[m4recruiter]

Originally Posted by Arcades

I think it has to do where you live.

I have driven cars w/o front license plates plenty of times around where I live and passed cops constantly without getting in trouble for it. All of my cars also have front window, front passenger tinted w/o any trouble. My M4 has 3M Crystalline 60% front, 40% rest. The Macan S has 3M Crystalline as well, 70% front, 40% side window, no front license plate as well.

I should mention I have left my temporary tags on my car since I have received my car and I have never taken it off, hell I never even put on my real license plate. It might be due to the fact that my area has a lot of high end cars w/o front license plates, almost everyone here does that and the cops just don't really care.

Now, I been in Santa Monica ONCE w/ my 328i and I was given a ticket for no front license plate. I don't live there so I just paid it off. Front windshield and two front windows are also tinted, was only 1 ticket for the missing front license plate. It is probably something to do w/ how unlucky you are because I don't rarely see cops pull you over JUST for that. They usually tack on Fix-It tickets when they give you other tickets like speeding or something.

Least for me anyway.

I agree. I have never been stopped specifically for this.

I have been stopped for expired tags, but I expect in many cases expired tags can lead to other issues - "where there's smoke" kind of thing.

[Kabrich]

Originally Posted by m4recruiter

The Officer informed me that the reason he pulled me over is because I have a plastic cover on my license plate. I acknowledged it and played dumb that I didn't know it was illegal - I told him I would remove it since he informed me to this. The cover is actually smoke-tinted.

3 pages of replies and everyone focuses on the secondary offenses.

In most states there are law against anything obscuring your license plate. There are plenty of instances to be found on the internet where a simple license plate frame have caused a driver to be pulled over for obscuring some minor part if the plate.

With the advent of red light cameras and photo radar, many buy license plate covers in an attempt to cause the car's tag to be unreadable (most are totally worthless).

By putting that cover on your license plate it is like waving a red cape in front of a bull saying "I am attempting to fool traffic detection systems - please pull me over as it will average out the fines I avoided otherwise".

Without this, you probably would have not been pulled over at all.

Originally Posted by m4recruiter

"where there's smoke" kind of thing.

Given the color of the covering, an interesting choice of words.

[RandyC54]

I'm dreaming of the day when cops are not judged by how many tickets they write or how many bucks they generate, but by how safe their stretch of road is. I'd like to see way more warnings, far fewer tickets. This is up to the politicians we hire, btw, not the cops they employ.

Similarly, politicians in my dream will be judged not by how many new laws they write, but how happy and healthy the citizenry is. (And how many laws they repeal...it's my dream, so I get to decide!)

[2000Z3M]

roll windows down and pull the fuze. no front windows no tint

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by RandyC151

I'm dreaming of the day when cops are not judged by how many tickets they write or how many bucks they generate, but by how safe their stretch of road is. I'd like to see way more warnings, far fewer tickets.

I always find statements like this interesting. Enforcing the vehicle code is a primary facet of law enforcement (...when the officer works traffic enforcement, etc.). Keeping our "stretch of the road" safe is part and parcel to that. Many major apprehensions come from the enforcement of vehicle code violations. Sure, there's a punitive aspect to breaking the law, but that's part of the punishment. If you don't want to be subjected to a fine, don't put yourself in the position in the first place. Far more warnings are issued than citations (...contrary to your assumption).

I'm dreaming of a day where people would just follow the rules, tell the truth and be upstanding citizens. A day where people would be responsible and accountable for their actions rather than shirking that responsibility. I'd like to see much more respect given to people. See, I can dream too!

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Kabrich

I wasn't referring to him, but that's fair to point out.

[m4recruiter]

Originally Posted by Kabrich

3 pages of replies and everyone focuses on the secondary offenses.

In most states there are law against anything obscuring your license plate. There are plenty of instances to be found on the internet where a simple license plate frame have caused a driver to be pulled over for obscuring some minor part if the plate.

With the advent of red light cameras and photo radar, many buy license plate covers in an attempt to cause the car's tag to be unreadable (most are totally worthless).

By putting that cover on your license plate it is like waving a red cape in front of a bull saying "I am attempting to fool traffic detection systems - please pull me over as it will average out the fines I avoided otherwise".

Without this, you probably would have not been pulled over at all.

Given the color of the covering, an interesting choice of words.

I agree with you that the cover was the likely cause. However, the motive was purely cosmetic. It has since been removed, as well as the clear cover on my wife's Z4.

[colossians323]

Originally Posted by m4recruiter

Before I begin let me just say, I know the law. The California Vehicle Code is clear, and I was in the wrong. That said, I want to: 1) share my experience, 2) vent a little, and 3) ask a few questions.

My Experience

For those familiar with the Bay Area, I was driving Northbound on I880 and merging to the right, preparing to exit at 238 Eastbound in San Lorenzo. As I changed lanes, I noticed a CHP cruiser in my rearview mirror with red light on, so I continued signaling and pulled safely to the shoulder. The shoulder was quite wide, so I was approximately twenty feet from the roadway. Traffic was fairly heavy in the area - stop and go, but not a complete standstill. I had my wife as front passenger and 10 year old son in the back.

The first thing I did was turn off the Escort 9500ci, and roll down both front windows. I then placed both hands on the steering wheel so the Officer could approach from either side. He approached from the right-side (passenger).

The Officer informed me that the reason he pulled me over is because I have a plastic cover on my license plate. I acknowledged it and played dumb that I didn't know it was illegal - I told him I would remove it since he informed me to this. The cover is actually smoke-tinted. He then stepped back and looked the car up and down, and front to back, leaning from one side to the other looking at my wheels (which are stock). Then he told me to roll-up one of my windows. I rolled up the driver side (since he was on the passenger side). He then proceeded to tell me I could not have tint on my front windows. My response was simply, "Ok." Then he stepped back again, and walked around the back of the car, and up the driver's side, often bending down to look around my wheels again, and to the front. He came back by the passenger side and told me he would be right back. I was also certain he saw I have no front plate.

Upon his return, he gave me a citation for 1) rear plate cover, 2) window tint, and 3) missing front plate.

Venting

As I stated, I get it - I'm wrong here. I think if I had not had the rear cover, everything would have been fine. There was a lot of traffic and I made a safe lane change. My wife thought he was a rookie and writing his first citation on his own. I think what is most upsetting about this was the way he scanned my car for everything he could find. Walking around and asking me to roll-up the windows did not sit well with me. I'm getting over it - after all, he was doing his job. People in the Bay Area can sleep easier at night knowing Officer Dent is on the job! Ok, venting done (this is more tongue-in-cheek than anything)

Questions

Front Plate - Are there any specific tow-hook license plate holders that are recommended? Any to avoid?

Rear Plate - I will remove the plastic cover - lesson learned here.

Tint - I am planning to leave the tint. Does anyone know or have experience with multi-infraction tickets? Is it possible to correct 2 out of 3 and get just the 2 signed off? I understand there will likely be a fine for the third.

Thank you for reading!

op, if you like liberty, you're in the wrong state. Weather is no excuse to sacrifice liberty

[NorCal f80]

how much are fix it tickets now anyways for A) FIXED and B) NOT FIXED, pay fine ---- lets use tint as example of infraction

[dzvero]

If you dont fix the ticket and dont pay they wont give you tags which can result in more tickets and they can tow your car if parked on public places.

[SportySpice]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

I always find statements like this interesting. Enforcing the vehicle code is a primary facet of law enforcement (...when the officer works traffic enforcement, etc.). Keeping our "stretch of the road" safe is part and parcel to that. Many major apprehensions come from the enforcement of vehicle code violations. Sure, there's a punitive aspect to breaking the law, but that's part of the punishment. If you don't want to be subjected to a fine, don't put yourself in the position in the first place. Far more warnings are issued than citations (...contrary to your assumption).

I'm dreaming of a day where people would just follow the rules, tell the truth and be upstanding citizens. A day where people would be responsible and accountable for their actions rather than shirking that responsibility. I'd like to see much more respect given to people. See, I can dream too!

On that note, perhaps you should put your front license plate on your car. And hopefully you abide by the speed limit at all times in your personal vehicle when you're off duty. Those are the rules, right?

[BoxKing]

Cops/Troopers are pulling ppl over for anything they can these days. It has become increasingly more difficult to pull someone over for speeding since a good majority of drivers use the WAZE APP - which call out the locations of sitting law enforcement traps. There was an article where several officials in law enforcement (in CA) wanted to try to get legislature to pass a law that removed this feature from the WAZE APP; one issue raised was the dramatic decrease in revenue, that they blamed the APP for. Obviously this was shot-down.

Long story short - cover your P's & Q's and you should avoid these instances - plus tinted licence plate covers are for high school kids. That cop only pimped your ride!

[damnitBobby]

Originally Posted by BoxKing

...tinted licence plate covers are for high school kids. That cop only pimped your ride!

lol I was thinking the same exact thing

OP should have gotten two tickets one for the plastic thing and another for bad taste in mods.

[bgomesm4]

I get tints, no plate, unclear plate tickets occasionally.

I know Cali tends to have stricter regulations, but I'm here in NJ.

I get them about once every 1-3 months. Cops don't always give me all 3 either.

I just call it "my special snowflake tax". I get to drive around with tints, no front plate and unclear rear plates, but I have to pay the price.

Also one MAJOR good side, is that i've gotten away of MULTIPLE moving violations because the officer was able to instead write me those minor citations instead. At least 3 speeding tickets in the past 4 years, one right on red light turn and a improper passing on double lines as well. All 5 tickets the officer said he would "cut me a break" and wrote me plate and tint summons instead.

[DBACE]

OP, I am pleased you didn't bring up any aspect of being ///M profiled. The mere fact you played dumb means your consequence was well deserved. I understand you acknowledge that fact.

As a dreamer too, I wish the infrastructure of the US was so advanced that all poor drivers could be taken off the road and put on trains, planes, buses, etc. and we could drive around with a super license at speeds our roads and cars are capable of.

Then police officers could focus on more important things like crime.......It is such a waste of humanity to have such smart people focus their attention on minor vehicle nuances that could be easily handled by super license holders who know better than to play dumb.

[brandon @ eas]

A few weeks into my F30 ownership, I was pulled over for tint - the CHP officer who pulled me over stated so. It was raining buckets, and I was rather annoyed that rain was getting into my car. The cop also wrote me up for no plates (I showed him my temporary registration, btw) and said that when he ran my VIN, that my plates had been issued. I explained that I had not received my plates, but he shrugged it off as he wrote me up for it. The officer also said I was "lucky" he wasn't writing me up for suspension... my stock (at the time) M-sport suspension. I was confused at some of his reasoning in that traffic stop. Some cops are nice, some aren't in the best of moods. Take the ticket and be on your merry way.

[chris @ eas]

I would Reccomend the Pedal Haus front plate mount! It offers Full Adjustability, Lightweight and has the benefit of the Quick Release, Mounts on and off in seconds!

[m4recruiter]

Originally Posted by damnitBobby

lol I was thinking the same exact thing

OP should have gotten two tickets one for the plastic thing and another for bad taste in mods.

Nice one...

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by BoxKing

Cops/Troopers are pulling ppl over for anything they can these days. It has become increasingly more difficult to pull someone over for speeding since a good majority of drivers use the WAZE APP - which call out the locations of sitting law enforcement traps. There was an article where several officials in law enforcement (in CA) wanted to try to get legislature to pass a law that removed this feature from the WAZE APP; one issue raised was the dramatic decrease in revenue, that they blamed the APP for. Obviously this was shot-down.

Long story short - cover your P's & Q's and you should avoid these instances - plus tinted licence plate covers are for high school kids. That cop only pimped your ride!

This is a gross exaggeration (..and laughable) to be honest. EVERYBODY speeds, so it would be fairly easy to be pedantic about posted limits (..and other minor infractions such as following too closely, not signaling before changing lanes, etc.), and cite people all day long. Most officers don't want that much paper, so they aren't generally going to write a whole bunch of tickets (...the exception being new officers who are excited and eager or a specified focus on a particular type of violation; C-Watch/graveyard shifts is/are almost always narrowly focused on DUI enforcement with the CHP), and with regards to the CHP, if an officer is taking T/C's all day long, that officer won't want the additional citation paper on top of having to investigate crashes and write the subsequent reports. It's very time consuming.

[bmrwrld]

Believe me CHP don't give no warnings, they think there a bunch of storm troopers on the highway, always trying to mean mug you.

[ptper]

I forget where I heard this, but the last couple of times I was pulled over for speeding (15 and 20 over), I kept my hands on the steering wheel the whole time, signaled my intention to reach into the glove box for my registration, and used 'sir' a lot (lol). Both times came out with just warnings. Going to keep doing it until I get eventually get one. Speeding, I understand, tint I can take off and put back on (though mine is legal %), but front plate?! I just couldn't do that to my awesome front fascia, it looks so clean without one!!!

[M-Pilot]

Originally Posted by brandon @ eas

A few weeks into my F30 ownership, I was pulled over for tint - the CHP officer who pulled me over stated so. It was raining buckets, and I was rather annoyed that rain was getting into my car. The cop also wrote me up for no plates (I showed him my temporary registration, btw) and said that when he ran my VIN, that my plates had been issued. I explained that I had not received my plates, but he shrugged it off as he wrote me up for it. The officer also said I was "lucky" he wasn't writing me up for suspension... my stock (at the time) M-sport suspension. I was confused at some of his reasoning in that traffic stop. Some cops are nice, some aren't in the best of moods. Take the ticket and be on your merry way.

Seriously? Wow! I didn't even know you could get ticketed for suspension.