# 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:** 3
**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, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/41 "2018-05-28T01:52:25Z")
> [@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 do Lawrenceville, they’re a bit more bearable. ---
**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, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/42 "2018-05-28T02:01:24Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > That seems like a LOT of trouble and technological mumbo jumbo when cops can just pull over black people like normal. :rolleyes: This area has a rep for racial profiling. Perhaps “fishing expedition” pullover are a precursor to tossing the car, etc. I’ve had a car searched just once and it was by the FBI. There was a horrific triple murder last year near my campus and they were looking for the murderer’s accomplice, thought to be in a black SUV with NJ plates (as in: my car). They were extremely polite and didn’t really dig around, but I was terrified! I suspect I’m one of those people who would confess to anything under interrogation. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/43 "2018-05-28T04:45:46Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > This area has a rep for racial profiling. Perhaps “fishing expedition” pullover are a precursor to tossing the car, etc. > > I’ve had a car searched just once and it was by the FBI. There was a horrific triple murder last year near my campus and they were looking for the murderer’s accomplice, thought to be in a black SUV with NJ plates (as in: my car). > > They were extremely polite and didn’t really dig around, but I was terrified! I suspect I’m one of those people who would confess to anything under interrogation. I had something similar happen once. I was driving my RX-7 with body damage when I got pulled over. The officers boxed me in and searched the car. Once they actually saw me, and saw the damage, they relaxed. The damage was obviously old. It turns out that there had been a serious hit and run the night before. My car matched the description. ---
**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 28, 2018, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/44 "2018-05-28T12:28:39Z")
Jennshark: > [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Can you link to this webpage? > > … > > 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 28, 2018, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/45 "2018-05-28T12:45:28Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Jennshark: The OP seems to not care about the motor vehicle laws in NJ. NJ requires two plates, she only has one. NJ does not allow window tint on windshield or front windows, hers are tinted. “I wonder why I’m being stopped?” ---
**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 28, 2018, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/46 "2018-05-28T12:46:42Z")
The OP seems to not care about the motor vehicle laws in NJ. NJ requires two plates, she only has one. NJ does not allow window tint on windshield or front windows, hers are tinted. “I wonder why I’m being stopped?” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/47 "2018-05-28T13:19:35Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > The OP seems to not care about the motor vehicle laws in NJ. NJ requires two plates, she only has one. NJ does not allow window tint on windshield or front windows, hers are tinted. > > “I wonder why I’m being stopped?” I have a friend like that, also in NJ. NJ requires two plates, she only has one. NJ does not allow window tint on windshield or front windows, hers are tinted. She also has close to a hundred little gee-gaws hanging from her rear view mirror. Most are loopy beads and lanyards. Any kind of accident, or just the right gust of wind, and they’ll strangle her. Those _should_ be reason to pull her over… ---
**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, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/48 "2018-05-28T15:31:37Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Jennshark: > [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > 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. I don’t have tints on front side nor windshield, just passenger windows and rear window. Here’s the law: Tint darkness for sedans: Windshield: No tint is allowed on the windshield. Front Side windows: No tint can be applied legally to this window. Back Side windows: Any darkness can be used. Rear Window: Any darkness can be used. > **[Example of Tint Darkness Percentages – Car Tinting Laws](https://www.tinting-laws.com/tint-darkness-example/)** > > Our illustrative image shows how your car window tint darkness will look. Find out how much darkness is best for your needs with our example. ---
**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, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/49 "2018-05-28T15:39:22Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > The OP seems to not care about the motor vehicle laws in NJ. NJ requires two plates, she only has one. NJ does not allow window tint on windshield or front windows, hers are tinted. > > “I wonder why I’m being stopped?” GUYS! My tint is perfectly legal – ONLY rear and back windows and it’s really not that dark. I was just speculating it could be a (non) reason to be stopped. Bear in mind I’ve never had a moving violation here and the last one I had was in 1987 in So Cal (10 miles over limit on freeway). Besides the front plate I’m not exactly the criminal of the century. AND AGAIN: my car was legally registered both times I was stopped this month. The DMV’s database messed up and the cop was getting wrong info. ---
**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 28, 2018, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/50 "2018-05-28T16:44:45Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > I don’t have tints on front side nor windshield, just passenger windows and rear window. Yeah, I had a feeling that claim was coming. Yet you compared your tint to samples on a NJ State police website that I asked you to link to twice and you haven’t. > [@](#): > > the law: > Tint darkness for sedans: > Windshield: No tint is allowed on the windshield. > Front Side windows: No tint can be applied legally to this window. > Back Side windows: Any darkness can be used. > Rear Window: Any darkness can be used. I know the law. Everything you quoted above is information I already supplied to you. NJ is either all or nothing. So what samples on what NJ State Police website were you comparing your tint to and what was there to compare? Frankly, a lot of your claims in this and your previous thread either don’t add up or are hard to buy. You keep forgetting to register your car, yet this last time it was their fault. It’s hard to remember to register your car because it doesn’t coincide with inspection time, yet NJ sends everything you need in the mail at least a month ahead of the time it’s due and gives you the option of doing it in few minutes online, through the mail or in person. Your “speed shop guy” tells you front side windows are okay to tint, but of course your windows are all legal. You complain that you get pulled over because you don’t have a front plate on and it’s a “why are they picking on me?” thing, because NO ONE has a front plate on in your area- which is total bullshit! People here are buying it and it seems to be helping justify your belief that it’s the cops that decided to pick on you, but whatever. Good for you, I guess. ---
**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 28, 2018, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/51 "2018-05-28T18:09:15Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > The OP seems to not care about the motor vehicle laws in NJ. One of the reasons I like her. Fuck The Man! 😉 ---
**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, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/52 "2018-05-28T18:15:34Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > One of the reasons I like her. Fuck The Man! > > 😉 Ah, thanks!, this means a lot to me. ---
**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, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/53 "2018-05-28T18:27:50Z")
> [@x-ray\_vision](#): > > Yeah, I had a feeling that claim was coming. Yet you compared your tint to samples on a NJ State police website that I asked you to link to twice and you haven’t. > > I know the law. Everything you quoted above is information I already supplied to you. NJ is either all or nothing. So what samples on what NJ State Police website were you comparing your tint to and what was there to compare? > > Frankly, a lot of your claims in this and your previous thread either don’t add up or are hard to buy. You keep forgetting to register your car, yet this last time it was their fault. It’s hard to remember to register your car because it doesn’t coincide with inspection time, yet NJ sends everything you need in the mail at least a month ahead of the time it’s due and gives you the option of doing it in few minutes online, through the mail or in person. Your “speed shop guy” tells you front side windows are okay to tint, but of course your windows are all legal. You complain that you get pulled over because you don’t have a front plate on and it’s a “why are they picking on me?” thing, because NO ONE has a front plate on in your area- which is total bullshit! People here are buying it and it seems to be helping justify your belief that it’s the cops that decided to pick on you, but whatever. Good for you, I guess. I’m going for my very FIRST mod warning in 14 years of the Dope: 1. You have reading comprehension problems. 2. You are tedious and, frankly, creepy. You’ve barfed in other threads I post in, just GTFO. 3. If you’d like to continue investigating my criminal behavior, then Pit me. 4. STFU Regards, Jennshark ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/54 "2018-05-28T23:19:56Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > I’m going for my very FIRST mod warning in 14 years of the Dope: > > 1. You have reading comprehension problems. > 2. You are tedious and, frankly, creepy. You’ve barfed in other threads I post in, just GTFO. > 3. If you’d like to continue investigating my criminal behavior, then Pit me. > 4. STFU > > Regards, > Jennshark I hope it works; that’s a lot more effort than I put in to MY first warning! ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2018, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/55 "2018-05-28T23:34:39Z")
That might be enough though. I mean, you asked nicely for it. ---
**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, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/56 "2018-05-28T23:41:58Z")
> [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > I hope it works; that’s a lot more effort than I put in to MY first warning! Hey, if it’s worth doing it’s worth doing well. ---
**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:** [May 29, 2018, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/57 "2018-05-29T13:04:24Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > I’m going for my very FIRST mod warning in 14 years of the Dope: > > 1. You have reading comprehension problems. > 2. You are tedious and, frankly, creepy. You’ve barfed in other threads I post in, just GTFO. > 3. If you’d like to continue investigating my criminal behavior, then Pit me. > 4. STFU > > Regards, > Jennshark Yes this is an official warning. If you have a problem with a poster take it to the Pit. > [@Jennshark](#): > > Hey, if it’s worth doing it’s worth doing well. No it’s not. Intentionally thumbing your nose at the rules will get you suspended or banned quickly. ---
**Author:** ![TheMightyFro](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themightyfro/32/20081_2.png) [@TheMightyFro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMightyFro)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/58 "2018-05-29T17:33:04Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > 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. Not weird at all. In Massachusetts, you’d get pulled over daily, because a high proportion of the time, the drivers of cars matching your description are drug dealers. MA doesn’t get enough sun to really require tint, so there is the question as to why so many people tint theirs above the legal limit. This is especially true for expensive model cars. The logic is that people with enough money to afford them usually follow the law regarding that expensive vehicle. It’d be like dressing up as a clown, and getting indignant when people treat you like a clown. I mean, you can dress like that if you want, but you’re going to have to accept that you’ll be treated differently for it. On another note, obviously the police wont tell you why they pulled you over if it turns out their suspicion was wrong. They usually tell you something innocuous anyways, or nothing at all. They aren’t about to educate the public on their investigative techniques. That being said, if this was happening over and over, why wouldn’t you be sure to keep your registration documents? If you went to the DMV, they would have just printed you out another copy. ---
**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:** [May 29, 2018, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/59 "2018-05-29T17:42:37Z")
> [@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. In New Jersey we do use ALPR but generally only a small number of police vehicles are equipped. More likely the officer used the random plate inquiry on his computer. I run the plate of just about every car I get behind. Using that function if there is nothing wrong with the registration the only information that comes back is the make/model/year of the vehicle. If there is something wrong it pops up in red. In this case it does appear that there was a screw up at DMV which caused it to show up as unregistered on the cop’s computer. It’s rare but it does happen. ---
**Author:** ![TheMightyFro](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/themightyfro/32/20081_2.png) [@TheMightyFro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMightyFro)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2018, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829/60 "2018-05-29T17:48:23Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Then the next question to yesterday’s guy should have been why he ran your plate. Surely they don’t do that for every car they come near or they’d never get anything else done. Actually, its quite rare now that a cop is required to “enter” the license plate number. Here in Massachusetts anyways, most local department patrol cars (and pretty much every state trooper vehicle) have ALPRs (Automated License Plate Readers) mounted front and back, which pretty much do what the title implies. Basically the computer is constantly reading and cross-referencing license plate numbers with registration records, hot-sheets, and BOLOs. I’m almost certain that this is what happened to OP. The RMV in MA wants that sweet, sweet registration money, and they’ll use technology against us. Also, MA is a two plate state, and you will definitely get pulled over quick without a good reason to be without both! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pulled-over-again-for-unregistered-car/814829.md?page=4)