Mazda of Lakewood

Get this. I was driving to work yesterday when I was pulled over by the HP. He comes up to my window and says I was pulled over for having a tinted license plate cover. He says in Colorado that its a $120 fine and 3 points on your record. I gave him my license / insurance but didnt have my registration with me. I figured I would be ok because my insurance card has the vin and name to match the plates. After taking his sweet time running me through the system. He comes back and tells me I have an option. He can take it off or I will have to pay the fine. OK cool right. Well he goes back and takes off the plate. Brings it up to me and hands me the tinted cover. Telling me he is going to keep my license plate and that I would have to go to court. Thsi guy gives me a ticket for ficticous number plates. What the hell. Im on the highway with out any plates and have to drive to work. He tells me that if another cop pulls me over I will get another ticket for running without plates. So now I have to park the car until the end of May. Go to court and ak for my plates back. What do these guys think. I sit at home stamping out fake plates. Tell you one thing. The cops around here are something else. Either they are getting caught on film beating up someone or they are taking plates off peoples cars.

WTF

Parastie

Get a lawyer and sue. He has to show proof of fake plates and if they are fake he has to have your car towed, he can't just take the plates.

boostin13b

Yeah I would definately go after this guy. They would usually tow the car before taking the plates.

SJ_chameleon

Yeah thats BS. I cant beleive that happened, totally go after that guy, he has no right to do that.

MichaelB145

oh yea, sorry about that.....most of the cops in the Denver area are a little mad they can't catch a certain Fd when ever it is caught speeding. I guess he is taking out his frustration on you

Crashx7

Since when is having a tinted license plate cover illegal? I've had one for years and never been harassed. I've also never been harassed for not having a front plate, either. I've been pulled over for other things, tailed while they were fishing, and sped past em fast enough that I'd get my license revoked if they had been able to radar me, and I've YET to even have one mention anything about my tinted, dirty and obscured license plate, or missing front plate.

Lame! Sorry to hear that, man!

fcturbo2

that really sucks.. they have no conscience whatsoever.

impactwrench

State to State law varies on everything but I find it hard to believe that your tinted cover was a license plate surrendering offense. You need to contact a lawyer

boostin13b

It is illegal to have any kind of cover on your license plate anymore. Clear or tinted or whatever it may be. They had a news special on it last year. Mainly because people had the reflective ones that didn't let Photo Radar snag their tags. Even if you have a frame around it that covers part of your expiration stickers it's illegal and you can get a ticket for it.

Crashx7

Weak. I don't watch the news or TV, so this is the first I've heard of it. Is it also illegal to not wash my car and waste water? It's been so dirty at points in this winter where my plate was obscured, cover or no.

Pretty soon it's going to be illegal to not watch TV.

JinZemog

Denver cops are much bigger ******** than suburb cops. Especially state patrol.

I have been driving for 6 years and I've never used my front plate. My last 2 cars have had a tinted rear plate cover, and it's never been a problem. I also live in westminster though.

Crashx7

Maybe that's it. I've been a suburb dweller my entire life. I've driven through Denver, though, without problems; and also been pulled over by SP.

I guess some cops are just ******** (just like any walk of life), and some just want to keep the streets safe.

7romanstatesmen

iTrader: (1)

yep. my temp tag fell down a while ago, and the sp guy was really nice about it, he even thought it was kinda funny, unknowingly running without any tags. it just comes down to luck which officer sees you and what kind of day he's having.

but, that situation sucks. i don't even understand the connection between offering to remove the tinted covers and then taking your actual plates. and i agree that you most likely have some sort of legal recourse.