California - EU Style License Plates. DMV Sanctioned?

[Fritzer]

I saw this in my town in California. It has registration stickers and seems to be official, but I haven't found any information regarding this. It was parked outside our city Police Department. Does anyone have any information about this?

[FC4]

No.

[CigarPundit]

No plate design like that is listed on the CA DMV site, but I would order one in a heartbeat if they were offered.

Edit: I found a website that offers these, but they do not appear to be a legal replacement for your DMV issued plate. Maybe he was in there taking care of a ticket he got for it?

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by FC4

No.

"No" as in "No information" or "No, not official"? Sure it's not an early rollout of a new plate design? It has reflective coating and everything.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by Fritzer

I saw this in my town in California. It has registration stickers and seems to be official, but I haven't found any information regarding this. It was parked outside our city Police Department. Does anyone have any information about this?

The plate does not say "California". It's likely a foreign registered car and the person is driving it through the US.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

The plate does not say "California". It's likely a foreign registered car and the person is driving it through the US.

Cleaned it up for you, sorry I did not realize that the full resolution was not uploaded. On the right you can even see previous year's registration stickers, as if he has had it on more than a year.

[PshhhhhMW]

Lol my brother tried to do this on his car once. Stuck the registration tags on it just like that and he lasted a little over a week before getting a ticket.

[eluded]

Fake cali plates. Bored cop would LOVE that.

[RM7]

Originally Posted by eluded

Fake cali plates. Bored cop would LOVE that.

Maybe, but if that is his actual plate number, there may not be a regulation that makes it "illegal". He might be in full compliance with the laws that require you to display a license plate blah blah blah. That said, the law may require you to only display a plate issued by the state and "lock you in" otherwise. One would have to read the regulations very closely to determine this.

[tdott]

Originally Posted by JamesNoBrakes

Maybe, but if that is his actual plate number, there may not be a regulation that makes it "illegal". He might be in full compliance with the laws that require you to display a license plate blah blah blah. That said, the law may require you to only display a plate issued by the state and "lock you in" otherwise. One would have to read the regulations very closely to determine this.

Yes it is illegal, it's not gov issued. You can also get a ticket for altering a plate in any way.

Just a matter of time and luck running into the right cop.

[Biginboca]

I would understand this if it was on some sort of enthusiast or modded car, like a 911, M3, or c63.... but that looks like a stock E350?

So I’m somewhat confused by the whole thing because where I live (Palm Beach County) only the well off grandmas are driving those cars and I’m not even sure they can see well enough to read their plate lol

[Fritzer]

And to reiterate, this car is parked outside the city police department every work day. So it's clear the owner isn't worried about a ticket. He also had no front tags. I think somehow, this may actually be in compliance. Especially considering the fact that he has 2017 and 2018 rego stickers underneath the 2019 one.

[KClemente]

Go inside that police dept. and ask away haha

[Fritzer]

So doing a bit more research, I can't find any legislature or statute which explicitly limits the creation of one's own license plate as long as it follows the DMV regulations set forth by plate manufacturing. California requires their plates to have reflectorized material, the name of the state at the top-center, and the proper registration stickers. Additionally, I found some information about how in the early 20th century, there was a law that instructed citizens to produce their own license plates for public road use. There may not have been official legislature to overrule this, which may allow for an exception - technically.

The only limiting law I found would be the following:
https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/vehicle...sect-4463.html

alters, forges, counterfeits, or falsifies a certificate of ownership, registration card, certificate, license, license plate, device issued pursuant to Section 4853, special plate, or permit provided for by this code or a comparable certificate of ownership, registration card, certificate, license, license plate, device comparable to that issued pursuant to Section 4853, special plate, or permit provided for by a foreign jurisdiction, or alters, forges, counterfeits, or falsifies the document, device, or plate with intent to represent it as issued by the department

tl;dr I really want this license plate

[Fritzer]

Anyone know someone in the CHP?

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/wcm/co...df?MOD=AJPERES

We should try to petition for this to be a real license plate, after being approved on regulatory standards all they need is 7500 pre-paid orders to begin manufacture. This could easily get double that before they start making them. Think how many people would want this.

Another thing to mention, the governor signed this bill back in 2013:
http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/fa...201320140SB806

It seems to authorize testing for the digital license plates that have been going around (snoreeee), maybe the EU-style plate falls under this bill? So many questions.

[jkoral]

Originally Posted by KClemente

Go inside that police dept. and ask away haha

Or leave a note on the windshield asking the owner for more information about the plate.

[PshhhhhMW]

When I did some research on this topic for my brother back then the only exception is if the vehicle was purchased internationally and you were some type of government official, you can keep the euro plate on temporarily but it had an expiration date or else youd need to register your vehicle to the state.

Also, the plate needs to meet specifications like font, letter size and like you mentioned reflectorized material.

I personally wouldn't go through the hassle. The owner of that Benz probably has friends in the right places that allow him to keep it that way.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by jkoral

Or leave a note on the windshield asking the owner for more information about the plate.

Did this yesterday right before I made the post... No response yet!

[FriedPiston]

Originally Posted by PshhhhhMW

When I did some research on this topic for my brother back then the only exception is if the vehicle was purchased internationally and you were some type of government official, you can keep the euro plate on temporarily but it had an expiration date or else youd need to register your vehicle to the state.

Also, the plate needs to meet specifications like font, letter size and like you mentioned reflectorized material.

I personally wouldn't go through the hassle. The owner of that Benz probably has friends in the right places that allow him to keep it that way.

You took the words right out of my mouth!

I was going to say some sort of foreign ambassador or government official. Clearly, the owner has access to the right connections for boldly rocking those plates on public roads.

[FriedPiston]

Originally Posted by nars3000

I was going to say some sort of foreign ambassador or government official. Clearly, the owner has access to the right connections for boldly rocking those plates on public roads.

On second thought, the Carfax report indicates that this is most likely a regular joe with or without the right connections:

https://www.autovhr.com/deal/NRCFRep...539287638.html

[pz619]

I see the fake euro plates from time to time. Also some of the JDM ones. I have a friend who rocked a front euro plate (back was real cali) but was pulled over and issued a no front plate citation. He decided to fight it as it was the same number/letters as the back and the judge ruled that it was in fact illegal.

Take that as you may.

[Fritzer]

Originally Posted by pz619

He decided to fight it as it was the same number/letters as the back and the judge ruled that it was in fact illegal.

Good to know a judge ruled on this in SD County at least!