# Pulled over AGAIN for unregistered car! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829 "2018-05-26T00:08:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/21 "2018-05-26T20:25:49Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I have always heard in little Podunk towns ( like the ones surrounding me) LEO have certain vehicles in the towns that they watch/ pick-on and keep stopping. Hoping to catch them doing something offensible, I guess. This is probably urban legend. Just saying. How big is the town you drive in? Trenton, NJ (big and crime ridden). ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/22 "2018-05-26T20:30:41Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > Trenton, NJ (big and crime ridden). Being in the cops ‘little book of favorites’ is not your problem, then. It’s a mystery. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/23 "2018-05-26T21:50:42Z")
> [@Santos\_L\_Halper](#): > > Pennsylvania doesn’t have registration stickers either, as of last year. how do they know if your plates are current? ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/24 "2018-05-26T22:26:26Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > how do they know if your plates are current? Obviously they can check if you’re pulled over, but the automated license plate readers seem to be the key. Of course they can only check individual random cars, but if you think about it, the chances of a cop visually noticing an expired sticker are probably even smaller than the chances of an automated scan picking it up. He’d pretty much have to be stopped right behind you to see the sticker, or be pretty close and have eagle eyes. I first thought that eliminating the stickers was insane, but it does make a certain kind of sense, although the economics of it seem a bit iffy. [Pennsylvania](http://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Title-Registration/Pages/Registration-Stickers.aspx) claims it saves $1.1 million a year by eliminating stickers, which is a pittance, and another $2 million in mailing costs, which is also a pittance – compared, say, to what all the plate readers cost. But then the plate readers have other purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/25 "2018-05-26T23:00:13Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Obviously they can check if you’re pulled over, but the automated license plate readers seem to be the key. Of course they can only check individual random cars, but if you think about it, the chances of a cop visually noticing an expired sticker are probably even smaller than the chances of an automated scan picking it up. He’d pretty much have to be stopped right behind you to see the sticker, or be pretty close and have eagle eyes. > > I first thought that eliminating the stickers was insane, but it does make a certain kind of sense, although the economics of it seem a bit iffy. [Pennsylvania](http://www.dmv.pa.gov/VEHICLE-SERVICES/Title-Registration/Pages/Registration-Stickers.aspx) claims it saves $1.1 million a year by eliminating stickers, which is a pittance, and another $2 million in mailing costs, which is also a pittance – compared, say, to what all the plate readers cost. But then the plate readers have other purposes. I’m not sure how it saves anything as the cost of the sticker comes out of the user’s pocket. the correct response from them would be that they gained the cost of stamps as revenue because I doubt they cut the cost of renewals when this went into effect. Personally, I’d rather have proof on my plates that I paid. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/26 "2018-05-27T00:08:53Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > I compared my tints to the NJ State Police samples (online) and mine aren’t illegal. Can you link to this webpage? You have a “speed shop guy.” One that gives you incorrect information on the legality of the mods he performs. Perhaps that’s part of your problems with getting pulled over, along with not getting your vehicle registered on at least two separate occasions? Your speed shop guy said there’s no limit to the amount of tint to windows except for the windshield. This is wrong. I’m curious what NJ State Police samples you’re comparing your tint to. There’s no level of tint allowable on windshields and front side windows and any level allowed on back side windows and rear windows. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/27 "2018-05-27T01:05:03Z")
In Missouri, the Hiway patrol has a card they hold against the inside of the glass. If they can read the print OK. If they can’t, ticket. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/28 "2018-05-27T01:44:33Z")
If you have an illegal tint, the police will spot it immediately. In Michigan, I bought a Nevada plated car with legal Nevada tinting. When I bolted on the Michigan plates, I was stopped a couple blocks from my house. That, by the way, was when I found out Nevada doesn’t require title to plate. You can go to Nevada and get Nevada plates, and keep your original state title. Just in case you want to tint. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/29 "2018-05-27T02:41:03Z")
Years ago my friend and I were driving along an arterial road in Toronto, and we got pulled over for excessive tint on the front side windows. The tint was a film; we ripped it off there on the side of the road and could go on. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/30 "2018-05-27T03:20:05Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > That, by the way, was when I found out Nevada doesn’t require title to plate. You can go to Nevada and get Nevada plates, and keep your original state title. Just in case you want to tint. With some restrictions. But, yeah. I bought my 740, and the original owner signed on the wrong line. I went to register it, and they told me, “No, it has to be on the correct line.” I said, “Ah, shit! I won’t be able to drive it now!” DMV said, “Oh, we can register it, you just can’t title it.” Great, save me $28 bucks! Been drivin’ that car for nearly 20 years now. Title is in the name of some homeboy named Larry. Did 120 in it last week. Love that new road they built out here! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/31 "2018-05-27T03:39:39Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > If you have an illegal tint, the police will spot it immediately. In Michigan, I bought a Nevada plated car with legal Nevada tinting. When I bolted on the Michigan plates, I was stopped a couple blocks from my house. > > That, by the way, was when I found out Nevada doesn’t require title to plate. You can go to Nevada and get Nevada plates, and keep your original state title. Just in case you want to tint. In Missouri that won’t work unless you’ve got a drivers license to match. ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/32 "2018-05-27T04:16:23Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > This is always in my older black BMW. I’ve never been stopped in my newer black X3, the bright red 330ci with track stickers and numbers on it, or the Mini Cooper. The black car does have dark tint windows (previous owner did it), but it’s never been mentioned as a violation when I’m stopped. I’m a 51yo white lady, so nasty racial profiling doesn’t seem to be in play. It isn’t always how your car looks. In 34,000 miles and 8+ years, I have only ever been pulled over twice, driving [this car](http://www.atomacrossamerica.org/6F5S9029-m.jpg). And if a car ever screamed “pull me over!” it is the Ariel Atom. The first time I was pulled over, I still had an Oregon temp tag on it (I picked it up at the factory). At the time, Oregon used hand-printed temp tags and the cops couldn’t read it. So they pulled me over and we had a nice long chat about the car, until their dispatcher radioed them to wrap it up because people were slowing down to look at us. The second time was around 25.000 miles later and by the time the cop (who was less than half my age) walked up to my car, he was apologizing and saying he shouldn’t have pulled me over, he mis-read my license plate. If you’re in an area where they routinely run checks on license plates, the “flagged as expired” is likely to get you pulled over, with or without a tint that may not be legal. I suggest you go visit the head MVC (what NJ calls its DMV) office on East Front St. in Trenton and have them fix it in the computer, as opposed to just giving you a note of explanation. Note that parking there is abysmal and you may need to make an appointment so you can get a visitor badge for the office floors. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/33 "2018-05-27T04:36:18Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > A few weeks ago I had a thread about constantly being pulled over by the local cops. A few weeks ago I got a ticket for unregistered car; I was positive I had paid the DMV fee but couldn’t find the document. > > That was my eighth time being stopped in 10 years for a non-moving violation (this was only the second time I was ticketed for anything). I’ve been stopped for stuff like a dim brake light (it wasn’t), a malfunctioning blinker light (it was also okay),\*\* a dim license plate light (it wasn’t) and variations on these things.\*\* > > But never have been stopped for a moving violation. > > So I got pulled over yesterday, again, for no registration. I showed the cop my card, as I had gone to the DMV immediately after the prior incident. He contacted the DMV and it turned out there was an error in their system and I HAD paid it months before and so have paid for it twice. > > I asked the cop why I keep getting pulled over, he said he didn’t know but it did seem to be odd. > > This is always in my older black BMW. I’ve never been stopped in my newer black X3, the bright red 330ci with track stickers and numbers on it, or the Mini Cooper. The black car does have dark tint windows (previous owner did it), but it’s never been mentioned as a violation when I’m stopped. I’m a 51yo white lady, so nasty racial profiling doesn’t seem to be in play. > > Weird, just weird. Bolding yours… I got pulled over last night for a broken license plate light… except it was working just fine… Probably just another Municipal Fishing Expedition. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/34 "2018-05-27T05:02:13Z")
> [@Terry\_Kennedy](#): > > It isn’t always how your car looks. In 34,000 miles and 8+ years, I have only ever been pulled over twice, driving [this car](http://www.atomacrossamerica.org/6F5S9029-m.jpg). Show off. And you splurged on the one with windshields; well aren’t we fancy. ---
**Author:** ![Terry\_Kennedy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@Terry\_Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terry_Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/35 "2018-05-27T07:00:55Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And you splurged on the one with windshields; well aren’t we fancy. They’re not really windshields - just little deflectors that deflect the bugs **into** your face. Quite a few years later they began to offer a real windshield, with wipers and everything. That was just one step in a whole path that took the car away from the original design purity. These days you can even get [this](https://www.arielna.com/arielnomad/), which combines a dune buggy, ATV, and something out of Mad Max. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/36 "2018-05-27T11:10:38Z")
The reason you get pulled over so frequently may be due to automatic license plate scanners, used by many police departments, even rural ones. These video units can detect a license plate on a moving vehicle anywhere within visual range, decode the digits, access a central database, and alert the driving officer to something that should be investigated. They can link the plate to drivers at the same address, so even if the plate/registration is OK, some related person (who may or may not be in the car) may have an expired license or an open warrant. Gotcha! Some cops will just park along the street, watching the scanner, and hoping for something to turn up that they can confront. They realize there will be false positives, but hey, shit happens. Of course, the database may be in error, and you are the victim of bureaucratic failure. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/37 "2018-05-27T13:35:09Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > In Missouri that won’t work unless you’ve got a drivers license to match. That \*might \*save you from getting a ticket for the tint, but it might also open a different can of worms if you are a resident of state X which requires you to obtain a State X license and registration within a certain time period of establishing residency. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/38 "2018-05-27T15:03:14Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > The reason you get pulled over so frequently may be due to automatic license plate scanners, used by many police departments, even rural ones. These video units can detect a license plate on a moving vehicle anywhere within visual range, decode the digits, access a central database, and alert the driving officer to something that should be investigated. They can link the plate to drivers at the same address, so even if the plate/registration is OK, some related person (who may or may not be in the car) may have an expired license or an open warrant. Gotcha! > > Some cops will just park along the street, watching the scanner, and hoping for something to turn up that they can confront. They realize there will be false positives, but hey, shit happens. > > Of course, the database may be in error, and you are the victim of bureaucratic failure. That seems like a LOT of trouble and technological mumbo jumbo when cops can just pull over black people like normal. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2018, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/39 "2018-05-27T23:29:57Z")
> [@Terry\_Kennedy](#): > > It isn’t always how your car looks. In 34,000 miles and 8+ years, I have only ever been pulled over twice, driving [this car](http://www.atomacrossamerica.org/6F5S9029-m.jpg). And if a car ever screamed “pull me over!” it is the Ariel Atom. The first time I was pulled over, I still had an Oregon temp tag on it (I picked it up at the factory). At the time, Oregon used hand-printed temp tags and the cops couldn’t read it. So they pulled me over and we had a nice long chat about the car, until their dispatcher radioed them to wrap it up because people were slowing down to look at us. The second time was around 25.000 miles later and by the time the cop (who was less than half my age) walked up to my car, he was apologizing and saying he shouldn’t have pulled me over, he mis-read my license plate. > > If you’re in an area where they routinely run checks on license plates, the “flagged as expired” is likely to get you pulled over, with or without a tint that may not be legal. I suggest you go visit the head MVC (what NJ calls its DMV) office on East Front St. in Trenton and have them fix it in the computer, as opposed to just giving you a note of explanation. Note that parking there is abysmal and you may need to make an appointment so you can get a visitor badge for the office floors. Super jealous! Is that the 500, or the “normal” Atom with the supercharged Honda Civic Type R motor? Note to self: The “normal” Atom can accelerate from 0-60 in just under 3 seconds… ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/40 "2018-05-28T01:51:24Z")
> [@Terry\_Kennedy](#): > > It isn’t always how your car looks. In 34,000 miles and 8+ years, I have only ever been pulled over twice, driving [this car](http://www.atomacrossamerica.org/6F5S9029-m.jpg). And if a car ever screamed “pull me over!” it is the Ariel Atom. The first time I was pulled over, I still had an Oregon temp tag on it (I picked it up at the factory). At the time, Oregon used hand-printed temp tags and the cops couldn’t read it. So they pulled me over and we had a nice long chat about the car, until their dispatcher radioed them to wrap it up because people were slowing down to look at us. The second time was around 25.000 miles later and by the time the cop (who was less than half my age) walked up to my car, he was apologizing and saying he shouldn’t have pulled me over, he mis-read my license plate. > > If you’re in an area where they routinely run checks on license plates, the “flagged as expired” is likely to get you pulled over, with or without a tint that may not be legal. I suggest you go visit the head MVC (what NJ calls its DMV) office on East Front St. in Trenton and have them fix it in the computer, as opposed to just giving you a note of explanation. Note that parking there is abysmal and you may need to make an appointment so you can get a visitor badge for the office floors. I went to the DMV today and got it sorted. They’ll refund the double payment portion and I went over every piece of the registration with the clerk, line by line. Why was it screwed up? They dunno. Unfortunately I already paid the ticket. I guess I could pursue it with the court, but it makes me exhausted to even think about it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829.md?page=3)