[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!

[ksa]

Tough luck but yes like you said, he was doing his job and you were in the wrong after all. I have tint on my vehicle as well and I fully well know that it could get me a ticket, but I still choose to run that risk. Can't exactly complain about it, other than the shitty luck I suppose.

Luckily, we don't require front plates where we are, but you can look online for many front plate devices that don't look too bad. For tint, I can't speak to your law but for us they can just keep issuing the ticket again and again as many times as they want to. I have heard of instances where they have made people remove the tint on the spot as well, now that would suck.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by m4recruiter

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!

Yes, you can have 2 of the 3 signed off. You will have to pay the fine on the tint. P/M me if you have any other specific law enforcement questions.


Sincerely,


You're Friendly Neighborhood California Vehicle Code Enforcer

[M3Fanatics]

I recommend the US mill works front plate mount

[m4recruiter]

Originally Posted by ksa

Tough luck but yes like you said, he was doing his job and you were in the wrong after all. I have tint on my vehicle as well and I fully well know that it could get me a ticket, but I still choose to run that risk. Can't exactly complain about it, other than the shitty luck I suppose.

Luckily, we don't require front plates where we are, but you can look online for many front plate devices that don't look too bad. For tint, I can't speak to your law but for us they can just keep issuing the ticket again and again as many times as they want to. I have heard of instances where they have made people remove the tint on the spot as well, now that would suck.

Thanks for your reply.

I saw a few plate holders on Amazon - some better reviews than others.

As for tint, there is a place on the citation to mark "Correctable Yes/No" that he checked "Yes" to all three infractions. I know I will be subject to future citations. Even the plate is only going on temporarily.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by m4recruiter

Thanks for your reply.

I saw a few plate holders on Amazon - some better reviews than others.

As for tint, there is a place on the citation to mark "Correctable Yes/No" that he checked "Yes" to all three infractions. I know I will be subject to future citations. Even the plate is only going on temporarily.

The only risk you run about continuing to disregard the CVC 5200(a), etc. citations that you received is that we can see the history, and next time the officer will/may choose not to mark any of them correctable. You will then be required to just pay the full fine rather than the correctable fee. It's your choice to roll the dice.


P.S. FWIW, I don't run a front plate either, and I only write it if the registered owner of the vehicle is giving me attitude.

[absoluteis350]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

P.S. FWIW, I don't run a front plate either, and I only write it if the registered owner of the vehicle is giving me attitude.

I .. think... I .. love you...

Haven't run a front plate either on both cars and never received a ticket in 15 years. Thankfully.

Actually a long time ago my car was 'walked around' by a police officer after a stop for mods (the original Lexus IS stock tailpipe looks like it's larger than stock) but I was exceptionally nice, the exhaust was indeed stock and quiet, it was Thanksgiving, and he just let me go without anything. He must have seen no front plate because he walked the front of the car too.

[m4recruiter]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

The only risk you run about continuing to disregard the CVC 5200(a), etc. citations that you received is that we can see the history, and next time the officer will/may choose not to mark any of them correctable. You will then be required to just pay the full fine rather than the correctable fee. It's your choice to roll the dice.


P.S. FWIW, I don't run a front plate either, and I only write it if the registered owner of the vehicle is giving me attitude.

Thanks, I definitely was not giving attitude. I've been stopped for speeding (last time was 10 years ago -- knock on wood). I was going 20-25 over and was let off with a warning (I think) because I was easy going and did not give attitude. I've always heard something about "more bees with honey".

Thank you again for responding.

[suprajjang]

I am currently not running a front plate either but if i am forced to, i will be getting the US Millworks front plate mount

[f80er]

That sucks man and I have been in that situation before where the LEO could have been cooler about things but decided to be a prick regardless of my attitude. He wrote me a ticket for modified exhaust and tint, both of which I got fixed (passed inspection on exhaust and had tint removed). He pulled me over again and tried to write me up for modified exhaust again even through I had the inspection paper on hand to show him that it passed.

In the end he got reprimanded for being a complete kook and no showed in court so everything was dropped. Some good and some bad out there, looks like you got a bad one.

[SD ///M4]

In February, 1989 I moved from the Detroit area to San Diego, actually, the town of Escondido, about 30 miles north of San Diego. It was a corporate relocation, and my company shipped my car. A few weeks after arriving in California, my car arrived. It was a Saturday in March, we were in the middle of a Santa Ana, and it was an absolutely gorgeous day. I was driving home on one of the main drags in my '88 Prelude, which had the whole ricer treatment, shocks and springs, wheels and tires, intake and exhaust, tinted windows, and my Escort radar detector was mounted on the windshield. In addition, I had owned a Hobie Cat in Michigan, and I had a tow hitch to tow the trailer. Nothing illegal about my car though, or so I thought.

My radar detector went off, no problem, I'm driving at the 35 MPH speed limit, and up ahead I see a motorcycle cop with a radar gun standing on the side of the road. He watches me, I watch him, he can probably hear my radar detector beeping as I drive by with driver side window down, and then he gets on his motorcycle and comes after me.

He got me for having the radar detector mounted on the windshield ("obscured vision"), tinted front side windows, and "obscured license plate", because of the trailer hitch. Ok, yeah, the radar detector being mounted on the windshield was technically illegal, the tinted front windows was definitely illegal, but "obscured license plate" because of a tow hitch? Really? Do you know how many pickup trucks there were in California, even at that time, with tow hooks? I "fixed" everything, except for the tow hook (the cop that signed me off said that one was bullshit), no fines (this has changed), no points, but I remained wary of the police in that town for the three years that I lived there. That was my welcome to California.

No front license plate and tinted front side windows are probably the two most-flouted laws in California (ok, maybe speeding). A large majority of cars don't have front license plates and a lot of cars have tinted windows. There's an awful lot of people who also have devices mounted on their windshield, whether it's GPS units, smartphones, or radar detectors.

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by f80er

That sucks man and I have been in that situation before where the LEO could have been cooler about things but decided to be a prick regardless of my attitude. He wrote me a ticket for modified exhaust and tint, both of which I got fixed (passed inspection on exhaust and had tint removed). He pulled me over again and tried to write me up for modified exhaust again even through I had the inspection paper on hand to show him that it passed.

A law enforcement officer writing a ticket for something illegal is not being a prick. He is just doing his job.

[f80er]

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

A law enforcement officer writing a ticket for something illegal is not being a prick. He is just doing his job.

Wrong, he was a prick because I got the previous tickets fixed and when he pulled me over again he refused to acknowledge that fact and wrote me up again. My exhaust wasn't illegal and never was (passed inspection both times) so yes he is/was a PRICK.

[clutchdj]

Get the usmillworks tow hook plate kit. Get the BMW m6 kit if you want a longer fitment. This allows you to offset the plate more. The thread pitch is the same between the cars. The standard fitment will bring the plate closer to the car. Usmillworks.com uses the best materials. Will not rust. Leave the tint. Everybody has tint. I don't know your state law but if it's so dark that police can't see your profile, then go lighter; i.e. 35%-50%. Remove the rear plate cover. That is old school anyway

M6 fitment:

[SakhirM4]

Originally Posted by f80er

Wrong, he was a prick because I got the previous tickets fixed and when he pulled me over again he refused to acknowledge that fact and wrote me up again. My exhaust wasn't illegal and never was (passed inspection both times) so yes he is/was a PRICK.

Sorry, I had the wrong prick.

[FC]

I think it's one of those cases of calling too much attention. I've gone without a front plate for years one multiple cars with no problems, but I drive few miles and mostly within my town (where cops are lenient), and I give no reason to call their attention and keep the car stock or very close (at least visually and audibly).

Personally, I think it all starts with a clean, visible, good rear plate. That's the first thing they look at. If they have issues with that, they will start looking around for other things.

I've gotten pulled over and have been given warnings (verbal and written) for speeding and they didn't even notice or check my front plate. Lucky, sure. But it helps to not make them be suspicious.

It also helps that in MA most people have both plates and there are still legal plates requiring only rears, so they probably don't go after that violation much unless they are looking for things to write up.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

P.S. FWIW, I don't run a front plate either, and I only write it if the registered owner of the vehicle is giving me attitude.

But seriously, what are the chances that another cop is going to ticket you for no front plate.

I got a fix-it ticket for no front plate one day when I turned off a main drag onto a side street. A cop had a car already pulled over, turned and looked at me, pointed his finger at me and mouthed "Pull over!", and pointed to the curb. Not speeding, not loud, no other reason other than he saw my lack of a front plate. I'm sure he felt like that one just fell into his lap.

Fortunately, my wife works with a colleague who's husband is a cop in another city. The citation gets passed to him, he signs off on it, and it gets passed back. Problem solved.

In La Jolla, most of the parking is metered parking on the street. Meter maids, of which they have a whole fleet, are constantly driving around, marking tires for time violations, and giving parking tickets, and they can now cite you for no front plate even if your car is parked legally with time on the meter. I used to have a consulting business and I had a client in La Jolla. After getting a ticket for no front plate while parked legally, I told him that I was no longer going to subject myself to that and dropped him. I no longer go to La Jolla during the day when the meters are in effect.

[SD ///M4]

Originally Posted by clutchdj

Leave the tint. Everybody has tint. I don't know your state law but if it's so dark that police can't see your profile, then go lighter; i.e. 35%-50%.

EDITED: California law states that the driver and passenger front windows "must allow at least 70 percent of light to penetrate into the vehicle". California doesn't even allow medical exemptions. In SoCal, the sun can be relentless, and a very large percentage of cars are tinted for sun protection and cooler temps in the car. Enthusiasts tend to go darker than most. I have 35% all around on my M4.

Most tint shops have a policy that if they installed it and you get a ticket, they'll take it off for free. Having it removed is the only remedy, unless you know a friendly cop who will sign off your citation without you actually removing it.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by f80er

That sucks man and I have been in that situation before where the LEO could have been cooler about things but decided to be a prick regardless of my attitude. He wrote me a ticket for modified exhaust and tint, both of which I got fixed (passed inspection on exhaust and had tint removed). He pulled me over again and tried to write me up for modified exhaust again even through I had the inspection paper on hand to show him that it passed.

In the end he got reprimanded for being a complete kook and no showed in court so everything was dropped. Some good and some bad out there, looks like you got a bad one.

How do YOU know he got reprimanded? You have no access to anything disciplinary. Hell, courts can barely get access to that stuff, so let's not make assumptions. A traffic officer's job is to write cites. If you don't want to be cited, don't break the law. You have to pay to play. Labeling somebody a prick just for doing their job says more about your maturity level than it does anything else.

Originally Posted by SakhirM4

A law enforcement officer writing a ticket for something illegal is not being a prick. He is just doing his job.

Agreed!

Originally Posted by f80er

Wrong, he was a prick because I got the previous tickets fixed and when he pulled me over again he refused to acknowledge that fact and wrote me up again. My exhaust wasn't illegal and never was (passed inspection both times) so yes he is/was a PRICK.

Why did he write you for a modified exhaust? Was your car loud? Did it appear modified?

Originally Posted by SD ///M4

But seriously, what are the chances that another cop is going to ticket you for no front plate.

Unlikely now, but I haven't run a front plate since my teenage years, so the profession is largely irrelevant.

[packetpilot]

I believe you did not have to roll up the window, curious if @sedan_clan agrees.

Thanks for sharing your story. I thought the only horror stories from 880 involved potholes and bent rims, and pothole cinders cracking windshields.

I'll bet the license plate cover was the only thing he could actually pull you over for, and the others don't qualify and can only be cited if the car is already stopped.

[shiv.nandak]

Originally Posted by FC

Personally, I think it all starts with a clean, visible, good rear plate. That's the first thing they look at.

Totally agree with this. I would never put a cover on my liscense plate for the fear of attracting unwanted attention.

[sdwilly]

Might just be me but in the bay area, I've found the CHP to much more pedantic about little things like tint, and license plate covers than anyone else. So much more that when I took a fix it ticket to my local police department to sign off on he laughed that anyone would even write the ticket these days.