Your Car Is Illegal

May 9th, 2008

While playing Mario Kart Wii with a cop friend of mine the other day we started getting into a discussion of the legalities and illegalities of automobiles. Don’t ask how, but it had something to do with him petitioning to get Waluigi disqualified from the race.

Did you know that the vehicle you’re driving right now is most likely illegal. In fact, most cars drive off of the dealership lot already in violation of the law.

In Michigan (and at least 20 other states that he knows of) it’s illegal to place advertising on or around the license plate. That means the little frame with the dealership name on it is reason enough for a cop to pull you over and write you a ticket. It’s also illegal to cover up any part of the plate with writing on it. This means that all the nice new Ford and GMC SUVs that have steps in the back are in violation - as the step on most of these cars covers up part of the word Michigan on the plate.

Clear covers that go over the plate? Also illegal. The same goes for those lights that go on around or near it.

My friend said he’d never stop anybody for this, which then raised the ethical question of “doing your job and following the law to the letter” but that’s another discussion.

Has anybody ever seen anybody stopped for one of these infractions? And if somebody is, how long until there’s a class action suit against all the dealerships who illegally modify cars on their lot?

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