# Pulled over for Euro Plate.... :p ...Venting



## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

Picked up car from dealer on 8/20, DMV sticker in window, euro plate on the back.

On my way to work on the congested 101 South in Marin this morning. CHP pulls out into traffic when he sees me go by and lights me up at 5 mph. Comes up to the car and says "I pulled you over because you don't have any California plates on your car." I say, "yes officer, I just picked the car up on 8/20 and still waiting for plates." 

He makes me pull the sticker off the window with the DMV paperwork. I tell him that the car was picked up in August but DMV paper in window is dated April, when I paid for the car (June pickup in, July Drop in Munich). The cop was a complete dick. I showed him the german registration showing I was in Europe during June and July, and showed him a signed document from the 8/20 pickup date, but he just kept pressing and pressing saying the car was purchased in April and 5 months is too long to not have plates. I told him you can't register a car that isn't in the United States and the conversation got progressively worse from there. (I'm now becoming late for court as I sit)

He sits in his car for 15 minutes and comes back to tell me that my car doesn't show up in the CA DMW registry and that he should give me a ticket for no registration. I'm like WTF?!?!?! I call my dealer Sonnen, who tells me that they sent in my registration docs in August when picking up the car. Dealer quote is pretty funny. They say to me over phone, "You do know we live in California right? DMV is backed up like 90 days for processing!" Got a laugh out of me.

Cop kept being a dick. Said I have to go to AAA office and register my car this week. I said the dealer has my money as I paid for registration and they confirmed they sent in the docs and he could care less. He proceeds to say that registration is electronic and it would show in his computer the same day as when they enter it at dealership. The dealership told me this is complete BS by the way. 

Anyway, just venting. I drive by this cop almost every morning as he sits on the highway. I know I won't have plates for another month or so and he's going to probably pull me over again in traffic. Any ideas? I didn't do anything wrong, dealer has sent in DMV paperwork, and now its just waiting game. Cop didn't care about euro plate, all he cared about was not having registration in DMV system. 

Would I be out of place to ask my dealership for a copy of the DMV paperwork they sent in August as proof to any cops that pull me over in the future for no plates?


----------



## Nefilim (May 17, 2004)

whoa... that sucks!! chp can be such dicks when they want to, seriously, there are many far worse problems for them to take care of than harassing you for something that you have adequately explained, especially given the problem is the DMV! 

given the trouble you've had i can't see how you would be out of place asking the dealer with a receipt or something to help you out next time.


----------



## jcain (Jun 17, 2007)

firstbimmer said:


> Would I be out of place to ask my dealership for a copy of the DMV paperwork they sent in August as proof to any cops that pull me over in the future for no plates?


I don't think so. My dealership gave me a copy of the DMV paperwork I signed, which was dated 9/16/08 (my redelivery date). I think it was a transfer of title, and clearly indicated that it happened on the redelivery date rather than the Welt pickup date.


----------



## pharding (Mar 14, 2004)

Let your dealer come up with a good solution. The cop is just doing his job. If he did not give you a ticket you should be grateful.


----------



## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

The Cop was asking why I kept a plate on the car if it wasn't registered and I said (which I truly believe) 'Isn't it better that I have some sort of identifying plate on the car during the wait instead of a blank paper plate?' In my mind, if something were to happen to my car, god forbid, it would be nice to be able to give the authorities some sort of identifying plate to look out for in the immediate period after the theft. Or even from the CHP perspective, wouldn't they rather have a car have an identifying plate on it during the wait? Seems like everyone involved is better off if we have euro plate on the car while waiting for DMV to deliver CA plates. 

Its a side issue as the Cop didn't even care about the euro plate, but still a valid point anyway. 

I was so pissed. The cop was such a a$$bag. He was so cocky and kept reiterating how its my responsibility to get it into the DMV system and how he should give me a ticket for my failure. Does anyone know anyone that has ever done their OWN registration with the CA DMV when buying a new car off a dealers lot? I paid the dealer for registration and they sent it in. I'm not a detective. I don't have time to track the dealer's paperwork to see when the DMV will actually process the forms. My dealer was shocked at what the cop said. I totally expect to get pulled over by this same cop again


----------



## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

pharding said:


> Let your dealer come up with a good solution. The cop is just doing his job. If he did not give you a ticket you should be grateful.


Grateful????? Grateful for what? Not getting a ticket for not breaking the law? Cop was adamant that I need to get the car registered this week. Dealer is adamant that they already sent in registration paperwork. So you tell me how I can do what the cop wants??? I'm not going to pay for registration twice. I already paid the dealer when I bought the car and they already sent in paperwork. Again, cop could care less about plate, he was lecturing me on how its my fault that the car isn't registered yet. He could care less that the car was picked up on 8/20.

I just asked a CHP officer at court his opinion, and his first question was "How old was the officer that pulled you over?" I said he appeared young, and the CHP officer response was, "Yeah, he doesn't know what he's talking about, I hate to say." That made me feel better.

I deal with police all the time with my job so I was extra irritated at this power trip the officer had. He clearly didn't know the law but was going out of his way to BS just so he could assert power on a situation. Too bad he didn't realize who he pulled over because I will be in touch with his supervisor to discuss how the situation played out AFTER the officer found out I had picked up the car on 8/20.

I should probably get back to work, but I am very irritated that the officer made me sit in my car for almost 20 minutes of back and forth BS and then going to sit in his car AFTER finding out I picked the car up on 8/20.


----------



## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

At the risk of getting off topic:

Good thing you weren't sitting in a chair, waiting for the ice cream truck:

http://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta/woman-i-was-arrested-1181947.html

It's a shame that handful of police officers give the rest a bad reputation.


----------



## anythingbuttime (Dec 17, 2005)

I had this same convesation with the Illinois State Police last year. He couldn't grasp the idea that they were the actual plates registered to the car in Europe. I also had a 'drive-a-way' window decal from the dealer indicating taxes had been paid and plates ordered. What made it worse is that when he ran my license, it showed I owned other black 6 series convertibles, and he was convinced that it must be the same car. When I finally explained to him to run the vin, he was baffled why it didn't show in the computer. He did write two tickets. I had a talk with the judge and prosecutor before court and they threw them out.


----------



## fordan (Jun 7, 2009)

I'm confused. If the DMV temporary tag and paperwork was done back in April, why didn't the dealer already have the permanent tags for redelivery? Alternatively, why didn't the dealer wait until redelivery to do the DMV paperwork?

Not sure I can blame the cop if you're driving on an expired tag, since the temporary tags I'm familiar with expire within a couple months of being filled out. Your dealer shouldn't have sent you out with expired tags. I'm not from CA and don't know the vehicle registration process out there, so I may be way off base, but if it happened on this side of the country in the couple states I know, the dealer would have messed up.


----------



## Tanning machine (Feb 21, 2002)

jcain said:


> I don't think so. My dealership gave me a copy of the DMV paperwork I signed, which was dated 9/16/08 (my redelivery date). I think it was a transfer of title, and clearly indicated that it happened on the redelivery date rather than the Welt pickup date.


Yeah, I would get a copy of the paperwork or some proof that you've submitted the registration and carry it with you. If you can get any kind of status report from the DMV, bring that too.


----------



## jammat (Jul 26, 2006)

firstbimmer said:


> Picked up car from dealer on 8/20, DMV sticker in window, euro plate on the back.
> 
> On my way to work on the congested 101 South in Marin this morning. CHP pulls out into traffic when he sees me go by and lights me up at 5 mph. Comes up to the car and says "I pulled you over because you don't have any California plates on your car." I say, "yes officer, I just picked the car up on 8/20 and still waiting for plates."
> 
> ...


Call the cops boss and explain so the guy does not give you a ticket.


----------



## speedjunkie (Aug 26, 2004)

As one of my law enforcement friends has told me. CHP is commonly referred to as "AAA with a badge."


----------



## jsciv (Oct 5, 2010)

fordan said:


> Not sure I can blame the cop if you're driving on an expired tag, since the temporary tags I'm familiar with expire within a couple months of being filled out. Your dealer shouldn't have sent you out with expired tags. I'm not from CA and don't know the vehicle registration process out there, so I may be way off base, but if it happened on this side of the country in the couple states I know, the dealer would have messed up.


In California we are not issued temporary tags. We get a stick-on envelope that is affixed to the interior of the windshield on the passenger side that contains a DMV document proving registration. There are no tags provided with the sale; the plate frame remains blank (or contains dealer-inserted advertising) until the official license plates arrive in the mail. So there's no way for a policeman to know how long you have been driving the car without tags unless they stop you.


----------



## Weisswurst (Sep 17, 2011)

That does suck. When I took redelivery the dealer had me fill out the registration paperwork and it was dated the redelivery day. If yours was as well I don't see any reason for the officer to keep you any longer once he sees that (usually they run your ID in any traffic stop). Having the dealer advertising plate on is pretty pointless except that it "shows" it's a new car, in itself does not have any legitimacy. I would have run my euro plate only before getting the California tags except I hate getting harassed by the police.

On a side note I have met an extremely polite and courteous CHP officer which was a pleasant surprise, even though I got a fix it ticket for my license plate lights being out....


----------



## Elias (Jun 26, 2005)

jsciv said:


> In California we are not issued temporary tags. We get a stick-on envelope that is affixed to the interior of the windshield on the passenger side that contains a DMV document proving registration. There are no tags provided with the sale; the plate frame remains blank (or contains dealer-inserted advertising) until the official license plates arrive in the mail. So there's no way for a policeman to know how long you have been driving the car without tags unless they stop you.


Wow first time I ever heard of such a thing sounds like something you would see in a third world country that is really hard to believe!


----------



## SANguru (Jun 14, 2009)

he has no probable cause and he should let you go. As long as you have your DMV sticker on the windshield he has to let you go. I had something similar on my last euro delivery and I had to have a discussion with the CHP commander in the area.


----------



## bimmer335is (Nov 27, 2010)

Can you record him and post the video on youtube***65311; You know these days youtube exposure can definitely get that cop into trouble. I think that cop is a real DICK!
There are hero cops. But I believe a lot of them in the States are just being xxx and they ruin good cop's reputation.


----------



## boothguy (Feb 1, 2007)

I'm a respecter of law enforcement folks and the job they do, but have to agree this particular officer was being a dick. Last weekend, while in Las Vegas on business, I similarly got pulled over by Metro officers who were as nice as could be, saying essentially they didn't recognize the plate and just had to ask what in the world it was. The second officer in the car barely looked at the registration slip in the windshield, while I outlined the ED program for his partner, exclaiming at one point, "..and it's an M3. too..". The exact polar opposite of the OP's experience - sorry.. Just as a note, my dates are almost identical.


----------



## admranger (Dec 24, 2005)

boothguy said:


> I'm a respecter of law enforcement folks and the job they do, but have to agree this particular officer was being a dick. Last weekend, while in Las Vegas on business, I similarly got pulled over by Metro officers who were as nice as could be, saying essentially they didn't recognize the plate and just had to ask what in the world it was. The second officer in the car barely looked at the registration slip in the windshield, while I outlined the ED program for his partner, exclaiming at one point, "..and it's an M3. too..". The exact polar opposite of the OP's experience - sorry.. Just as a note, my dates are almost identical.


That's good to know now that my car should arrive in Port Hueneme tomorrow! :thumbup:


----------



## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

Elias said:


> Wow first time I ever heard of such a thing sounds like something you would see in a third world country that is really hard to believe!


CA stopped issuing paper plates ages ago. I didn't get one for my '78 Fiat.


----------



## lakerslive2004 (Mar 9, 2013)

OP you sound like an intelligent person who works in law. Why do you talk to the police? You gain nothing but a more aggravated officer by arguing with him. Best thing to do in these situations is stay quiet, take the ticket, and deal with it by written declaration when you can present all the facts.


----------



## ixsomerset (Nov 30, 2012)

Omg! I live in northern Marin. Had my 328i convertible from Sonnen BMW (Jim Leavitt) in San Rafael on Euro plates for over a month, it arrived June 15th. Had the Euro plates on it with temp tag on the windshield for just over a month with no issues. I'm fairly connected in Marin (or so I delude myself). Know the mayors of San Rafael (drives an M5) and Corte Madera. Was distressed to read your story. 

Drop me a private message. I'll buy you a beer. I want to hear this story first hand. 

I study transportation policy in my spare time and put quite some pressure on the local officials in Marin (with success). But I work in high tech / app product management.Drop me a private message.


----------



## firstbimmer (May 25, 2006)

Dead thread finds second life years later! 

This happened over two years ago and I never posted again after my initial venting that morning. I really was more pissed at the amount of my time this officer wasted. The commute from sonoma county is long enough without this extra hassle. But it helped being able to vent that morning so thank you bimmerfest.

I did speak in passing with the officers supervisor a couple weeks later. We had other work related issues to discuss and I had calmed down long before, so we laughed about it more so than me venting again. He did say he would have a chat with him but I didnt push too hard. 

I never had another incident with an additional month of driving with only the euro plates on. This year my commute has changed so that I rarely head down through marin so my time spent in traffic and interaction with that location has significantly decreased.


----------



## jayb328i (Aug 4, 2013)

Tell it to the judge


----------



## iBeard (Dec 12, 2013)

Here in Florida the dealers do all the dmv registration electronically and they put your permanent license plate on before you drive off, no waiting period. It's the only thing Florida does right. Every car dealer has a stack of license plates ready to be registered.


----------



## Jkuhn (Nov 27, 2010)

I also live in Marin like firstbimmer. I had a similar encounter with a CHP 3 years ago on my last ED car. I was pulled over for no plates (the Zoll plates were still on the car), and this was FIVE months after taking delivery from the same dealer as firtbimmer (Sonnen, in San Rafael). I also showed the officer the temporary tag on the window; he ran the VIN only to tell me that it wasn't in the DMV computer. I explained that the CA DMV was staffed by morons with antiquated computers, and he chuckled and let me go with a fix-it ticket, which is a $15 fine as long as you repair what was wrong. Well, when the time came to report to the court, I still had not received my CA plates, so I had to call the court and explain. I got a 30 day extension, by which time my plates did arrive. All was well, though I was out the 15 bucks.

Three weeks ago I took delivery of my latest ED car, a 2014 640 convertible. This time the plates arrived 2 weeks after delivery, from the dealer, also Sonnen (which is great, by the way). This is warp speed compared to all my previous experiences. So, my car has the CA plate mounted over my Zoll plates, on the rear. The front only has the Zoll plate. CA requires plates on both front and rear, though I refuse to f*** up the look of my car with a goofy front plate frame. Not having a front plate is just a fix-it ticket, so I run the risk of a $15 fine when a cop or meter maid cares, which is about once a year. For you Californians, check out how many cars lack front plates; it's a lot of them.

So, firstbimmer, you had a bit of a hassle, but was it worth the ED experience? I'll bet it was.


----------



## bengwie (Jun 13, 2011)

It happened to us 3 weeks after picking up a car from US delivery with Zoll plates. I had been cruising and seeing cops, they were fine with it, until
1 night from this SJPD. He was driving on my rear, then pulled up to my side and asked me to roll down the window.

He said "where are your official plates?" And I said "they are still on its way". Then he said "Take off those plates, hang them on your wall, they just don't belong here!". I was like "Sure" since I saw no point arguing with these dickheads who worry about european plates, but saying "we have bigger first to fry" when a home burglary was reported.


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


----------



## jayb328i (Aug 4, 2013)

Don't most States have a regulations how long you can drive with Out-of-State plates once you move to another State (or have a car registered in your name in another State but need to re-register in your home State). I think that is usually 30 days, or 60 or 90 (at the most). These laws usually apply to cars registered in Canada and Mexico when someone moves into the States. So what is the limit in California--30 or 60 or 90 days. These laws probably do not excuse someone from carrying minimum auto insurance required by the home State during this time, and there may be an issue with an American auto insurance company issuing insurance for a car domiciled in the US but registered in another country. 
So why wouldn't this law apply to a car brought in to the US that is registered to you with any out-of-country plate, including those obtained through a ED. Or does it, and the issue here is one of two things: the license was on the car beyond the 30/60/90 day limit, OR the police person is ignorant European plates should be treated the same as from Canada/Mexico/Hawaii/ Philippines/Virgin Islands (good for 30/60 or 90 days). 
And--by having ED plates on the car---are you protecting fellow drivers on the road by carrying the proper level of auto insurance in case of an accident (bodily damage or property). For me as a fellow driver on the roads, the biggest issue is that all drivers are insured at the proper level.


----------

