Highway patrol info on legality of home states

[Ozz]

Copy and paste Art. Didn't come through

[Tom S.]

Ozz, maybe you should try the Arizona Attorney General?

[Ozz]

quote:Originally posted by Tom S.

Ozz, maybe you should try the Arizona Attorney General?

Good idea Tom, first I want to see if Governor Jan Brewer gets back to me. I imagine she will kick the ball to him... or her.

[Ozz]

Back to Arizona's Highway patrol spokesman. (Who did not even sign his name.)

I asked for clarification on the issue, my truck license is exactly the same as the Bob-tail truck without the trailer, which has it's own license plate. The truck has only one license plate: on the front only. These trucks do not get tickets when driving without the trailer.

I have contacted Governor Jan Brewer, I suspect she will kick this over to the A.G.'s office.

We all just need to know we will be safe and legal in your state. I have response from Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Missouri's Highway Patrol on this.

They all say they honor the home state's license requirement.

Jim

[Ozz]

DOffice@azdps.gov
ToJim Osbern



Jim,

I can only tell you what the Arizona law states, which requires a plate on the rear. It is up to the Officer which makes a traffic stop either to issue a warning or ticket.

DPS Duty Office

[Sky]

Ozz, that last statement tells me that Az. has no law or state policy that covers your type of situation of honoring other state vehicle requirements. Or they don't give a damn what your state or any state requires and as far as Az. is concerned the only real law of the land is Az. law. Maybe a question put to the
"higher-ups" should have been "Does your state honor other state m/v requirements as far as vehicle registration and driver licensing?" If they answer yes then
you got them........ If they answer no - then you pay the fine and tell all your friends not to drive in Az. and spend their money in another state. State laws
can be tricky from one state to another. As a Ct. officer if I pulled a NY driver over and find out his NY License is under suspension, I could not arrest him for operating under suspension (reason- he is not under suspension in Ct). BUT I would then arrest him for operating a M/V without a license.

[DonandBonnie]

From past travels in my pre-full timing days, I firmly believe that the farther you are from your home state, the more you have a chance of getting a nit-picking ticket. Chances are that someone far from home won't stick around to fight it. Several years ago I got cited in Iowa for 42 in a 35 zone. I was 10 feet past the 35 sign. There was no "speed reduction ahead" type sign. I had slowed from 55 and was clearly reducing my speed as I passed the 35 sign. Wasn't good enough for the county deputy. Didn't help my cause that I had Ohio plates on my car and had to get back to work after a vacation in Colorado. This guy even had a credit card machine in his car and told me that if I didn't pay him on the spot, I would have to appear for the court date. No way could I stick around for two additional weeks for the court date.

[TLightning]

We have a neighboring state that likes to put the "speed zone ahead" signs located so if you tap your cruise control off at the sign, you will not slow down enough to be at the new and slower speed limit at the new sign. The only way to make the lower speed is to tap the cruise off and apply the brakes.

[Art-n-Marge]

Yup, I heard about that one. Whatever the posted limit says, you better be at the speed until you get to tne next sign with a different posted speed. I've been told by LEOs that they recommend you brake or accelerate to match the posted speed. And some places when you have to drop speed, they post you aren't allowed to use "jake brakes" because there are noise laws, too.

It's hard to argue what an LEO sees even though it might be different or wrong. The person with the power usually counts over the person with lesser power and you can only fight it in a court which many can't afford the time. If an LEO can't be proven wrong, then they aren't. The reasoning is that for everyone caught, there are multitudes more that aren't caught. I see this with cellphone users all the time.

[Ozz]

The issue is 'Selective enforcement' Snowbirds: a ticket, tractor-trailers (18 wheelers) bobtail: never a ticket. Same law, over 18,000# front plate only. Do they stop them for only a front plate? Never....

[Ol Tanker]

Ozz, question. Are you legally registered and in your licensing states guidelines for the plate and it's placement? If so then you will be good in all other states.

The term that is concerned with this issue is called reciprocity. All the states signed into it with federal guidance. If you are properly registered, licensed and displaying same in compliance with your home state laws then you are good, period.

I dealt with this with both civilian and commercial vehicles. Commercial tractors only have a plate on the front in most cases because the trailer obscures the rear from view.

You will get all kinds of "horror stories" from folks who heard of someone whose second cousin on their 5th aunts side twice removed from their paternal grand parent got arrested in some podunk location and was held for 2500 years without bail. The long and short of it is that I have been full timing in a BIG rig, think semi towing, and have been from the West coast to the East coast, Canuckland to the Gulf into Mexico and not once have I had an issue.

I know what the regs were / are for commercial vehicles and non commercial. I set up my home in compliance with the state that the vehicles are licensed in. I have insurance documentation that is also state compliant. I have never been stopped other than a quick flag down at a road side commercial truck inspection point. The guy there just wanted to confirm I was private and not towing for hire as in delivering the trailer then just chatted asking questions since he was retiring in a couple years and wanted to go RVing. He just had never seen a rig like ours and wanted ideas as how to do it.

[Ozz]

Yes sir, I am.
Yet, I still got a lecture and a $165 ticket. From the highway patrol down, they insist I have to comply with Arizona's rear-plate law, and am not legal. I did call the Az Highweay Patrol, the officer told me I should have not got the ticket and the Judge would dismiss the case. Could not wait around and paid the ransom...
I called Colorado, New Mexico, California Highway patrol, they all said I was good in their states.

[sfretts]

Oz,

Help me out on this plate issue. You only say your truck is licensed for 18,000 lbs. Is it registered as a commercial vehicle? If so, you would fall under the commerce reciprocity laws for commercial vehicles and cannot be cited (should say fined). I researched Missouri laws and it is very clear about commercial registered trucks placing the plate on the front of the tractor:

From Missouri revised state code in part

6. The applicant for registration pursuant to this section shall affix the registration plate issued to the front of the vehicle in accordance with the provisions of section 301.130. Any vehicle required to be registered pursuant to this section shall display the plate issued to that vehicle no later than December thirty-first of each year or the last day of the quarter preceding the quarter in which the registration begins, as applicable. Failure to display the registration plate required by this section shall constitute a class A misdemeanor.

Here is 301.130:

5. No motor vehicle or trailer shall be operated on any highway of this state unless it shall have displayed thereon the license plate or set of license plates issued by the director of revenue or the state highways and transportation commission and authorized by section 301.140. Each such plate shall be securely fastened to the motor vehicle or trailer in a manner so that all parts thereof shall be plainly visible and reasonably clean so that the reflective qualities thereof are not impaired. Each such plate may be encased in a transparent cover so long as the plate is plainly visible and its reflective qualities are not impaired. License plates shall be fastened to all motor vehicles except trucks, tractors, truck tractors or truck-tractors licensed in excess of twelve thousand pounds on the front and rear of such vehicles not less than eight nor more than forty-eight inches above the ground, with the letters and numbers thereon right side up. The license plates on trailers, motorcycles, motortricycles and motorscooters shall be displayed on the rear of such vehicles, with the letters and numbers thereon right side up. The license plate on buses, other than school buses, and on trucks, tractors, truck tractors or truck-tractors licensed in excess of twelve thousand pounds shall be displayed on the front of such vehicles not less than eight nor more than forty-eight inches above the ground, with the letters and numbers thereon right side up or if two plates are issued for the vehicle pursuant to subsection 3 of this section, displayed in the same manner on the front and rear of such vehicles. The license plate or plates authorized by section 301.140, when properly attached, shall be prima facie evidence that the required fees have been paid.

I think this may be the issue as the laws in Missouri appear to only require the front placement on the front. Am I reading this wrong?

I guess it could have been worse and he didnt pull out his tape measure to see if your plate was at legal height?

[Ozz]

No, it is not commercial, just personal. I think earlier in the post I copied the response from Mo. State Highway Patrol. He agreed that it is a legal plate, and on the front.
I am still waiting for the response from the Governor. The issue for me is if one front plate is illegal, then why ticket snowbirds, or visitors to the state licensed legally in their state, and not tractors, or big trucks Bob-tail: (18 wheelers) same deal: front plate only.

[Bucky573]

I know this is an old post, but I have new info for Missouri members with plate problem.
Missouri will now offer the option of a second plate for our trucks. Got this info from a friend of mine that retired from Missouri State Highway Patrol.
I plan to make the change to two to save the hassle when towing through places like Texas, Arizona and Illinois.

[K0LCB]

I put my Florida tags on the rear and a plate with my HAM call sign on the front, they are same, KOLCB

[richfaa]

And Ohio is considering going to one plate...

[Ozz]

Rich, you will be OK if you put it on the back.

Here is the latest from the Missouri revenue department of stupidity;
Missouri law was recently changed to address this situation, however the change does not go into effect until August 28, 2013.

This will allow for the issuance of a 2nd plate for such vehicles. There will be a fee and the second plate will be optional. More information will be added to our website as it becomes available.

Of course this does not affect your current ticket.

Please leave emails attached if/when replying.

Thank you.
Missouri Department of Revenue

I have been thinking about taking them to court. I really think I have a good case.
I may sue for my ticket, court costs and the maximum under small claims court for mental anguish, pain and suffering.

Heck they don't know I have always been a little bonkers

[DQDick]

Might as well sue someone. Would have been more fun to kick the cop in the shin, however.

[Ozz]

True, Dat... You know if he was decent, and a human being about it, I would not have been so upset, but he was a first-class Jerk. No need for that.