but right near the border to washington state, and so there is a lot of cross-state car selling. In washington, the license plate stays with the car, but in Idaho, where I live, you keep your license plates, and put them on your next car, so if you buy in washington, you then have an extra set of license plates.

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > Milky
10/17/2014 at 00:47

Idaho's the same way, the only tests are emissions tests in 2 counties out of 44 (ironically comprising about a third of the population of the state) and I live in one of the ohter 42 counties that have nothing, I could in theory register a car with no engine that was a major smog hazard and mechanically highly unsafe, and be free to drive it.

wallaby13 > KirkyV
10/17/2014 at 00:54

yes it's a fee/tax. It varys in cost by the state, and some states also require a safety or emissions inspection prior as well.

This post just points out the intricacies of America where each state makes their own laws, taxes, ect.

Buick Mackane > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 02:09

California is not the only state that requires SMOG testing. Also, California police do not check if you have a current SMOG certificate when you get pulled over for a traffic stop, just the usual license, registration and insurance. They will give you a ticket if you are a resident of California and have not registered your car with the California DMV within 10 days of arrival in California, I know.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 07:53

Can they ticket you? Probably not, since equipment laws that apply to the vehicle are the ones from the state where it is registered. Even if you got a ticket, it would be thrown out of court, as unless it violates a federal law (Cannot remove emissions equipment or crap like that), the car would need to be registered in that state to make the charge stick. Note that they can ticket you if you haven't actually renewed the plate...(I got pulled over for an expired IL plate in Georgia, but the registration had been renewed, and I had the sticker. I just hadn't put it on. Guy made me put it on the plate on the side of the road, and then left.)

Can they pull you over for it? So long as it can be made to constitute a Terry stop (that is, reasonable suspicion that a crime has occurred, or is about to occur), yes. So in the license plate sticker example, not having a sticker in a state where you have stickers could be construed to be reasonable suspicion.

Again, the best person to ask is Steve. Because I haven't passed the bar in Georgia...

(Yet. There's always an outside chance that I could go to law school and pass the bar...)

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > jariten1781
10/17/2014 at 07:58

However, this just goes to show how idiotic VA really is.

Because taken to the extreme, this would indicate that the most restrictive set of whatever requirements would have to apply to all states.

So no front tint at ALL (NJ), stock exhaust limits (CARB), and everything sold to CARB emissions limits.

Otherwise you'd have a legal hodgepodge that no one could figure out and penalties could only be applied in an arbitrary manner.

crowmolly > dogisbadob
10/17/2014 at 08:24

Quoted for extra emphasis:

Alas I only have but one star to give.

505Turbeaux > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 08:51

CT abolished the reg sticker in 07 or so, but didnt issue new plates. My father still has expiration 2008 tags on his car and I have always worried about this. Maine requires reg stickers front and back so at least I know I have that covered. But to get pulled over for this is kind of ridiculous. If you are out of state as long as you are obeying the law there is no reason to get pulled over. Alot of states got rid of them because the stickers or the whole damn plate would get stolen so someone else can drive around in a unregistered whip.

jariten1781 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
10/17/2014 at 09:10

Otherwise you'd have a legal hodgepodge that no one could figure out and penalties could only be applied in an arbitrary manner.

That's exactly what we have now. In border areas in VA the tint laws (50/35) aren't regularly enforced because of the number of people who cross for work (WV, NC, and MD are 35 all around). They are used for fishing stops though.

In addition, towns, cities, and counties can further restrict what is allowed on their roads. Not only that, but some localities have an ordnance that empowers a 'traffic commission' to create and enforce rules without a public review (I know Ocean City MD is one). So good luck figuring all that out.

It's not just VA, btw, that has those restrictions I just didn't feel like weeding through the other states to figure out which ones had the 'operate on our roads' laws vs. 'register for operation' laws and I know VA's wording off the top of my head.

twochevrons > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
10/17/2014 at 09:15

I live in Minneapolis, where I'm on the opposite side of the situation – in Minnesota, plates stay with the car and get replaced every few years, while just across the river in Wisconsin, plates stay with the owner. The only time I bought a car in WI, it wasn't running, so I trailered it home anyway and didn't bother registering it until I got it back on the road, but I can't quite work out what is supposed to happen if you want to drive the car immediately. Driving with no plates just sounds wrong, but you can't get a temporary tag until you go to the DMV with the completed title in hand. Weird.

Wouldn't it be nice if everybody settled on a single, sensible system? Plates staying with either the car or the owner is fine, but a bit of consistency, or even just a way to get a temporary tag before purchase would help a huge amount.

twochevrons > KirkyV
10/17/2014 at 09:32

I didn't know that they'd done away with tax discs. I suppose that it makes sense with computer lookups and the like being the norm, now. That said, without stickers, there isn't that handy reminder of when you need to renew!

Having moved to Minnesota from NZ, I still can't get over how weird the whole vehicle registration system seems here. There are no inspections whatsoever, registration fees are ridiculously low, and the whole 'title' system weirds me out – instead the buyer and seller both submitting forms for the change of ownership process, you hand over a piece of paper that basically is the sole proof that you own the car, then show that to the registration office to get the car registered in your name.

When I registered my MG for the first time in 30 years, it felt so strange – all I had to do was show them the title and a proof of insurance, and I was good to go, regardless of the vehicle was roadworthy or not (and it really wasn't). I try hard to maintain my vehicles to the standards of the WOF (New Zealand's equivalent of the MOT), but without the mandatory inspections to back things up, it is very easy to let things slide. And, by the state of the cars that I see here, people definitely do, while I'm sitting here feeling guilty that my Volvo's parking brake doesn't hold very well, and how that would definitely be a WOF failure back home. It's a very odd feeling.

MountainCommand > Braniff747SP
10/17/2014 at 09:58

Ill have to do more digging to see if there have been any documented cases of what im looking for...

Svend > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 10:04

Do they not have ANPR there or something. Surely all they would need is the licence plate which is in front of them and the state of which the car is registered, which is also on the licence plate which is in front of them and run it through the DMV and tada. Job done. Up till the 1st of October all cars in the U.K. needed a tax disc in the windscreen but as it costs so much to print and send out these discs not to mention ANPR cameras are almost everywhere now and can check if your car is taxed, MOT'd and insured in a fraction of a second so they abolished the tax disc.

MountainCommand > Doug DeMuro
10/17/2014 at 10:05

Wow, that is a pretty comical situation. Gotta love how all of our states work so well together.

I suppose the logic behind the windshield sticker is that maybe they are less likely to be stolen. But those windshield stickers also have a barcode on them. I dont know exactly if the stickers on the plates had barcodes, so maybe they needed extra room on the sticker?

MountainCommand > dogisbadob
10/17/2014 at 10:15

forgive my ignorance on the straight piped texas truck. I guess i could change it to very loud, still catted, exhaust. Still legal to the books in texas, but not in any other state. But i think you get the point i was getting at.

Yeah, theyd see everything is valid. But a TN cop doesnt know NJ no longer use stickers on the plates. Why would they have to? But my dad could have still possibly gotten a ticket, which most likely would have been thrown out regardless.

The last question is a good one. And i dont know.

I have a similar concern if i ride my motorcycle out of state now. In NJ there are no bike inspections or emissions. As long as your bike meets simple physical criteria, its legal as long as you have registration and insurance. In PA bikes have to have inspection stickers. Can i get ticketed for an exhaust louder than PA's limits? Or not having proper indicators (jersey doesnt require bikes to have turn signals). Or both mirrors (nj requires 1).

jariten1781 > twochevrons
10/17/2014 at 10:22

Driving with no plates just sounds wrong, but you can't get a temporary tag until you go to the DMV with the completed title in hand.

In VA you get a transportation tag. They're 10 bucks and good for 5 days. Just print it off the computer and stick it in the window (well, you can also go to the DMV...but screw that).

Maybe you all have something similar.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > jariten1781
10/17/2014 at 10:23

But (assuming that wording is in fact supported by case law), if that were to ever be challenged, it would be tossed out.

I'm sure that if you read the preceding sections of VA Code, you will find that there is a clause in there that it really only applies to cars registered in VA. Because that's the only people they have nexus over in setting equipment standards. Otherwise, you are back to square one, where only the most restrictive equipment laws apply.

Even CA lets you drive a car from out of state for a short time before requiring it to be smogged.

That doesn't mean that it cannot be used as pretext for stopping someone with an out of state registration, which appears to be what VA cops do.

MountainCommand > SmoresTM Has No Chill (O==[][]==O)
10/17/2014 at 10:24

Ok. Im glad you are on exactly the same page i am. Its like what we do is legal. And we shouldnt be given trouble in other states. Yet we are, and the legality of those actions has yet to be truly tested.

And its hard to compare the car legalities to other things like weed, firearms, alcohol, and other regulated items that vary between states. Logically you'd think a car could be treated the same as the above items. But they dont work it like that. Leaving gaping holes in which enforcement varies greatly.

I dont understand it all. Im sure the police dont either. And i can guarantee you the people who wrote these laws dont even understand what they wrote. Because you know they probably break their own law all the time...

MountainCommand > HammerheadFistpunch
10/17/2014 at 10:29

Im afraid that might be the answer. there isnt one. Its probably down the officers discretion. Since he is the one who can enforce laws. Regardless if you are applicable of having such law enforced upon you.

In europe you have the EU, European Union. So im sure there are some things on the books allowing such cross country travels.

Now if i take my US registered car over to england on a boat, to drive around for vacation. Can they enforce british law on a US registered car? Or vice-verse.

MountainCommand > 505Turbeaux
10/17/2014 at 10:32

Well, the sticker in the windshield isnt perfect either. The criminals just go to convertibles. Using the dry ice trick, they can get the sticker quicker than anyone would notice. But yes, its better than the license plate sticker.

Dave on bass > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 10:32

I got a ticket in DC for no front plate, though my car is registered in VA. Now, that's potentially sensical since VA and DC both have front plate requirements, but I still didn't think it was legitimate for DC to ticket for a VA violation - even though the violation would be the same in both jurisdictions. This was years ago with my Vette, but I now don't have a front plate on my Jeep either. *shrug*

MountainCommand > Buick Mackane
10/17/2014 at 10:33

Good to know. Since i havent lived in a smog testings state, i haven needed to know how it all works.

MountainCommand > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
10/17/2014 at 10:33

I wish it worked like that.

MountainCommand > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
10/17/2014 at 10:34

You possibly could get ticketed by the officer. But if you went to court, that ticket should get thrown out, because your tint would be legal to your state.

505Turbeaux > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 10:37

CT doesnt even do those anymore. No way to tell until you run the plates or pull someone over if it is legit

MountainCommand > Dave on bass
10/17/2014 at 10:41

Well. You bring up a good point. Can police in state A enforce laws of state B upon a driver of state B? Id say possibly yes if the officer was knowledgeable of the exact laws. Cause how can you fight that in court?

"Your honor, i dont deserve the ticket. Yes, both VA and DC require front plates, but a DC cop shouldnt have ticketed me for it"

judge-"So youre admitting you were breaking a law regardless?"

Look im on your side. But that argument would go south real fast. haha. Youd have to fight it via another point of view.

MountainCommand > 505Turbeaux
10/17/2014 at 10:43

ahhh okay. So both are gone now. Now i can see why CT drivers could be hassled so much. Which isnt right. But the cops in other states dont have to know the laws of the other states.

505Turbeaux > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 10:45

ha it could be the driving style too from that state...

Rock Bottom > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 10:47

When I moved from Kansas to California I was required to "surrender" my KS plates when I got my CA plates. The nice (read: stupid) lady at the DMV asked for both my front and rear KS plates. Kansas only has rears. She DEMANDED my front plate. it MUST be surrendered. She was very insistent! It took me 10 minutes of arguing before she decided that I must have lost my front KS plate. Whatever, give me my new plates. I got shit to do.

While I'm laughing to myself about Californians and their interaction with people from other states: the first time I went to a party store in CA to buy beer, I was carded and showed my Kansas license. The guy looked at me suspiciously and asked "Kansas... is this in the United States?" Seriously. "Yes, Kansas is in the United States. In fact, it's the geometric center of the United States. You can't be more in the Unites States than you are when you're in Kansas." He begrudgingly accepted my explanation, but you could tell he didn't want to...

MountainCommand > 505Turbeaux
10/17/2014 at 10:48

hahah we will just assume the drivers are having a good day.

jariten1781 > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
10/17/2014 at 10:49

They actually have it broken up, section by section in the code, some applying only to registered in VA vehicles, but the majority to all vehicles.

Examples:

Brake lights are for registered to VA vehicles only:

§ 46.2-1014. Brake lights.

Every motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, except an antique vehicle not originally equipped with a brake light, registered in the Commonwealth and operated on the highways in the Commonwealth shall be equipped with at least two brake lights of a type approved by the Superintendent. Such brake lights shall automatically exhibit a red or amber light plainly visible in clear weather from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of such vehicle when the brake is applied.

Whereas tints are for all vehicles whether registered in VA or not:

§ 46.2-1052. Tinting films, signs, decals, and stickers on windshields, etc.; penalties.

...

Any person who operates a motor vehicle on the highways of this Commonwealth with sun-shading or tinting films that (i) have a total light transmittance less than that required by subdivisions 1 and 2 of this subsection, (ii) have a reflectance of light exceeding 20 percent, or (iii) produce holographic or prism effects shall be guilty of a traffic infraction but shall not be awarded any demerit points by the Commissioner for the violation.

The majority (exhausts, headlights, emissions equipment, generic 'safe operating condition' etc.) are the second type which catches everyone.

And yes, it's seemingly arbitrary so you'd have a decent leg to stand on in a challenge, but it's doubtful a local judge would care and nobody's going to appeal a tint ticket to get a higher court ruling (if that's even possible).

Dave on bass > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 11:12

Heh, I wasn't trying to say the violation was not legit itself - I flatly refused to put a front plate on my corvette, consequences be damned - but was more thinking the cop should have thought "not a DC vehicle, don't bother with equipment citations". My thinking is that if the issue is with the vehicle itself, it should be only the concern of the registered jurisdiction. Of course, parking, moving and operational safety violations should be the concern of the locality of occurrence, since they're not inherent to the vehicle alone.

MountainCommand > Dave on bass
10/17/2014 at 12:01

Regardless im with you. And yeah i wouldnt put a front plate either. Only reason i have a front plate on my car is not the legality (i already have front tints so im screwed), but because they already drilled the holes in the bumper :/ and only until recently have i found a piant guy who i trust to fix it.

doewnskitty > Rock Bottom
10/17/2014 at 12:37

The stereotype about Americans being terrible at geography has some weight. I've managed to convince more than a few people that Nebraska is actually east of Czechoslovakia. Never mind my Midwestern accent!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 13:26

no they can't it's set up to the laws of the state it's registered too.

That would be like me driving to a state that requires 2 plates but being from michigan we only have 1 and them giving me a ticket

can't happen.

tricky thing was when I was going to Michigan State, I lived in NJ at the time, and had my NJ sticker in the windshield, NJ law says you can't have any other stickers on your windshield (or at least in the bottom drivers side corner), which is why my HS parking pass went on the back glass.

BUT to park on MSU's campus I had to put my parking pass in the bottom drivers side corner.

So I put the sticker there and just hoped I didn't get pulled over while at home

no cop ever bothered me over it (thankfully)

orbix42 > Milky
10/17/2014 at 14:13

That's Indiana for you, too... lived there for years and was amazed at what you could (legally!) drive on the roads. Then I moved out to the Colorado Front Range, and now, while you can still drive a shitbox, it had better not pollute too much!

The Real Unsharer > KirkyV
10/17/2014 at 14:57

It shows that you renewed your vehicle registration in states that require annual renewals.

Stiiles > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 15:05

You have several different types of situations here: you can't be ticketed in PA for failure to inspect since the state of NJ does not require inspections. You can be ticketed for loud exhaust if your bike has a muffler louder than local regs. My NJ registered diesel truck is in a weight class that requires neither emissions nor safety inspection in NJ, and when I visit philly the PPA doesn't ticket it for lack of stickers (safety, emissions, and registration) since they apparently got the memo that NJ doesn't issue tag stickers anymore for cars and light trucks and no windshield sticker is required for my truck.

JGrabowMSt > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 15:25

My dad (with the older blue NJ plates) has driven across the country 4 times in his Subaru. That I am aware of, was never pulled over in any state (they drove as far out as Montana, and drove directly south to Arizona). I don't know exactly what states they went through specifically, but the cops are giving you a hard time for not being locals (or at least having in-state plates). They may also not be aware of the differences between the states. Plenty of local jurisdictions could care less about an out of state law that doesn't apply to them, unless it's so wildly different (like not having a little sticker on your plate), that they have to ask.

Dave on bass > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 17:33

Yeah my Jeep doesn't have one simply because I got it from a no-front-plate state and I don't know if I have the right tools to drill into the aftermarket bumper =0)

Braniff747SP > MountainCommand
10/17/2014 at 18:53

I'm sure someone has sued at one point or another using that justification. Shouldn't be too difficult to find.

MountainCommand > Dave on bass
10/17/2014 at 22:04

Only until recently did i find out these existed. Mounting the plates via a tow hook. I mean, its so simple! And yet i had never thought of it.

Kinja'd!!!

typicaljar > Buick Mackane
10/20/2014 at 15:05

That's interesting about the 10 day requirement, I did not know about it — not that it has any impact on me since I'm a Cali resident with a Cali car. But at my apartment complex, I had a neighbor couple whose cars were plated and apparently actively registered in Massachusetts. They lived next to me for at least 2 years (I moved, they may still be there) and I looked at the plate on one of their cars a few months ago and noted it had a registration sticker with year 2014 on it. How does that even work, they live in Cali but keep renewing their car registration in Mass?

theo > MountainCommand
10/20/2014 at 15:47

In my experience the best way to get around those laws is to get a car thats grandfathered out of them. It won't matter what state your in, your old challenger with side exhaust is in the clear.

heyheauxs > MountainCommand
10/20/2014 at 16:27

GA had to amend a law for window tint because they did not ticket out of state drivers for having dark tint. Now they get aaalll the monies!

HillStaffer > KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs
10/20/2014 at 16:28

The vehicle laws of the state that you are in are what apply. Cars must be registered and show proof of registration in Tennessee, so the New Jersey tags with the sticker on the windshield instead of the plate covers that requirement. But, if he had tint that was legal in Jersey, but illegal in the land of Rocky Top and Elvis, the cop could have rightfully ticketed him.

JDIGGS > MountainCommand
10/20/2014 at 16:37

I just hope all Police officers from states who use trickery like this, that is the reason most of the population hates pigs.

M > Milky
10/20/2014 at 18:44

Yeah, but you guys also have insane insurance rates.

notthatGreg > Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man
10/20/2014 at 19:23

I'd be very interested to see an engineless car that was a major smog hazard. Would you just directly set the oil on fire?

Milky > M
10/20/2014 at 21:05

Damnit M ….. ignorance was bliss until you ruined it.

http://www.insure.com/car-insurance/…

Jordaneer, The Mountaineer Man > notthatGreg
10/20/2014 at 21:56

I mistyped that, I meant a car registering a car that didn't have one, or registering one that was a major smog hazard.

M > Milky
10/20/2014 at 22:48

I lived in Michigan for a couple years and I bought a car there. I was surprised they let me register it without a Michigan license, and the registration was so much more affordable than I was used to. But the insurance was insane. About a year after I bought it, I ended up registering it in Illinois (good thing I didn't decat), spending about twice as much in registration fees, but half on insurance with better coverage. Also, legal front tints.

Buick Mackane > typicaljar
10/21/2014 at 03:00

They are either mailing in their vehicle registration renewal forms or having a friend or relative register their car for them while they are living in California.

r0ckrat > dogisbadob
10/21/2014 at 18:23

I know in the case of insurance, they can ticket. IIRC, OR does not require motorcyclists to carry insurance, but CA does, and I've heard many riders report that they've been ticketed entering CA. And the tickets have stuck.

dogisbadob > r0ckrat
10/21/2014 at 19:16

Kevin Rhodes > Rock Bottom
10/22/2014 at 15:40

Geography is such a hard thing for people. I got pulled over in New York while driving from Oklahoma to Maine with a new-to-me car ('00 Saab 95SE V6t wagon, in '05). Cop could not fathom why I would be driving through NY to get to ME. Seriously?? I guess she had never seen a MAP of NY. Amusingly, not a single word was said about the fact that the car had no temp registration showing on the outside of any kind, and nothing but the dealer paperwork - OK doesn't do temp plates evidently. Pulled for speeding, my buddy was driving, not me. Luckily.

For the geographically challenged here - you can't get to New England without driving through NY unless you go through Canada.

KillerBee > dogisbadob
10/22/2014 at 15:58

I don't believe there is a state that doesn't require insurance. Is there?

robrex > MountainCommand
10/22/2014 at 16:20

In Puerto Rico we're allowed to have the full windshield tinted - not just a strip up top. On stop of this, we have an optional Euro sized plate, of which several thousand are issued each year (including the plate on my car).

With how many Puerto Ricans are moving to the mainland US, I can imagine a few stories about PR cars in the US getting ticketed for the Euro sized plate, or for the full front tint.

FurryBallsPloppedMenacingly > Braniff747SP
10/22/2014 at 17:08

Get a Lawyer who can R-E-A-D. Full Faith and Credit clause!!!!!!!

You are a resident of state______ You are compliant with your state's______ vehicle licensing laws, that's good enough.

The ticket will be dropped.

guppysb > Rock Bottom
10/22/2014 at 17:52

Maybe you should stop speaking with idiots unless required to. Come to the Bay Area here in CA and even some Sears employees have masters degrees. Government workers are government workers, their lack of knowledge should not be reflected on a State to State basis. I am Indian and most of the time when I've had an unintelligent or somewhat racial comment thrown my way, it was from individuals who resided in non-metropolitan areas in the United States. Meaning, not from CA or some of the other largely populated states/regions.

dogisbadob > KillerBee
10/22/2014 at 18:24

I believe NH doesn't require insurance, and at least one other state.

NatR > KirkyV
10/22/2014 at 19:47

In addition to generating an annual fee, since you have to pay to get the vehicle's updated registration sticker, in my state it serves as an annual check to make sure the vehicle is insured. A minimal level of insurance is required on all vehicles registered in the state.

thebigbossyboss > notthatGreg
10/22/2014 at 20:31

Hahaha.

Rock Bottom > guppysb
10/23/2014 at 08:18

I worked at NASA Ames for 5 years, lived in Menlo Park. I guess you could say I'm familiar with the Bay Area... and government workers (which I was). I also grew up in Detroit, and lived in West Michigan and Central Kansas. My discovery: the most accepting and kindhearted people in this country can be found on the farms of the Mid West. People in Detroit are assholes to everyone (a trait they share with most of the East Coasters I've met). People in the Bay Area want to be nice and help the world, but they are generally pretty ignorant of the way this country operates on the other side of the mountains. And I am certainly guilty of forgetting some harsh realities while I was there. Little things like rain in the summer and potholes.

Rock Bottom > Kevin Rhodes
10/23/2014 at 08:20

New York: permanently in the way of EVERYTHING!

wolrah > Birddog
10/23/2014 at 12:23

Note that the stickers are color coded. It provides a quick at-a-glance way for police to identify expired registrations. Much cheaper than plate scanners.

wolrah > MountainCommand
10/23/2014 at 12:31

See that I think makes sense when it would otherwise require drilling the bumper, but what the hell's the point on the vehicle pictured? There is clearly a spot right next to it which exists solely for the license plate and looks like a strange blank spot without it.

guppysb > Rock Bottom
10/23/2014 at 14:14

Two different lives lived, two different experiences shared, just the way of the world I guess.

MountainCommand > wolrah
10/23/2014 at 14:28

Because, most people dont take the care to properly mount it and cause more damage by 'drilling' into the prepositioned holes. And if you have a locking bolt going behind the license plate, some start to rust, leaving blemishes on the paint.

ANNNNDDD. on cars like mine, those wholes are not spaced correctly for US plates. I have no idea why they arent, but the fools who did it to mine decided to drill 2 more holes in the bumper unnecessarily.

Vracktal > MountainCommand
10/23/2014 at 15:43

in the UK, as long as you're here less than one year you can drive your foreign car with no issues (as long as it's not obviously dangerously defective)

MountainCommand > Vracktal
10/23/2014 at 19:51

Interesting! Good to know.