Fine for hiding license plates

What is the penalty for numbers (unreadable, hidden, upside down)?

The fine for license plates for 2019 depends on the specific violation. What fine for numbers will be imposed in each case depends on whether your number is unreadable, hidden, modified, distorted or even counterfeit; and also on whether it is installed in the place provided for by the design and whether the rules for its installation have been violated.

What is a fake number? This is a license plate that does not belong to your car - that is, a number from another car or one that does not exist at all. In any case, such a number is not registered with the traffic police for your car. We will consider all cases of fines for license plates on a car in this article. According to data current for 2019, they are regulated by 4 parts of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

What is the fine for unreadable numbers?

So, the very first part of Article 12.2 states that the driver is subject to a warning or a fine of 500 rubles for unreadable license plates. Please note that a fine is imposed only for driving a car with unreadable license plates or one license plate. If the car is stationary, there is no fine for this.

In what cases are numbers considered unreadable? The numbers will be recognized as such by the traffic police inspector if he fails to read at least one letter or number from a distance of 20 meters (note to Article 12.2). At the same time, the inscription “RUS” and the image of the flag may be unreadable, there is no fine for this. There is a difference in unreadability depending on the time of day. Since the front number plate is not illuminated in the dark, there is no requirement for its readability from 20 meters, but the rear number plate must be readable at any time. During daylight hours, both license plates should be readable - again, from a distance of 20 meters.

At the same time, the unreadability of numbers here does not include that due to their concealment and modification. The reasons for unreadability can be, for example, the following:

the room is covered in dirt, snow, etc. (not on purpose, of course)
the number has been erased (the black letters or numbers on the number have been erased),
something accidentally stuck to the number (precisely by accident, but this may be a controversial point).

What is the fine for license plates installed in violation of GOST?

The same part of the article provides for a similar fine of 500 rubles for numbers that are installed in violation of the requirements of GOST R 50577-93. The list of such requirements is quite broad, but quite understandable and memorable.

Let's list how it is prohibited to install license plates in order to get fined for incorrectly installed license plates:

the number must be installed perpendicular to the length of the car with a deviation of no more than 3 o;
the number must be installed perpendicular to the road surface with a deviation of no more than 5 o;
the distance from the road surface to the bottom edge of the sign must be at least 30 cm, and for two-wheelers and snowmobiles - 20 cm;
Visibility should be ensured at the following angles in the diagram below:
the number can only be attached to the holes on it with light-colored bolts or other light-colored elements;
you can attach the number to the frame, but the frame should not cover the letters and numbers of the license plate (as well as the bolts in the holes);
It is prohibited to drill additional holes into the license plate.

The fine here is also provided only for driving a car with such violations.

What is the penalty for hidden numbers?

Hiding numbers in 2019 is punishable by more severe penalties. And a fine is not the only punishment here. For a deliberately hidden license plate, a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for 1-3 months (by decision of the official or judge considering the case) is imposed under Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. Only driving a car with hidden license plates is punishable in the same way.

Meanwhile, the line between hiding the number from being readable and making the license plate unreadable is quite thin. And the main factor here is precisely the intentionality of the concealment. If the room was deliberately splashed with mud or snow, then this is a cover-up; if by chance, then an unreadable number.

A reasonable question is how will a traffic police inspector determine whether the number is hidden intentionally or unintentionally? Alas, but at your own discretion. According to the Code of Administrative Violations, the composition of many violations and the driver’s guilt in them are determined by the body considering the case based on personal conviction, but having comprehensively and most fully considered all the circumstances and evidence (26.11 of the Administrative Code). You, if a decision is made not in your favor, can appeal such decisions.

Concealing a number includes such actions and circumstances as:

use of curtains on rooms;
the use of reflective film (the above GOST generally prohibits applying any coating to the number);
covering the numbers with any objects (paper, rag, etc.);
deliberately staining the license plates with mud, snow, clay, etc.;
and another case described below.

Fine or deprivation of rights for upside down numbers

The fact is that such a “life hack” as inverted numbers, which allows you to avoid punishment from auto-fixation cameras, is practically not described anywhere in legislative acts. GOST for license plates also does not prescribe that the numbers must be placed so that they are not read upside down or that the back and front parts of the license plate must not be swapped.

And here the issue is not so easily resolved, including in practice. If the number is turned upside down, then the punishment for this can be either under Part 1 or Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. At the same time, logic dictates that there may not be a violation at all in this case. The fact is that an upside down number is quite readable, and the inspector doesn’t even need to break his neck to do this - everyone can read the text upside down.

On the other hand, GOST stipulates that the white stripe of the Russian flag should be on top and the red stripe on the bottom:

The image of the State Flag of the Russian Federation should be a rectangle with equal horizontal stripes: the top stripe is white, the middle stripe is blue and the bottom stripe is red.

But here again, with the violation, not everything is so simple. This note in GOST refers to the installed types of license plates themselves and has nothing to do with the requirements for their installation on a car. That is, the flag still remains in the correct position relative to the top and bottom edges of the number itself - it’s just that the number is hung upside down on the car. Simply put, the white stripe of the flag is on top of the number (but from below towards the road), and this GOST clause refers specifically to the position relative to the number.

But having an upside-down license plate with the front side facing the car, when its back side is visible, can be punishable by Part 2 of Article 12.2 with possible deprivation of rights. This is because in this case there is a deliberate intention to hide the number. That is, the official examining the case, in practice, usually concludes that a license plate deliberately directed with its front side towards an obstacle is an obvious concealment of the number.

What is the fine if numbers are placed on glass?

In 2019, for driving a vehicle whose license plates are installed outside the designated place by design, punishment is also imposed under Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences. Including if you put the license plates behind the glass in the car, and even if they are clearly visible from 20 meters away.

But what to do if there are no places provided by the design of the car at the moment. For example, if you removed the bumper or it was broken, and the numbers are installed on the bumper? Unfortunately, it is prohibited to travel in this case. Dura lex - sed lex (from Latin “the law is harsh, but it is the law”).

What is the penalty for false numbers?

But the most severe punishment in terms of car license plates awaits the driver for driving with false license plates. Let’s imagine a not very common situation: entry into the closed territory of an organization using passes issued for a car number, and a camera that records the number and automatically opens the barrier, if there is one in the database. You arrived in a different car, but took with you the number registered in the database and put it on top of the current number in order to drive through the barrier.

If such an action is seen by a traffic police officer, then you will face two punishments at once: the first - for the very fact of installing false license plates, the second - for driving with false license plates. For installation you will face a fine of 2,500 rubles, but for management you will be deprived of your rights for a period of six months to a year.

Table of fines for numbers

The table below shows all fines and other preventive measures relevant for 2019 regarding violations of license plates, including those not described above.

Penalty for closed numbers

Some drivers, in order to avoid fines for violations that are recorded by photo and video cameras, hide their license plates in various ways. It can be a simple piece of paper, a rag, a mesh, reflective film, etc.

Type of fine and essence of the violation

Article No. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation states that drivers are subject to a fine of 500 rubles for closed license plates. The main condition for imposing a penalty is driving a car. That is, if the car is parked, then the citizen does not violate anything.

Only a traffic police inspector is authorized to recognize the number as unreadable, and also to fine the driver for this. According to the above article, this happens if he fails to read at least one letter or number from a distance of twenty meters.

The number is closed with a disk

If you hide the “RUS” designation or the image of the flag, there will be no fine. It is also necessary to take into account the time of day, because at night the twenty-meter rule does not apply to the front number, let alone the back number, which must be readable at any time.

The unreadability of numbers is not always recognized as a deliberate concealment, as there may be several reasons for this:

weather conditions (for example, snow or dirt stuck to the room);
some numbers or letters have been erased;
paper or other material accidentally stuck to the license plate (but the fact that the driver was not involved in this is difficult to prove).

And here the question arises, how will the traffic police inspector determine whether the driver intentionally hid the number or not? He does this at his own discretion, but his decision can be appealed if there is significant evidence.

Note! If we are talking about deliberately hiding a number, then a more severe punishment is imposed for this. The driver is required to pay a fine of 5,000 rubles or be deprived of his license for a period of one to three months, but only by decision of a judge or official.

Penalty for film on license plates

Under deliberate concealment of the state. numbers imply the following circumstances:

the presence of curtains;
the number is covered with reflective film, which is strictly prohibited;
the sign was intentionally covered with snow or mud;
the presence of any third-party object (it could be paper, a rag, etc.).

The number is covered with a cloth

What is the fine for having a closed license plate while driving:

in case of deliberate concealment by mud or snow - 500 rubles*;
sign worn away by time - 500 rubles*;
the erased sign was carelessly touched up by the driver - a warning, a fine of 5,000 rubles* or deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of one to three months;
the number is incorrectly secured: with black bolts or using additional holes - a fine of 500 rubles*;
third-party material is used to hide - 5,000 rubles* or deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of one to three months;
in 2018, a fine for filming on a license plate is 5,000 rubles* or deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of one to three months;
the sign is turned upside down - a fine of 500 rubles* or deprivation of rights;
using a fake license plate - 2,500 rubles* for installation or deprivation of a driver's license for a period of 6 months to one year for driving a car.

Cars with covered registration plates in the parking lot

Additional Information! Some drivers began to deliberately hide license plates in order to leave the car in a paid parking lot and not spend money. The law only talks about a fine for driving a car with an unreadable registration plate, so citizens take advantage of it.

The fine for taped-over license plates is quite a large sum, amounting to 5,000 rubles. Not only will you be fined for hiding your number, but your license may also be revoked, so you should think twice before deliberately hiding your number.

Algorithm for paying a fine

at the scene of the incident;
by mail;
by email.

Important! The first method will be the most acceptable for the driver, since with adequate communication with the inspector, you can get off with one warning.

When the driver agrees that the fine for hiding license plates was issued legally, and he does not intend to appeal it, then he will need to pay it within sixty days. You can do this in any convenient way:

through a bank branch;
using a self-service terminal;
using online services.

The latter method is very popular because it does not require payment of a commission.

Additional Information! Drivers can pay fines for concealing their vehicle registration number with a 50% discount if they make the payment within the first three weeks of receipt.

If the driver intentionally fails to make a payment, he faces penalties. When the period of voluntary payment comes to an end (2 months), the amount of the fine will double, and the case will go to the bailiffs. They will use different methods of influencing the offender, among them are:

wage deduction;
administrative arrest;
deprivation of driver's license;
public Works.

How to appeal

If the fine for license plates covered with paper was issued illegally, then the driver should not admit his guilt. In this case, the following procedure is provided:

The traffic police inspector will insist on drawing up a protocol.
The driver must make a note of the difficult weather conditions due to which the license plates on the car were dirty.
You need to take a photo of the car.
The protocol must indicate that the driver considered the inspector’s actions to be unlawful.

Important! When taking a photo or video, you need to include the license plate number in the frame, as well as the traffic inspector.

If a citizen is guaranteed to face a fine, but he has not committed any violation, then he must contact a lawyer. There are free hotlines for this:

for residents of the capital and the Moscow region: +7 (499) 577-04-32;
for residents of St. Petersburg: +7 (812) 467-32-64;
calls within Russia: +8 (800) 301-72-13.

Changes in legislation

It was already said above that if the numbers are hidden unintentionally, then the driver can get off with one warning. But if a fine has been issued, then its amount will not exceed 5,000 rubles, and you should not be afraid of deprivation of your driver’s license. As a rule, scammers use this trick, so the driver needs to be alert.

There are no plans for any changes in legislation regarding this issue in the near future. There may be some changes in the future, but this is not stated anywhere.

Additional Information! Deputies decided not to punish drivers for parking without license plates.

How to avoid a fine

Traffic police inspector stops a violator

According to current legislation, if the reason for the unreadability of license plates is weather conditions, the traffic police inspector will ask the driver to clean them on the spot. Therefore, it is better to always have special tools with you in the form of a sponge or brush.

Note! If there is bad weather outside, then as the rooms become dirty, it is better to stop and clean them.

The inspector will only start to find fault if the driver is rude to him. In other situations they remain lenient because:

for this type of violation only a warning is provided;
the concept of unreadability is quite biased, since some can see the numbers due to good eyesight, while others cannot. Also in this case no examination is carried out.

Referring to the above, it can be noted that it is better for the driver not to enter into conflict with the police officer and immediately clean the license plates.

If we consider the fine for false numbers, then there is no way to avoid it, which is provided for in paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article No. 12.2.

The amount of the fine for closed license plates will directly depend on the cause of the deficiency. If this was done unintentionally, then you can get off with a warning or a minimal fine. In other cases, the driver may be deprived of his license or prosecuted.

* Prices are current as of October 2018.

All about fines for unreadable numbers

Even the most disciplined driver, who zealously observes all traffic rules, may well become a victim of a traffic inspector, and for a seemingly ridiculous reason - because of dirty license plates. Indeed, one single trip in bad weather is enough for a clean car to turn into a dirty one, which in itself does not contain anything illegal. But if such a fate befalls license plates, this is already fraught with penalties. And if, when stopping a vehicle, it is always possible to avoid punishment by arguing your innocence, then if your license plate number cannot be recognized by the lock, it is unlikely that you will be able to avoid issuing a fine.

However, in order for the license plates to become unreadable, it is not at all necessary to drive through puddles - even in summer such a layer of dust can settle on a metal plate that the license plate may indeed become unreadable.

So checking the oil level is far from the only activity that should be performed daily.

The fact that you personally have never been fined for such a violation should not be misleading. The traffic police inspector will be very happy to point out obvious discrepancies at any opportunity. Remember that it will not be possible to shift responsibility for unreadable registration numbers to the vagaries of the weather.

Therefore, always keep a cloth in the glove compartment specially designed for wiping license plates, and if the road is wet and dirty, check their legibility before each trip. If you are going on a long journey, do not be lazy to stop every 50-60 kilometers to make sure that the meeting with the traffic inspector will not have any unpleasant consequences.

Readable/unreadable numbers

Most likely, when faced with a similar situation, you are unlikely to be able to determine how much your license plates fall under the concept of readability. This is not surprising - the traffic rules do not say a word about this. The concept of readability is mentioned in the Admin Code, but it also lacks a definition. It only says that the license plate must be readable regardless of the time of day.

It turns out that this definition is present in GOST (5057747, clause 04-7). A license plate is considered unreadable if it cannot be seen from a distance of up to twenty meters.

But there are many nuances here that are not regulated by any regulatory documents, which often causes controversy due to the ambiguous interpretation of a particular situation.

As an example, we will give a case where you may well be fined for reading a number. For example, dirty license plates, which can be easily read at night thanks to the protuberances and the play of light/shadow from artificial lighting, will not be a violation, but such a license plate cannot be recognized by a video or photo camera. And this is a violation.

License plates are considered unreadable on a car during the day if at a distance of 20 meters or less it is impossible to clearly see at least one character, and it does not matter whether it is in front or behind.

At night, driving with dirty license plates, in which at least one symbol is indistinguishable from a distance of 20 meters or less, is prohibited, but only the rear license plate must be checked. That is, if you make a long trip at night, it is not necessary to clean the front state sign.

Consequences for driving with dirty license plates

The time has come to consider what punishment is provided for this completely insignificant violation from a road safety point of view.

As Part 01 of Art. 12.02 Code of Administrative Offenses, the fine for dirty, unreadable license plates is small - five hundred rubles, but the very fact that you were punished is unpleasant. Note that we are talking about punishment for driving a vehicle with dirty license plates. If your car is immobilized, there will be no punishment.

Since the format of the license plate can be different (old-style plates are still in use, and there are a lot of cars with foreign license plates on the roads), discrepancies may also arise here. Please note that the inscriptions indicating the country of registration (for example, RUS) do not relate to the number itself, that is, they may well be splattered. The same applies to the image of the flag. All other symbols, be they letters or numbers, must be clearly visible from twenty meters.

As for the reasons for unreadability, they can be different - they are stained with snow mass, dirt, symbols can be erased due to natural wear and tear or concave and deformed as a result of collisions with obstacles. Eventually, a foreign object (paper or cardboard) may stick to the sign. Formally, all these cases are violations, although this may not be your fault.

Of course, deprivation of rights for dirty license plates is not provided if you can prove that their unreadability was not caused by your deliberate actions.

Let's look at other penalties for an unreadable license plate, fortunately they are all described in the Admin Code.

Penalty for intentionally hidden numbers

We have already mentioned that the unreadability of license plates is not a factor affecting the traffic situation. However, from the point of view of recording traffic violations by drivers, this is really important. And the case of deliberately dirtying the license plate may indicate that not everything is in order with a particular vehicle. That is why the punishment for a detailed violation is much more severe: the fine increases tenfold, up to 5,000 rubles, and there is also the possibility of depriving the driver of the offending driver’s license for 1-3 months.

But where is the line that allows you to distinguish a license plate that is simply unreadable from one that is intentionally soiled? In both cases, we are dealing with the problem of its recognition, but how can a traffic police inspector prove the intentionality or accident of unreadable symbols?

Unfortunately, he doesn’t need to prove anything, since he makes decisions based on his own convictions. This, unfortunately, is a problem of a large number of various administrative violations. And although the body considering a particular case must do this as completely, objectively and comprehensively as possible, the subjective factor is still present.

If you are convinced that they want to punish you unlawfully, you can always appeal the decision of the traffic police inspector or the court.

What is considered deliberate concealment of license plate number:

use of opaque curtains on license plates;
applying reflective materials (in fact, nothing at all should be applied to the license plates);
hanging license plates with rags, cardboards, sheets of paper;
deliberate application of dirt, wet sand, clay, snow.

Punishment for signs installed on cars in violation of GOST

GOST R5057793 describes the requirements for installing license plates on a vehicle. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in a fine the same as for driving with dirty license plates - 500 rubles.

The list of these requirements is small, so you can easily remember it:

the plate with the number must be installed perpendicular to the plane of the bottom of the car (permissible deviation - 3°);
the plate with the number must be installed perpendicular to the plane of the road surface (permissible deviation - 5°);
the minimum distance between the bottom edge of the sign and the surface of the roadway is 30 centimeters, in the case of snowmobiles and two-wheeled vehicles – 20 centimeters;
visibility of symbols should be ensured at an angle of 30° in the horizontal plane and 15° in the vertical plane;
The sign is fastened only with white/light-colored fasteners;
it is possible to mount the number in a frame, but the latter should not cover either the symbols or the mounting holes;
It is prohibited to make additional holes in the license plate, even if attaching the plate is problematic without this.

Installation of car license plate

Please note that the possibility of punishment for violation of the above requirements applies only to a moving vehicle.

Punishment for installing a number in the wrong place

If the driver drives a car whose license plates (at least one) are mounted in a place not provided for by the design of the vehicle, a fine is imposed for this in accordance with Part 02 of Art. 12.02 Code of Administrative Offenses (500 rubles).

Many drivers are confident that installing a license plate near the rear window is not a violation, since the requirement for good visibility from a 20-meter distance is fully met. Alas, this arrangement conflicts with the requirements of the Administrative Code.

And even if you justify your decision by the fact that there is no regular place to mount the license plate on your car (for example, due to a broken bumper), this does not exempt you from liability. You are not authorized to operate such a vehicle.

Punishment for false numbers

This type of license plate offense carries the harshest penalties. And although it is implied that the use of false license plates is a sign that the car may be stolen, such situations are not always associated with something criminal.

As an example, we can cite a case when it is necessary to enter a territory protected by an automatic access system (barrier and camera that records and recognizes the ownership of the car by license plate number). If your car breaks down and you use your spouse’s car, putting your license plate on top of the existing one, this is already considered forgery.

For such a violation, double punishment is provided: for the fact of installing false license plates and for driving a vehicle on which false license plates are installed. In the first case, you will get off with a 2.5 thousand fine, in the second you will have to give up the driver's license for a period of 0.5-1.0 years.

What can you do to avoid a fine?

If the license plate turns out to be contaminated as a result of external factors (snow, dirt), you should not take the words of the traffic police inspector about the violation with hostility. Calm communication will most likely help solve the problem in an appropriate way: it is unlikely that a traffic police officer will insist on punishing you with a ruble. In most cases, it will simply warn you that it is inadmissible to drive with such license plates (this measure is provided for by law) and offer to clear the plates in its presence. So always carry rags and cleaning products with you.

It also happens that you come across an intractable inspector. In this case, there is also a way out: if you manage to clean the license plates before the police officer records them with a camera, there will be no violation.

In case of bad weather, it is better not to take risks at all, stop every 30-50 km (depending on the condition of the road) and carry out preventive cleaning.

Always remember that if you start being rude to the inspector who stopped you, dirty license plates are one of the easiest ways to punish you. Even if you do not agree with the fact that the symbols on the number are unreadable, the inspector has an undeniable advantage in this matter: he has the right to decide how dirty the number is, guided only by his visual sensations. An examination is not provided for in such cases.

A significant argument in your favor may be the absence of unpaid fines. Politely report this, and the traffic police officer will most likely limit you to a warning.

Remember that inciting a conflict on your part is not only fraught with a virtually guaranteed imposition of a 500-ruble fine - the inspector may well suspect (or simply express suspicion out loud) that you have dirty the license plate deliberately, and this is a more severe punishment. You may even lose your license for it. So if it is raining at this time, or puddles (snow, mud) are visible on the road, be sure to record this, preferably against the background of a policeman and his car.

Remember also that if there are objects on the license plates that limit the recognition of characters, it is unlikely that you will be able to avoid punishment for deliberate actions to hide the license plates. And this is already quite a substantial amount - 5,000 rubles. True, you can reduce it by half if you manage to pay the fine promptly. This penalty falls under the quota of a 50% discount when paid within a 20-day period from the date of receipt of the decision.

The law on liability for concealing a license plate number came into force

Moscow. 15th of November. INTERFAX.RU - The most sophisticated attempts to hide the license plate on a car in order to avoid liability for violating traffic rules while driving now threaten the driver with a large fine or withdrawal of license for three months.

Corresponding amendments were made to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (CAO RF) by Federal Law No. 307-FZ of October 14, which came into force on Saturday.

In particular, two new concepts are introduced into Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (driving a car in violation of the rules for installing state registration plates on it): “modified sign” and “device modifying the sign.”

According to the innovation, any change in the number, as well as the installation of devices that hide the state sign of the car, will entail the sanction provided for in this article - a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for a period of one to three months.

Previous edition of Part 2 of Art. 12 of the Code of Administrative Offenses provided for punishment for driving a car whose license plates are deliberately hidden by all kinds of frames, nets, or other materials that prevent or complicate their identification.

As the Main Directorate for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs explained to Interfax, inventive drivers circumvented this norm by not using any materials, but simply by destroying in various ways (erasing or cutting off) part of the alphabetic or digital fragment of the number or by installing a mechanical device that at the right moment for the driver (for example, in front of a video recording camera), it turned the sign over, making it unreadable.

Now you can pay for such inventions with temporary deprivation of rights.

Meanwhile, the amendments do not apply to situations where car owners disguise part of their car license plate in order to avoid paying for parking in paid parking lots.

Since the introduction of paid parking zones in Russian regions, many drivers, leaving their car in such a parking lot, close it with improvised means.

(with rags, sheets of paper, dirt) his number. Since the car cannot be identified in this regard, its owner avoids paying for parking and liability for unpaid parking - a fine of 2,500 rubles.

The responsibility of the car owner for masking the license plates of a car parked in a paid parking lot is not provided for by Russian legislation.

Is there a fine for closed numbers?

The fine for closed numbers depends on many circumstances of the situation. The determination of the penalty is influenced by weather factors, the presence of a deliberate concealment, and the time of day when the violation of established rules was discovered.

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Reasons for hiding signs on a car

Intentional concealment of license plates is subject to a mandatory fine. This raises the question of the need for such fraud on the part of the driver. If the car is not registered with the traffic police, the owner may try to avoid inspection by traffic police officers in this way.

Some drivers deliberately dirty or cover up license plates in parking lots in the wrong places in order to avoid a fine by submitting the relevant information to the traffic police.

These actions are a violation of the law, therefore legal norms determine the penalty in the form of payment of a fee to the state.

Innovative ways to deliberately hide numbers include the use of special sprays, meshes, lenses and infrared frames. These techniques are prohibited and if they are detected, the driver will be fined.

Fine for unreadable license plates

The fine for unreadable numbers is 500 rubles. A violation is established if the clarity of the image is not visible from a distance of 20 meters.

The purpose of the fee also depends on the time of day. At night, the front license plates are not illuminated and may therefore not be visible. The signs on the back of the car must be clearly visible at any time of the day.

Unreadable numbers may be closed for the following reasons:

non-special contamination of signs with snow and dirt;
erasing some numbers from the overall combination;
Numbers covered with paper or other material.

Assigning a fine for illegibility of license plates is only possible when the vehicle is moving, since this condition is not a violation when parked. This fact must be taken into account when familiarizing yourself with the basic requirements of the traffic police service.

In case of violation of GOST standards on license plates

Violation of standard GOST requirements for state registration plates implies a fine of 500 rubles. To avoid the development of such a situation, it is necessary to take into account the following requirements:

parallel identification of the vehicle number in relation to the road asphalt surface;
maintaining a distance of 20 to 30 cm between the asphalt and the bottom edge of the sign;
ensuring visibility at an angle of 15 and 30 degrees;
use of white fastening bolts;
eliminating the need to drill additional holes;
mounting on a frame, subject to full visibility of the entire combination of numbers and letters on the plate.

For deliberate concealment of signs

If a deliberate decision by the driver to hide the license plates is revealed, a fine of 5,000 rubles and deprivation of driving privileges for a period of 1 to 3 months are imposed.

The practice of identifying such violations is quite difficult, since it is possible to prove the guilt of the car owner only if there is integral evidence.

Traffic police officers detect moderate concealment under the following circumstances:

the presence of special curtains on registration plates;
use of film, coating made of reflective materials;
sealing numbers with paper or cloth;
driving a vehicle with upside down signs.

The last point has contradictions and disputes between the driver and the representative of the law, since legal norms do not prevent such attachment of the table. On the other hand, the state flag is upside down, which contradicts the basic provisions of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

If the number is attached to the car on the front side, then this violation is considered moderate and is punished in the appropriate manner with deprivation of rights for a specified period. The traffic police officer has the right to assume that the driver specifically attached the sign with the reverse side, since it is quite difficult not to notice this defect.

Penalty for installing license plates on glass

The presence of license plates on the glass of a vehicle is a violation, since the law implies the use of registration plates only in the place where they are attached . Therefore, if such a defect is detected, traffic police officers will issue a fine.

In some cases, it is not possible to attach a plate with a number, since the car’s bumper may be broken or torn off. In this case, operating the vehicle is not recommended. Even if the license plates are clearly visible on the glass.

Important! The absence or concealment of registration plates in a deliberate manner implies a fine with possible deprivation of a driver's license for a certain period.

Punishment for fake numbers

The highest degree of responsibility is assigned for false license plates that hide the true registration of the car. This violation is punishable by a fine in the amount of 2,500 thousand rubles and deprivation of rights for up to one and a half years.

If false numbers were attached due to the theft of a car, then such actions are considered criminal . The case is considered in court, and when a decision is made, the culprit may be imprisoned for periods established by the legal legislation of the Russian Federation.

To exclude various suspicions, it is advisable to monitor the condition of personal vehicles and check the registration plates for dirt or other obstacles before leaving. If the car is checked and the license plates are dirty, you will most likely have to pay a fine.

Evasion of paying a fine is possible only if the driver proves to the traffic police officer that the presence of hidden license plates was unintentional.

Conclusion

The amount and purpose of the fine for unreadable signs depend on the cause of the defect. If the driver unintentionally committed such an action, then the amount is minimal. In other cases, deprivation of rights and criminal liability are possible.

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