# Law enforcement types: A question about vehicle registrations. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 22, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386 "2020-04-22T23:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386/41 "2020-04-27T13:55:53Z")
> [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > My registration is a huge piece of paper, so I don’t get this carry in your wallet stuff. When I graduated from high school we got a little wallet sized mini-diploma. Do you guys use some service that shrinks your registration to wallet size? How much info is on these behemoth registrations? Looking at my 4.5" square Maryland registration, it has this info in this order: line 1: bar code that’s about 1/2" in height and registration sticker number line 2: title# / car make and body style line 3: car yr / vehicle class / VIN line 4: vehicle weight / registration fee / expiration date line 5: my state license id/ co owner id (if any) my name and address What else does a CA or IL registration have on it? Or do they have the same info in 36pt font? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386/42 "2020-04-27T17:05:27Z")
> [@FastDan1](#): > > In my experience (though I haven’t been pulled over more than a handful of times), in Texas they ask for driver’s license and proof of insurance. Vehicle registration is on a sticker on the windshield. I’ve never been asked for registration documents. Yes some states do have registration stickers that must be put on the car. Some have little stickers that go on the plate. My state has neither. > [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Yeah, but it occurred to me that they wouldn’t have to steal the vehicle. They’d just have to get into the vehicle and steal the garage door opener. > > It’s not something I’m personally worrying about, but I can see why some people might. Burglars are not going to break into cars, search for a garage door opener, search for the address on a registration, travel to that house, case it to see if no one is there, use the garage door opener to go into the front of the house and burgle the place. Too many steps. They will find a house that looks empty with a secluded backyard and kick a window. 10 minutes at most and they are gone. > [@doreen](#): > > I don’t really let people borrow my car - my husband and I each carry copies of both car registrations and when my son used to drive one sometimes , he had a copy as well. As far as repair shops, , they’ve never asked for the registration certificate because apparently the only consequence of not having the registration certificate is that the police will scan the registration sticker on the windshield. I’ve never heard of someone getting a ticket for not having the certificate if there was a valid window sticker. ( maybe it happened before the window sticker had all the info) I just looked up the VTL, and it actually says > > so apparently the police cannot issue a ticket for driving an unregistered vehicle if you don’t have the certificate but do have a valid sticker. I haven’t been able to find anything that states not having the certificate is a separate violation from an unregistered vehicle. In my state it is two different charges for being unregistered and for not having the document. If the document is not presented we look it up electronically. Due to our wonderful legislature not having the document is a much higher fine than driving an unregistered car. Go figure. It was part of a push to make more money off of tickets cops were giving out as breaks instead of violations with big fines and points. > [@actualliberalnotoneofthose](#): > > My registration is a huge piece of paper, so I don’t get this carry in your wallet stuff. When I graduated from high school we got a little wallet sized mini-diploma. Do you guys use some service that shrinks your registration to wallet size? Our registration is the same size as a drivers license. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386/43 "2020-04-27T17:11:07Z")
I’ve always left the registration in the car as it goes with the car whereas my drivers license goes with me. It seems silly to still have these registration card laws on the books because if you are stopped, the police run your tags as a matter of course anyways and get that information. Likewise, if you cancel or don’t pay your insurance, the company is supposed to inform the state which cancels your registration. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386/44 "2020-04-27T17:15:57Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > … Likewise, if you cancel or don’t pay your insurance, the company is supposed to inform the state which cancels your registration. In Washington state, I don’t believe there is any communication between the insurance companies and the state DOL. I’ve never heard of a registration being canceled for failing to have insurance (in fact, we have a huge problem with uninsured drivers – who presumably have registered their cars.) We have to have the proof of insurance card with us in the event of an accident (to show the other driver) or a traffic stop. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386/45 "2020-04-27T18:30:27Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > In Washington state, I don’t believe there is any communication between the insurance companies and the state DOL. I’ve never heard of a registration being canceled for failing to have insurance (in fact, we have a huge problem with uninsured drivers – who presumably have registered their cars.) > > We have to have the proof of insurance card with us in the event of an accident (to show the other driver) or a traffic stop. There is in WV. My car has an insurance policy with me listed as the primary driver. If I stop paying premiums or cancel the policy, the law says that the insurance company is to notify the state DMV which will then cancel the car registration. ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2020, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386/46 "2020-04-27T20:21:44Z")
Here in my Canadian province, the registration is a wallet sized card but for the past few years, the registrant’s address is no longer present. Basic insurance through the provincial government is automatically issued with the registration. ---
**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386/47 "2020-04-28T13:40:22Z")
> [@UDS](#): > > Are they less likely to be stolen? Genuine puzzled question. As odd as it sounds, yeah. Do a search and you’ll find endless stories of thieves trying to steal/carjack vehicles, only to be stopped as it’s a stick shift. May just be a US thing, though, as I understand in Europe stick shifts are more common? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/law-enforcement-types-a-question-about-vehicle-registrations/852386.md?page=2)