Questions from drivers about VTL 402(b), Obscured and Obstructed License Plates, answered by the Benjamin Goldman Law Office. For penalties, points, and defense options, read the VTL 402(b), Obscured and Obstructed License Plates.
An officer gave me a ticket for my dealer license-plate frame instead of a speeding ticket because I have a clean record. If I enter a not-guilty plea for the plate obstruction charge, do I need to appear in court?
What should I do about a ticket for having a dirty license plate? A state trooper stopped me for speeding, but instead of writing me for speeding, he gave me a ticket because my plate was dirty.
Would need to see the ticket to say for sure, but in general, charges under “dirty plate” do not carry points or appear on your driving record.
What am I likely to have to pay, and does this ticket put points on my license? I was stopped for doing 85 in a 65. The officer wrote me up for having a dirty license plate instead, although the ticket also lists my speed and says general 101a. I’m trying to find out what the charge will cost and whether I’ll get license points.
Sounds like you got a roadside reduction, but an attorney would have to review the charging instruments to know for sure.
Can I legally be stopped because my temporary Arizona tag was inside a plastic cover and the officer said he could not see the state or issue information? When I showed him the information on the back, he said the cover obstructed the tag. I was ultimately ticketed for having no insurance, which I did not have then, and for a scented air freshener hanging from my mirror. Was there a valid reason for the stop, or were my rights violated?
If the officer could not see your plate information, it would appear that the traffic stop was valid. Having no insurance is the most serious ticket as it carries mandatory revocation if you plead guilty or are found guilty.
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Benjamin Goldman Law Office
If you plead not guilty, you generally have to appear in court afterwards unless you retain an attorney who can go to court in your place.