A California driver pulled over near Highway 101 last night for expired registration had taken steps to make sure the registration sticker on the back of the car at least looked current. The steps didn’t involve the DMV. Instead, they involved a piece of blue tape and a marker.
California Highway Patrol officers in Ventura made the traffic stop after spotting the expired registration on the vehicle. The number on the tab in the corner of the rear plate read 2026. A closer look made clear that was not the original tab.
It was tape. The color had been chosen to roughly match a California registration sticker. The “2026” had been written on by hand.
The CHP didn’t find the substitution a valid expression of vehicle registration law. The agency instead impounded the vehicle at the scene. It then shared the “creative” attempt to thwart the law to social media.
The “Creative” Attempt at Skipping Fees
The traffic stop happened in the area of Highway 101 and Seaward Avenue in Ventura, California, according to the California Highway Patrol – Ventura. Officers had pulled the vehicle over because the registration on the car was expired. As they walked up to it, they noticed that the registration tab in the corner of the rear plate did not look right.
The driver had written “2026” on a piece of blue tape and placed it where a registration sticker would normally go. The blue shade had been chosen to mimic the color of an actual California registration tab. The number was intended, at a quick glance, to legitimize the vehicle’s registration. Unfortunately for the “artist”, things didn’t work out as planned.
How the Highway Patrol Responded
California Highway Patrol officials took to social media to warn others away from doing something similar. They pointed out that aid that an artistic display of a registration sticker does not replace a valid one. The social media post also contained a reminder for drivers to keep their registration current and to make sure their vehicles are in compliance before driving. Common sense to some, perhaps, but a message that needed to be repeated.
The vehicle was impounded at the scene. Unfortunately, there’s no way to get out of making sure your tags are up to date. And while blue tape may slightly resemble a sticker on your license plate, it doesn’t replace the real thing.