Alright, so, I got a ticket a couple days ago. I made a left turn to the outside lane and got pulled over for it. After sitting for half an hour, he comes back and says "I'm not going to ticket you for the improper left turn, but I am going to ticket you for a Illegible/Obscured license plate". He then tells me that my blazer also needs mudflaps and red rear reflectors.

So, here's a picture of my plate at the exact time of the stop, taken with a camera phone. Do you think my dirty plate really merited a 124 dollar ticket?

(...and yes, that is a bunch of bird crap on my window....)

 

I cannot tell if you have a clear cover over your plate or not from the picture... If so, most states now have laws against having anything covering the entire plate regardless of whether it is completely clear or not. You would have to check with your local DMV to be sure.

I'd say he let you off lighter than he could have...

 

I tend to agree with Swart. I think he let you off easy.
He could have written you a ticket for illegal lane change, obsured plate, and illegal taillights. But he didn't! He gave you a simple fix it ticket for the plate. Heed the warning and fix the taillights and stop making illegal lane changes. Next time you may not be so lucky.

 

Really, it's not a matter of what we think.. we didn't give and can't change the ticket. But, did you get a lip with him or anything? I could see myself giving someone a ticket for it if they got an attitude.

 

regardless of attitude or not i think he got off fairly easy, yes it sucks you have to pay money but atleast its a non moving violation and i beleive you dont get any points knocked off for that and your insurance wont know so they wont raise your rates. like swartlkk i think its illegal to have anything covering your entire plate and im not to sure about the mudflap thing, but the cop was also correct by telling you you need some sort of reflector in the rear. so if i were you i would just lick my wounds and pay/fix whatever you have to so you wont get another ticket.

 

You can get a ticket for not having mud flaps!? hahaha wow...that sucks

 

As for the tail lights, this is why I cringe everytime somebody talks about installing blackout covers on them. Thay may look cool, but are illegal in most places.

 

Honestly, I was completely nice to the officer. I don't know what I did to **** him off. The other thing is that I've gotten pulled over before, with no mudflaps, and the black tail lights, and the officer didn't say anything! Its the inconsistency that bugs me.

I also don't understand the mudflaps... my blazer isn't lifted, and I have a stock tire size. Does that mean chevy made an illegal vehicle for 10+ years?? Also, if I get some red reflective tape (I have access to a street sign manufacturing plant) does that mean I can keep the black tail lights?

 

I had a friend who got rear-ended and the guy got off claiming he never saw his brake lights because of the black-out covers...
I don't understand the mudflap thing, we have trucks with 6"+ of lift and no flaps at all running around here (There's one guy with a bronco I can almost walk under and I'm 6'1")... that's a weird law.
And unless you have a cover on your plate I'd call that legible.
You're lucky he didn't nail you for the improper turn though.

It could have been much worse, that could have been an expensive stop.
I think he nailed you for the plate because it was the lesser of all the things he could have gotten you for.

 

Yeah I really think you got off easy. He could have nailed you with a huge ticket, but instead chose to ticket you for minor silly stuff like he did. The major infraction was obviously too big to just let you off with a warning without ticketing you for something. I'd just take it, pay it, and leave it at that.
I have to agree with the black taillights. They look damn good, but if they're too dark they are extremely dangerous. My buddy used the spray on tint for lights and he did it under halogen lights. He didn't think it was that dark until we went for a drive at night and you couldn't see his lights light up at all.