In
a
previous
column,
I
wrote
about
how
California
is
starting
to
go
after
its
residents
dodging
sales
taxes
and
automotive
emissions
rules
by
getting
Montana
license
plates
for
their
cars.
After
various
news
outlets
published
the
story,
many
people
got
the
impression
that
the
police
would
pull
over
every
car
that
had
an
out-of-state
license
plate.
While
that
impression
might
be
true,
historically
police
in
California
have
seldom
pulled
over
drivers
simply
for
having
out-of-state
plates.
For
example,
last
January,
News
Channel
3
in
Coachella
Valley
obtained
records
from
the
California
Highway
Patrol
(CHP)
on
investigations
for
possible
registration
violations.
The
response
from
the
CHP records
division
showed
there
were
91
cases
last
year
in
the
local
CHP district, 93
letters
sent,
103
cases
resolved,
and no
citations
were
written.
Why
do
police
in
California
seem
to
be
lax
in
investigating
out-of-state
license
plates
to
check
for
registration
violations?
I
looked
at
online
forums
and
asked
a
few
traffic
officers
in
Southern
California
to
get
some
answers.
It
turns
out
that
a
majority
of
cars
with
non-California
license
plates
are
there
legally.
In
major
cities
with
high
tourism
or
business
travelers,
it
is
not
unusual
to
see
many
cars
with
out-of-state
plates.
People
visiting
from
other
states
will
usually
bring
their
cars
with
them.
Also,
many
of
these
cars
are
rented.
Then
what
about
cars
with
out-of-state
plates
that
police
officers
see
regularly?
A
lot
of
these
people
are
staying
temporarily.
Most
of
them
are
visiting
relatives
for
an
extended
time
or
are
college
students.
Others
have
temporary
jobs,
particularly
those
in
the
military.
A
few
cities
in
California
have
placed
restrictions
on
police
officers
pulling
over
people
based
on
minor
infractions
or
pretextual
stops.
In
2022,
the
Los
Angeles
Police
Department
adopted
more
restrictive
rules
for
pretext
stops,
requiring
a
higher
threshold
of
suspicion
and
specific
documentation
by
officers
before
and
after
the
stop.
San
Francisco
has
issued
a
similar
restriction
on
pretextual
stops.
Police
departments
and
the
DMV
have
limited
resources,
and
investigating
out-of-state
plates
is
probably
not
a
high
priority.
These
new
policies
have
discouraged
police
officers
from
pulling
over
people
simply
for
having
out-of-state
plates.
In
most
cases,
a
traffic
officer
will
inquire
about
a
non-California
plate
when
the
driver
is
pulled
over
for
something
else
such
as
speeding.
Also,
a
traffic
stop
for
out-of-state
plates
could
violate
the
Fourth
Amendment’s
rule
against
unreasonable
searches.
Police
officers
need
reasonable
suspicion
that
a
specific
law
is
broken
to
justify
a
traffic
stop.
Since
out-of-state
plates
are
legal
in
California,
a
police
officer
will
need
to
have
additional
evidence
to
show
that
the
driver
was
required
to
register
their
car
in
California.
Then
there’s
the
matter
of
officer
discretion.
One
police
officer
I
talked
to
was
ex-military
and
he
said
that
he
tends
to
be
flexible
to
servicemen
and
women
on
active
duty
since
they
may
be
in
California
temporarily.
Another
police
officer
who
admits
to
being
a
car
enthusiast
generally
tends
to
give
warnings
and
advise
drivers
that
myths
they
heard
about
Montana
license
plates
are
incorrect.
Some
suggested
that
police
officers
show
up
to
car
shows
or
Cars
and
Coffee
gatherings
where
at
least
some
cars
with
Montana
plates
will
show
up.
But
that
is
easier
said
than
done.
A
police
officer’s
safety
may
be
in
jeopardy
if
he
tries
to
give
tickets
among
a
group
of
car
enthusiasts.
Lastly,
another
police
officer
said
to
me
that
drivers
with
out-of-state
plates
who
may
be
California
residents
tend
to
be
the
best
drivers.
They
do
not
speed
nor
do
they
drive
obnoxiously.
They
always
give
the
right
of
way
to
other
drivers
and
pedestrians.
According
to
this
officer,
so
long
as
they
obey
the
law
to
the
letter
and
do
not
cause
trouble,
the
police
are
not
inclined
to
pull
them
over
or
take
steps
to
have
the
car
deported
to
the
state
where
it
is
registered.
Does
that
mean
police
officers
will
let
out-of-state
drivers
do
whatever
they
please?
Of
course
not.
If
a
driver
commits
a
traffic
violation,
they
could
risk
an
inquiry
about
his
out
of
state
license
plates,
particularly
if
he
has
a
California
driver’s
license
or
if
his
car
is
insured
in
California.
Those
who
engage
in
excessive
speeding,
reckless
driving,
street
racing,
driving
with
loud
exhausts,
or
participating
in
street
takeovers
will
not
get
sympathy
from
a
police
officer.
Traffic
officers
are
the
first
to
see
non-California
license
plates,
and
they
should
see
if
the
drivers
are
committing
a
registration
violation
or
even
tax
evasion.
But
most
of
these
cars
are
in
the
state
for
legal
reasons.
Also
legal
and
policy
restrictions
discourages
traffic
stops
based
on
out-of-state
license
plates
alone.
So
the
police
are
inclined
to
only
go
after
the
few
who
engage
in
egregious
behavior.
Any
wholesale
crackdown
will
only
take
place
if
it
is
ordered
from
the
top.
My
next
column
will
look
at
how
lawmakers
can
close
the
Montana
license
plate
loophole.
They
can
do
it
by
changing
insurance
laws.
Also,
California
can
coordinate
with
other
states
to
impose
a
new
fee
structure
to
discourage
registering
their
car
in
a
state
where
they
are
not
living.
Steven
Chung
is
a
tax
attorney
in
Los
Angeles,
California.
He
helps
people
with
basic
tax
planning
and
resolve
tax
disputes.
He
is
also
sympathetic
to
people
with
large
student
loans.
He
can
be
reached
via
email
at [email protected].
Or
you
can
connect
with
him
on
Twitter
(@stevenchung)
and
connect
with
him
on LinkedIn.