[quote=Marshall] If I mounted the 71 plate off to the side somewhere and kept the current plate in the regular plate position do you think I would run into Barney Fife?[quote]
Marchall - I don't see any problem with that as long as you don't mind getting TWO tickets!
__________________ J. Rick Cipot Sandi Gould NEUNew England Unit Airstream Life Magazine WBCCI #3411 AIR #17099
In WA state you can get classic car registration and use your vintage plates. Registration is cheaper too, since they figure anyone into that probably isn't commuting with their toy. I don't know if they do that for trailers too.
I don't know about plates but I towed a utility trailer which did not need to be registered in New Mexico to Utah. I called Utah and was told the law from the state of origin covers vehicles in another state so even if the Utah statutes called for it being tagged since I was from NM it was OK without plates.
Here's a kind of related question. I have 1971 NM plates for my 1971 Airstream. I also have the current valid NM plates. I would like to display both, which I guess is probably technically illegal. If I mounted the 71 plate off to the side somewhere and kept the current plate in the regular plate position do you think I would run into Barney Fife?
Miscellaneous Laws:
It is still illegal in New York City to walk your cows on the wrong side of the street on Broadway.
Many states have what is called a YOM (year of manufacture) Law. This allows the current registration of an antique vehicle with a tag from that state of the same year. For instance, if I had a 1954 Airstream and an authentic 1954 Florida tag, I could register the Airstream with that tag number and display it as long as the same number is clear (not in current use). You just put the current sticker on the old tag. California also has a YOM Law, and a set of clear 1956 California tags in mint condition can go for as much as $500 on Ebay. About 30 states have a YOM Law, but I am not sure if New Mexico is one of them.
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
In WA state you can get classic car registration and use your vintage plates. Registration is cheaper too, since they figure anyone into that probably isn't commuting with their toy. I don't know if they do that for trailers too.
Florida currently does that with trailers as well. I have a 63 plate to put on our Overlander next time I register it.
Would they then also pursue out of State visitors? I suppose they could but hopefully not.
Barry
While in Miami Beach for the International Association of Chief of Police Convention, I was pulled over by an officer who very courteously advised me that my license plate cover was partially obscuring state and the registration date sticker. Of course, being somewhat embarrassed, I apologized and immediately complied by removing the cover. From a law enforcement perspective, it's a good law.
Most, if not all, states have a similar statute in their uniform traffic code. These laws are in place to insure that license tags are not significantly obscured ...
Exactly. I kind of miss the days when you could identify the state the vehicle was registered in by the colors of the plate. Nowadays, most states (mine included) have so many special plates (pets, lighthouses, endangered species, etc.), it's nearly impossible unless you can see all the information.
That may be true in some instances, but for the most part there was some degree of logic - at least in the intent. Granted, common sense is not common, especially at the state capital. And original intent gets twisted around at times.
Dave
Hi, one of my jobs at the Ford dealer is to order and stock license frames for Ford and Lincoln / Mercury. It is in my opinion, a California thing. I used to point out, "out of state vehicles" to other people; They would ask me, "How can you tell that, that is an out of state vehicle?' The answer was the Chrome dealer tag, usually stuck onto the back of the vehicle, tailgate, trunk lid, or lift gate on vehicles where they don't allow license frames. Also, My supplier said he had a hard time in Texas until he could prove that his license frame company could make dealer frames without blocking tags, numbers, or state names.
On my front plate, I was using a frame to support a clear insert which protected the plate from bugs, etc. that were difficult to clean off. Recently, I noticed that when the weather is wet and humid, the inside of the clear insert fogs up which obscures the plate. I have since removed the frame and insert.
Most, if not all, states have a similar statute in their uniform traffic code. These laws are in place to insure that license tags are not significantly obscured. I spent several years as a Motorcycle Officer with the City of Tallahassee, Florida, Police Department, and have made thousands of traffic stops. Generally, law enforcement officers do not go around stopping vehicles because a small portion of the tag is obscured. This statute is usually used as probable cause to stop a vehcle when there is no other violation present and something just doesn't smell right. The most likely reason that the stated DWI case in Texas got the State Supreme Court was that the officer was suspicious of the driver and wanted to stop him to check him out. The defendant probably claimed that he was stopped on suspicion only and, therefore, wanted the case thrown out. The officer used the tag obscuring violation as probable cause to make the traffic stop. Once having made the legal stop, the officer was then able to determine that the driver was impaired and made the arrest. I have made many DWI arrests, and there was always an accompanying violation. Usually, the only time that this is not the case is at a sobriety check point.
I do not care for license plate frames, and don't use them. If I did decide that I wanted one, I would not be the least bit concerned about being stopped by the Police.
Good call Brian,
I am sure that in most jurisdictions you have described the situation exactly. And I am happy to hear that you were allowed to serve in just such a place. Certainly described the place I moved from. Unfortunately in some, the little obscure laws are used for revenue generation. It is my belief that COS is one of them. Sadly here many of those that serve and protect are required to be tax collectors instead of peace officer. That ultimately will make the job less rewarding and much less satisfying. And promotes an “us and them” attitude that is unproductive for all of us. I have friends retired from law enforcement and I can see the slow change in attitude on them. Maybe the difference is just one of population size as COS has gotten rather large.
I also don't like the plate frames and have none on my autos.
__________________
Royce (K0RKK) and Karen AIR# 3913
As a currently sitting Chief of Police, I can tell you that traffic fine revenues are an insignificant revenue source at any level of government. Municipalities actually typically have a far greater income from parking citations. In my 30+ years of experience and having seen everything from cardboard plate forgeries to all kinds of attempts to obscure plates on purpose, having a law that says plates have to be displayed as issued is a good thing, and is a signficant issue for maintaining the greater public safety. There's nothing quite as scary as stopping a car full of shady characters and not being able to read a portion of the plate, or figure out what state the plate was issued in. There's nothing more frustrating than having a partial plate number from a witness to a crime and having no idea what state it came from 'cause it was covered by a license plate frame from "Joe's Used Auto Sales".
Airstream owners fall squarely in the "shady character" category!
The scads of special plates issued by all states now are a real problem for law enforcement and identifying valid plates.
Roger
__________________
AIR 2053 “A generation which ignores history has no past and no future.” Robert Heinlein 2006 Bigfoot 25B25RQ towed by a 2001 Born Free 23RK moho
The scads of special plates issued by all states now are a real problem for law enforcement and identifying valid plates.
Roger
I know most of y'all won't agree with me, but there are entirely too many specialty plates. There should be a limit to the number of types of specialty plates, and they should look more like the standard issuing states' plate. Last time I was at our local tage office, there was almost an entire wall full of specialty plates.
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Have to bring in that extra revenue for the state.
Hi, one of my jobs at the Ford dealer is to order and stock license frames for Ford and Lincoln / Mercury. It is in my opinion, a California thing. I used to point out, "out of state vehicles" to other people; They would ask me, "How can you tell that, that is an out of state vehicle?' The answer was the Chrome dealer tag, usually stuck onto the back of the vehicle, tailgate, trunk lid, or lift gate on vehicles where they don't allow license frames. Also, My supplier said he had a hard time in Texas until he could prove that his license frame company could make dealer frames without blocking tags, numbers, or state names.
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