Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

Hi Everyone

I got a speeding ticket and an improper display/unclear plates ticket. I'm a fairly good/safe driver, never caused an accident, and I have 0 points. I haven't been cited for anything for about 3 years or so now, so this pretty much sucked. I was polite, but forgot to ask for a little break.

For the improper display/unclear plates, I thought it was just excessive because he could have just warned me about it. I've had these plate frames for years now, and I've been pulled over before with them on with no problem.

(*EDIT* I mean I've been pulled over before, but never has an officer said that my license plate frame is an issue. I didn't mean that I've been pulled over before because of it.)

He said my plate frame was covering a bit of the letters. It's covering the very top part of the letter "N" and "J" in the word "New Jersey" (about 1/5 of the letter) and the bottom of the frame is covering the very bottom half of the word "Garden State" (about 1/4 of the word).

What would be the best way to go about arguing this? It seems insane because the plate frame looks pretty standard. I park in a parking garage everyday, so I took about 8 pictures of 8 cars with plate frames like mine, almost all of which are the usual frames issued from car dealers. Some frames were even covering 1/2 the word "New Jersey" and all of the word "Garden State". Anyway, that's my story. I would appreciate and welcome any opinions.


Thanks
Chris

You have been pulled over before for the same violation with the plates, but you never bothered to correct the condition?

Clearly, the only way you can be persuaded to obey the law is to be fined when you don't -- so it looks like you deserved this summons. As for whining "why didn't THEY get summonses TOO, boo hoo hoo", like a spoiled three-year-old is nonsense. Do you really think that every single infraction committed by every single violator needs to be the subject of enforcement before you are responsible for your own violations? Since you asked for any opinions, here is mine: you need to grow up.

Nope, I've never been pulled over before for this violation, that's why I'm so surprised by this. In all the times I've been stopped by officers in NJ, they have never cited me with this.

What do you do to argue this? I have a plate frame with a pretty standard border no different than 9/10 cars on the road. It's not some ridiculous vanity plate.

Let me give you the warning you wish you got when stopped: If you don't take the plate cover off, you'll get another ticket.

Ok fine, thanks for being lenient G35 Mass. :)

I just never knew about it or heard anyone who got ticketed for it, and I'm not clear on this traffic law. It just seemed like a pretty gray area to me. As I described, clearly my plate numbers are visible and all the other words are more than reasonably visible for a LEO to read. I didn't know that even if a very small amount of a letter in the state name or state motto is covered, that's reason enough for a ticket. Who knows why haven't they changed the borders on frames to be thinner as even new cars have similar frames.

Any other officers have a different opinion? If I can't argue that everything on the plate is clearly legible, can I argue for this ticket to be dropped if I've removed it?


Thanks
Chris

Might have luck if you remove it. I did once back in my woeful days of being a menace on the roadways.

I looked up the applicable part of your state's law on this (which is something you should have done yourself -- but you didn't...) and found the following under NJSA 39:3-33
No person shall drive a motor vehicle which has a license plate frame or identification marker holder that conceals or otherwise obscures any part of any marking imprinted upon the vehicle's registration plate or any part of any insert which the director, as hereinafter provided, issues to be inserted in and attached to that registration plate or marker.

By your own admission, you drove a vehicle that had some part of the markings on the plate obscured. How would any corrective actions in the future change the fact that you had indeed committed the violation described in the past, at the time and on the date written on the summons?

Yea thanks, I read it, and of course it wouldn't change the violation that occurred in the past, and I'm not suggesting I'm right and the officer is wrong. He was an older officer obviously with a detailed understanding of traffic laws. But I also know this type of ticket is one of those discretionary tickets ingeniously designed. I didn't blatantly drive around with a license plate frame all my life like most of the driving population with even the slightest clue that most frames are illegal. It's also not much different than if someone's tail light went out as they're driving, or an EZ-PASS is deemed obstruction of view; all fix-it tickets.

I don't believe that people haven't successfully argued for a first-time pass for these. I served on a jury for 3 weeks last year for a big case so I have some familiarity with a courtroom, and I know judges aren't robots that punish people to the very letter of the law. I'm just trying to minimize the extra damage and all I really wanted to know was if any officers know a good way to go about this, but perhaps I should be on a lawyer free advice forum or something.

The funny thing about this license plate frame violation is that as I was driving later in the evening, I came across a car with a frame that stated "We Support New Jersey Police". It was completely covering all of the letters of the word "Garden State". Oh the irony...maybe I should have had that on instead.

I've pulled people for the stupid dealer covers before... I usually only do it if they make it hard to see the registration stickers or state name, but it's a legal stop regardless.

Why would anyone want those ads on their vehicle anyway?

What kind of cover on the plate? You know any cover, even 100% clear one are illegal?

In NJ for traffic you have to talk to the prosecutor before the case gets called for a few minutes. That is your chance to wheel and deal. As long as you have a clean driving record (make life easy and show up with a certified driving abstract from DMV), have a two minute speech:

"Look, I admit I was speeding but have a clean history and was unfamiliar with the new safe corrider due to the new construction in the area. I would like to hve this reduced to a no points violation. As for the license plate, I am guilty as the statue states, but every car in NJ has these dealer covers on them(assumin it is one- if a clear cover you are screwed- it is a no points fine- just say you will plead guilty to that and pay the fine- don't worry- it has no points) on them. Here is a picture of my plate and others. What is the best you can offer me?"

They do this all day and will wheel and deal. They want a guilty plea and you want no points. All you need to do is dress professional...be nice....don't llie/be rude...and ask for no points. Just make sure you bring the checkbook because they exploit the no points for town revenue!

...and all I really wanted to know was if any officers know a good way to go about this, but perhaps I should be on a lawyer free advice forum or something.

The funny thing about this license plate frame violation is that as I was driving later in the evening, I came across a car with a frame that stated "We Support New Jersey Police". It was completely covering all of the letters of the word "Garden State". Oh the irony...maybe I should have had that on instead.

I think the first part that I quoted is correct. You came to a LAW ENFORCEMENT site asking Law Enforcement Officers how to FIGHT a ticket? We're not usually the ones people ask for that advice since we are the ones that give the tickets out. You're probably absolutely correct in that people fight this one successfully all the time, so take your extended knowledge of courtroom procedures and figure out an argument to use in your defense. Or hire a lawyer to get out of it. Whatever. But don't ask LEO's how to "get out of" a certain citation.

And your snide little remark about someone else having a worse cover than you was unneeded, I will go so far as to let you know THAT particular argument most likely WILL NOT get you out of your ticket. I'm sure had the officer pulled THAT person over, they would have received the same citation. But he didn't, he pulled YOU over, and YOU happened to be breaking that particular statute at the time.

@Muldoon - I work in NYC so keep up the good fight, and take it easy.
@G35Mass - thanks for the reply
@ET109 - After this incident, I've noticed how many cars have dealer plate frames, which is quite a lot.
@Joeyd6 - great reply and very true about how to work with the system, thank you sir
@marinepilot - True, but some LEO might have good input on the matter. And yes if I'm being snide, it is unneeded, but an officer calling me a whining spoiled kid earlier on was unneeded too. We can just forget about it. I don't want to read too much into comments on the internet; everyone has their own interpretation.

Overall, thank you everyone for the replies. Any civilians from NJ who are reading, now you know to check your plate frames.