Obstructed license plate

[Aze]

Officer [name redacted] tells me to get back in my car and stop photographing his obstructed license plate, after he wrote me a ticket for my bicycle obstructing my bicycle plate.

I just can't stand hypocrisy. This cop car's plate is not visible; it is obstructed by the winch, possibly lower than the 12" from ground minimum, and most importantly seems to be encased in some sort of plastic to decrease readibility. And they are successful; I cannot read his plate.

Since this incident happened outside Gerlach it will be handled by Washoe county courts... anyone dealt with them? I don't want to pay the $178 bail without a fight, but don't want to drive back to Nevada either... protest by mail would be great.


[edit: name removed by Moderator - Eric]

[Eric]

Contact Lawyers for Burners for actual legal advice, what you will get on here is just speculation.

[ygmir]

you might want to be sure a front license plate is required on that truck, too. Sometimes different vehicles and uses have differing requirements.

[trilobyte]

I should imagine that lots of information about Nevada's laws and rules regarding license plate visibility can be found on the internet. As you're facing a spendy ticket, it's in your best interest to invest some time looking that information up. Good luck!

[unjonharley]

[EspressoDude]

interesting topic. The RV we rented in Oregon did not have a front license plate on it, and after reading this thread I looked up Oregon's requirements for front plates. From the DMV website:

The Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issues two license plates to registered vehicles that are to be displayed on the front and back of each vehicle.
For motorcycles, mopeds, campers and some other vehicles, including antique vehicles, only one plate is issued and only one must be displayed.
Oregon vehicle plates must not be altered or covered by any material that alters appearance. This includes license plate frames or holders, which must not prevent the numbers, letters, or stickers from being read.

The state that you reside in and/or vehicle is registered generally sets the rules for that vehicle. ( If Oregon only issued one plate for the RV how could there be a front one ? )

[Captain Goddammit]

I think you are misinterpreting that Oregon law.
"Campers" means slide-in campers that ride on the back of a pickup truck. "Camper" does not mean " motorhome". Campers are issued only a rear plate. Motorhomes should have a front plate.
Trying to defend an obscured plate ticket by saying the cop's was too seems as futile as pointing out that cops drive over the limit too when you get a speeding ticket.

Fact is, if you covered up your plate and didn't think that was a problem... well Einstein, now you know.
Everyone knows cars have to have license plates and they have to be visible.

I'm so sick of people who think "it's legal to buy a bike rack, and that must supercede the requirement to have a visible license plate." Really? Duct tape is legal but if you cover your plate with it, expect a ticket!
Display a license plate with current tabs and you won't get a ticket for it. Simple.
EVERYONE knows this. Except burners who didn't think to be legal then whine when they get a ticket!

[EspressoDude]

good catch captain

[Elliot]

And... since having a license plate on a slide-in camper seems a bit bizarre to some of us.... Not all states require a license plate on a slide-in camper. In fact, Oregon is the only one I know of. I think I've seen it in a couple other states. Here in California, a slide-in camper is considered simply cargo being carried by the truck.

[unjonharley]

Some slide in camper provide a place w/light for licence plates..

On most pickups, you can not see the plate if the tailgate is down..

If the law is going to play the obstructed license plate game.. It would be wise to relocate "your" plate when pulling a trailer.. Or hauling some thing on the back of your car.. It is just a matter of DO IT.. end of game...

[Captain Goddammit]

And... since having a license plate on a slide-in camper seems a bit bizarre to some of us.... Not all states require a license plate on a slide-in camper. In fact, Oregon is the only one I know of. I think I've seen it in a couple other states. Here in California, a slide-in camper is considered simply cargo being carried by the truck.

WA requires a plate on a slide-in truck camper.
It's illogical because its a load being carried on a truck, it's not a vehicle. But it all makes sense when you figure out the extra revenue the state collects. The irony is you can carry an unlicensed vehicle on a trailer... which means if I put the camper on my trailer instead of on the truck, it doesn't need a plate.

I hate to sound too harsh, it sucks that the cops are so heavy handed out there and it was a chicken shit ticket, but we all knew that and arriving with such an obvious "pull me over" vehicle violation was foolish.

If you're saying your plate wasn't covered, that's different.

[Elliot]

WA requires a plate on a slide-in truck camper.
It's illogical because its a load being carried on a truck, it's not a vehicle. But it all makes sense when you figure out the extra revenue the state collects. The irony is you can carry an unlicensed vehicle on a trailer... which means if I put the camper on my trailer instead of on the truck, it doesn't need a plate.

...

WA too, eh. I realize we all need to contribute to public services like roads, but the lack of rhyme-n-reason in this system can only be called staggering.

... a chicken shit ticket,...

A BLM officer told me that a "CS Violation" is actually a term they use in law enforcement circles. So I'm afraid we were not imagining things.

[Martiansky]

Apparently they would rather deal out a $$ ticket, instead of a FIX-IT ticket.

I used a slide in cargo basket on the back of my truck and my plate was not visible, so I took it off and taped it in the back window of my topper with duct tape.
Took less then 5 minutes. The thing I suppose they could've gotten me for then was not having a LIGHT pointing at the plate at night to make it more visible.
I did bungee a light onto a cooler I had on the rack when I drove in past the greeters per one of the greeters expressing that thats one of the things they are stopping people for. I made it to my camp without being stopped.

[Elliot]

Most auto parts stores can sell you an inexpensive license plate bracket with a light on it. They are generally used on trailers. I often see them on wheelchair racks.

[unjonharley]

I have a vintage light bar.. It is disassembled and painted for restore.. The left light has a clear lens on it's bottom.. May of had a license plate bracket at one time..

It will be getting LED lights and a bracket.. Going to mount the bar on the back hatch of the van and above the trailer load.. Also a spot light that will shine from the light bar onto the trailer load.. The spot will be for backing, greeters and unloading in the dark..

Also have proper lights on the trailer and van..

Would fog lights help in the dust??.. I know I can see better with the park lights when following another in the dusty dark.. Also it don't blind the poor bastard in front..

[theCryptofishist]

Can we gift the next person who signs up on eplaya the name "Name Redacted"?

[BBadger]

Holy shit dude, nobody cares about obscured front license plates. The cop would not even pull you over for a front license plate being obscured. Some states don't even require front license plates (Nevada doesn't if your vehicle has no mounts), just as some states do not require license plates on trailers. It'd be as easy as stating that you're not required to by your state. Regardless, the cops won't give you tickets for that, and therefore there is no hypocrisy here.

The problem was that your rear license plate was obscured -- where your bike rack was. That's an entirely different matter. ALL states require rear license plates, and for those rear license plates to not be obscured. All the visibility requirements, including having lights for your license plate, are really for the back plate.

Regardless, photographing a cop breaking some law doesn't absolve you from your own crime. They're separate problems and handled separately. Maybe you can argue that the plates were visible or something, but your photo will not count for anything.

[Aurelia]

Yes, I had similar incident (not this year)
I was unwilling to pay for a phony charge AND I wasnt able to go back to Nevada to court.

But I phoned and wrote a back-up complaint to the State of Nevada regarding this shoddy example of law.

I was never bothered again and the offense disappeared.
xoA.

[Captain Goddammit]

One of the screwy things here is that cop car's plate IS visible... the OP took a shitty photo but that plate isn't even covered.

[lucky420]

I was once stopped for having a California plate on the front and a Nv on the back

On our 89 land cruiser (this is one of the vehicles we take to the burn) the plate in the back is so worn that the whole thing is just silver,except for the bright registration sticker. Love this plate as the numbers are 420WNZ. In 2011 when my son drove this through gate at BM, the gate guys asked him if this was a real plate

[Lonesomebri]

420WNZ

If I was the man with the badge, this alone would be probable cause.

[Martiansky]

420WNZ

If I was the man with the badge, this alone would be probable cause.

Maybe if it was [420WDZ]

[lucky420]

Nope! I've actually been pulled over while driving this (failure to come to complete stop) and he just advised me to take plate to DMV to get repainted. there is never anything illegal in this vehicle while at the burn or any other time for that matter.

[Captain Goddammit]

My hot rod car used to have a plate with the numbers "055" (it's a '55 car) but I gave that up for collector plates - WA has this awesome deal where you can register a "collector car" just one final time plus about $30, then you never register it again. No license tabs, no front plate, no nothing. You can even find an old plate that matches your car year and they will let you have it registered to your car.
And it doesn't even have to have the special reflective paint. Just reasonably correct colors.

Now that's cool!

Doesn't have much to do with the topic at hand but hey... thread drift...

[gyre]

Would fog lights help in the dust??.. I know I can see better with the park lights when following another in the dusty dark.. Also it don't blind the poor bastard in front..

Yes, if they are good ones and aimed properly, at least in the limited way they work in fog.

[gyre]

Unjon knows this, but for others, most "fog lamps" on vehicles are NOT fog lamps but driving lights, and poor ones too.

Fog lamps are never used with headlights.

An E code low beam is also good in dust, but not as good as a fog beam in heavier obstructed vision conditions.

[BBadger]

Love this plate as the numbers are 420WNZ.

That plate is cool on so many levels.

[Captain Goddammit]

Would fog lights help in the dust??.. I know I can see better with the park lights when following another in the dusty dark.. Also it don't blind the poor bastard in front..

Have you considered a cow-catcher instead?

[unjonharley]

Would fog lights help in the dust??.. I know I can see better with the park lights when following another in the dusty dark.. Also it don't blind the poor bastard in front..

Have you considered a cow-catcher instead?

A cow catcher is a guy trying to pick up females in the Salem mall..

All of the Salem redneck have them on there pickups.. That's how they get a date..

[name redacted]

Can we gift the next person who signs up on eplaya the name "Name Redacted"?

Someone askin for me?