Driving cross country with expired tags - how to avoid police?

clint wrote:

What a stupid post!
"Dave Smith" wrote in message
...

SP Cook wrote:


Here's a valid question:
Used to be some states didn't legally care where you lived and would
issue a legal registration by mail even, along with plates, just as
long
as you paid the fee. Wondering if any states still do that.


Such a plate would only be valid in the state of issuance. The Full
Faith and Credit clause of the Constitution only applies to legitimate
acts of one state. States cannot issue valid plates to non-residents
that the state the person actually lives in is bound to honor.

Otherwise, some smart state would just set a plate fee at $5 and sell
plates to every single person in America.


To the best of my knowledge, all states and provinces require that the
registered owner be a resident of the jurisdiction where the plate is
issued.
I know that Ontario's HTA exempts vehicles from having to have an Ontario
permit id the owner is a resident of jurisdiction in which it is
registered.
It gets more complicated when you get into trucks and buses. They used to
have
to register in whatever every jurisdiction they were travelling in. Then
there were reciprocal agreements made to allow vehicles to operate in
reciprocating states if the owner resided in or was based in the state.
Not
all states were involved. There was a and of states just in from the west
coast that all opted out of reciprocity. Then a few years ago they
implemented the IRP system where you registered in your home jurisdiction
and
paid a portion of the permit fees for each jurisdiction travelled in and
their
permits listed all the states and provinces in which they were registered,
and
the RGW they paid for in each one.

Then there are semi trailers. If all the trailers registered in Vermont
were
ever to be returned there on the same day they would run out of parking
spaces
before coffee brake. Since they aren't motor vehicles they can get away
with
it. Some states have annual trailer permit fees and others are valid for
the
life of the plate. Companies look for states with attractive trailer
permit
fees and sales tax rates.

Commercial vehicle plates are a lot more expensive than car plates. If
there
were not controls on it, any state could make a lucrative business of
selling
permits. At $1500 or more per year, and requiring only a stamped sheet of
metal, a pre printed form with the important data on it and a filing
system,
they could make billions.

Not stupid at all. Factual. Back in the 1970's people could mail Vermont
applications for registration from anywhere in the US and Vermont would
send them plates and registration.

I remember people in NYC that accumulated too many NY tickets would opt
for a new VT tag, being cheaper than NYC's extortion rates for parking
tickets. Used to see many VT tags in NYC back then.
That was back when you didn't need a title to reg a car there either. It
was a non-title state and so was Maine back then.

You just filled out the forms and after paying the fees you where in biz.

GK

On Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:38:32 GMT, "Alohacyberian"
wrote:


Ah, inflation has come to Wyoming! Just think, if it's the same as in the
old days, had y'all had Wyoming plates on your car, you could have continued
to go 90 with no problem! KM

It was a rental. I don't remember what the plates were but not WY.
They had an interesting way to keep people from asking for a trial.
You had to appear in person to ask for a trial. Then one would be
scheduled for a later date at which you had to again appear.

As an ex-State Trooper, I can tell you that not displaying a current
expiration sticker or even having a current sticker in a place on the tag
that is inconsistent with what the laws and regulations require, is grounds
for a stop and a ticket even if it is produced during the stop.

Here in Maryland, the year sticker goes on the upper right of the rear tag
and the month goes on the upper left on all vehicles except motorcycles and
tractor trailer tractors. Those are special rules. I have never given a
ticket for a misplaced sticker but it did give me probable cause to stop
many vehicles (as I am only required to look at the upper left and right for
the stickers, no sticker/s time to stop.) Anything I found wrong after the
stop could then be charged. Many times a stop is conducted for a legitimate
minor offense and a major offense is then found.

Once had a guy that had a green 64 Chevy and a blue 64 Chevy (same models).
Bought one set of registration plates each year for the green Chevy (back
when Maryland issued metal plates each renewal.) Put one plate on the rear
of the green Chevy and the other on the back of the blue Chevy. He screwed
a friend and the friend told me. Waited to find him driving the blue Chevy.
He went to jail for that one plus a big fine (unregistered, uninsured,
fraudulent use of registration and other offenses.) Paybacks can sure be
hell (the lesson here is don't screw with your friends.)

Also, if you are operating a vehicle in a known unlawful situation, your
insurance company may not cover you in an accident.


"Carmen L. Abruzzi" wrote in message
ups.com...

Doug Smith W9WI wrote:
Alohacyberian wrote:
"Doug Smith W9WI" wrote in message
...

Around here, (Tennessee) when you first get your plate they put a
sticker
on it, showing what month it expires - it might say "JUL" in large
letters. You get another sticker that might say "2006", showing that
it
expires at the end of July, 2006. When you renew, you get a sticker
that
says "2007", you stick it over the top of "2006" to show the plate is
valid for another year. The procedure is identical in Wisconsin.

An officer doesn't have to get very close to be able to read both
stickers, and if he does he knows the plate is (or isn't) expired. He
doesn't have to run it through the computer to know.



Yes, he does. Just because you didn't put the sticker on the plate,
doesn't
mean you don't have it. I neglected to put my sticker on this year and
drove around for months with the sticker in the glove compartment. And
in
many states, stickers are stolen regularly. KM

Is it not technically illegal to not have your sticker on your plate?

I mean, I doubt you'd get ticketed if you could show the officer you'd
forgotten your sticker in the glove compartment, but you'd have provided
probable cause for the stop.

Yep. I got ticketed for no current registration (while the car was
parked, so I didn't see the cop) when I never received the sticker from
the DMV. Went to court with my receipt, well they sent me to the DA
(or some sub-assistant DA, I guess) who gave me a stern lecture about
how it was *my* responsibility to be sure I received the sticker and
put it on the plate. But he decided to "let it go this time", and
dropped the charge. So I'm sure the cop can stop you, and possibly
even ticket you for failing to display your registration, it would
depend on the state.

Alohacyberian wrote:
"Doug Smith W9WI" wrote in message
...
Alohacyberian wrote:
"Doug Smith W9WI" wrote in message
...

Yes, he does. Just because you didn't put the sticker on the plate,
doesn't mean you don't have it. I neglected to put my sticker on this
year and drove around for months with the sticker in the glove
compartment. And in many states, stickers are stolen regularly. KM

Is it not technically illegal to not have your sticker on your plate?


In some states yes, in others no. In states where it is common practice to
steal stickers, most law enforcement officers understand why people are
reticent to put them on the plates. There was a time when if you drove your
own car to a border town in Mexico and left it unattended, you could count
on your sticker being stolen. Not sure if that is still true. KM

I had my registration sticker stolen last year, but it was at the top
of about ten years accumulated stickers, which made it easy to
literally rip it off from the license plate intact, together with bits
of many of the underlying previous years stickers--there were still
parts of those previous stickers left on the plate after the theft. I
got a replacement sticker, and scraped off as much of the remaining
previous stickers as I could, with a razor blade, before affixing the
replacement sticker. When I got this year's sticker, I attempted to
remove last year's sticker (the one I got as a replacement for the
stolen one), I attempted to remove it intact, just to see if it could
be done. Even trying to be very careful and using a razor blade, and
all the time in the world, I found it impossible to remove the sticker
intact, it would rip and tear this way and that as I tried to pry it
away from the plate. The bond of the glue between the sticker and the
plate was stronger than the fabric of the sticker itself. I doubt that
a thief looking for a quick, easy target could have done any better.
It was only the underlying stickers from previous years that allowed
the thief to rip off last year's original sticker intact. The moral of
the story is that you should remove previous years' stickers before
affixing the new one.

"Brian" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:38:32 GMT, "Alohacyberian"
wrote:
Ah, inflation has come to Wyoming! Just think, if it's the same as in the
old days, had y'all had Wyoming plates on your car, you could have
continued
to go 90 with no problem! KM

It was a rental. I don't remember what the plates were but not WY.
They had an interesting way to keep people from asking for a trial.
You had to appear in person to ask for a trial. Then one would be
scheduled for a later date at which you had to again appear.

Yes, many states have that ploy to get you to pay up now or forever hold
your peace. Some states even use if for parking tickets. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
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"Hatunen" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:38:33 GMT, "Alohacyberian"
wrote:

Well, I long ago learned that unless you are in a metropolitan area, the
California Highway Patrol will allow you to go 75 or 10 miles an hour
above
the posted speed limit, provided you aren't changing lanes.

The California open freeway speed limit is 70mph.


It is now, but, during the time frame I referenced it was still the
nationally mandated 55 miles per hour. What the CHP will allow now, I'm not
sure. After they increased the speed limit I was only pulled over once. I
was going 138 according to the cop and 140 according to the speedometer, so
naturally, I got a ticket. He mercifully ticketed me for 83, so the fine
wasn't that bad and I agreed to attend a safe-driving class (though I didn't
live in California) and the ticket never showed up on my driving record. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
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"Don Kirkman" wrote in message
...
It seems to me I heard somewhere that Alohacyberian wrote in article
:
"Don Kirkman" wrote in message
. ..
It seems to me I heard somewhere that wrote in
article . com:
I've never been pulled over (they never had a reason to)

A few months ago I was followed several blocks, then pulled over by a
local Sheriff's deputy who questioned my registration and license plate
(everything was in order). I have Amateur Radio plates, have had for
many years now, but this young officer apparently didn't even know such
a thing existed (they're not that unusual on the California roads and
streets). When he tried to run a computer check he failed to account for
a space in the license number and it came back as unknown. I had to sit
and wait for a while before he (apparently) tried various combinations
of the digits and letters before he hit the right one. Naturally, he
told me that it was okay, but didn't bother to apologize for the
inconvenience his lack of knowledge/imagination caused me.

Yup, same thing happened to me way back when and I explained to the young
rookie cop what "Ham" plates were for and apparently calling in WB6CAS
didn't work for him the first time. He was terribly suspicious and
explained to the dispatcher that I was trying to pull a "fast one" and
told
the dispatcher what I'd said. I could hear the dispatcher laughing as he
advised the rookie that all was well and someone would explain the
situation
to him when he got back to the station. I guess WB6 is no longer a
Southern
California designation. ;-) KM

Hams always have been a queer bunch (in the old fashioned meaning). :-)
AFAIK WB6s are still out there, but the call signs don't always match
the geography any more; they became portable several years ago so they
don't reissue new callsigns when a person moves, so a W1 may live in
California or a WB6 in Texas. But you knew that. :-)

Here is N6IM, inactive since home computers were invented but the
license is still valid.
--
Don Kirkman

Yup, same here - I now live in Hawaii but, haven't been active since the
introduction of home computers and to think of all the effort I put into
practicing Morse Code to get it up to the speed required to be an Advanced
Ham. Oh, well, I guess it kept me off the streets, though I'm sure I could
have been learning something more useful. I can't remember if it was for
the Amateur or Commercial tickets (maybe both) that I had to learn all those
sine wave characteristics of VACUUM TUBES and other such things which were
on the brink of becoming obsolete. When the FCC decided to stop
administering the test for the Commercial licenses, I was downright
indignant that those who followed me wouldn't have to sweat bullets before
they got the "Big Blue". KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

"Dave Smith" wrote in message
...
Alohacyberian wrote:
In some states yes, in others no. In states where it is common practice
to
steal stickers, most law enforcement officers understand why people are
reticent to put them on the plates. There was a time when if you drove
your
own car to a border town in Mexico and left it unattended, you could
count
on your sticker being stolen. Not sure if that is still true. KM

Do you really think that officers understand that? You can get
replacements.
Being caught with a stolen sticker just gets you two 0r more charges
instead of
one. It is common practice to charge for the expired plates, since you
obviously know that it is expired, and to charge for the unauthorized use
of the
sticker, because you are using that to cover up the other violation.


Uh, the dudes that stole the stickers were illegal aliens who neither knew
or cared about breaking the law or the consequences of such behavior.
California, then as now, gave them a wide berth in their never-ending
attempts to understand multicultural diversity and the plight of the poor
undocumented "immigrants". Granted, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas weren't
nearly as lenient nor did they seem to want to encourage illegal aliens into
their states as did California, nevertheless a large percent of illegal
aliens from south of the border were totally illiterate and completely
ignorant of the consequences of their actions and laughed at gringo's
stinking laws. I mean, would you get terribly upset if you had stolen tabs
on your stolen car? KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

wrote in message
oups.com...
wrote:
In most states I am aware of insurance companies
have a special rate for cars being stored.

A few years ago I had to store my car for 6 months. Someone suggested I
tell my insurance agent, which hadn't occured to me, and he adjusted
the coverage and my rate was dramatically lower.

Jim

Same here. I stored an unregistered pickup truck in my driveway; rate
was very nominal. Then a hailstorm hit, and I collected for the damages.

Then again from the insurance company's standpoint, the cost of damages from
a hailstorm are minimal compared to a car wreck where half a dozen people go
to the hospital with multiple injuries followed by long term disability and
rehabilitation. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/

"LVTravel" wrote in message
...
As an ex-State Trooper, I can tell you that not displaying a current
expiration sticker or even having a current sticker in a place on the tag
that is inconsistent with what the laws and regulations require, is
grounds for a stop and a ticket even if it is produced during the stop.

Here in Maryland, the year sticker goes on the upper right of the rear tag
and the month goes on the upper left on all vehicles except motorcycles
and tractor trailer tractors. Those are special rules. I have never
given a ticket for a misplaced sticker but it did give me probable cause
to stop many vehicles (as I am only required to look at the upper left and
right for the stickers, no sticker/s time to stop.) Anything I found
wrong after the stop could then be charged. Many times a stop is
conducted for a legitimate minor offense and a major offense is then
found.

Once had a guy that had a green 64 Chevy and a blue 64 Chevy (same
models). Bought one set of registration plates each year for the green
Chevy (back when Maryland issued metal plates each renewal.) Put one
plate on the rear of the green Chevy and the other on the back of the blue
Chevy. He screwed a friend and the friend told me. Waited to find him
driving the blue Chevy. He went to jail for that one plus a big fine
(unregistered, uninsured, fraudulent use of registration and other
offenses.) Paybacks can sure be hell (the lesson here is don't screw with
your friends.)

Also, if you are operating a vehicle in a known unlawful situation, your
insurance company may not cover you in an accident.


Too true, though law enforcement officers see the worst case scenarios, very
few of the rest of us fall into that boat. Were I the original poster of
this thread, I'd either chance driving with expired tabs (the most likely
scenario) or look into getting a permit to transport and if the hassle were
above my red-tape tolerance level, I'd take the chance realizing full well
that I may have to take the consequences of my actions. My fundamental
question would be, "who's it hurting?" Will the coffers of Washington, D.C.
or the State of California suffer severely for my failing to pay them a few
shekels? There are those of us who get an adrenalin rush from life on the
razor's edge. And this example is small potatoes. KM
--
(-:alohacyberian:-) At my website there are 3600 live cameras or
visit NASA, the Vatican, the Smithsonian, the Louvre, CIA, FBI or
CNN, NBA, the White House, Academy Awards & 150 foreign languages
Visit Hawaii, Israel and mo http://keith.martin.home.att.net/