Why NJ cops write so many license plate frame tickets (Opinion)

If you don't think police in New Jersey should write so many license plate frame tickets, be careful what you wish for.

Cops in Jersey wrote over a half a million license plate tickets in four years, with the highest number in 2019. That year a total of 127,680 summonses were issued.

Most people who buy a new or used car from a dealership drive off with a frame advertising the dealer holding the plate on their vehicle.

They didn't ask for it. It just came with the car. It's the last thing on their mind after laying out all that money and signing that many papers and dealing with all the jumping through hoops there is involved in buying a car in New Jersey these days.

Or maybe you got dad a frame from his alma mater for Father's Day last year. How mean.

Legislators from the two different parties have proposed legislation to curtail or eliminate the traffic stops and violation summonses.

The State Supreme Court even ruled on the license plate violations saying if "Garden State" or "New Jersey" are only partially blocked but the plate number is definitely readable, then the violation should be invalid.

Some of these stops lead to arrests for other offenses, which some people would consider beneficial.

No one likes tickets or getting pulled over, especially yours truly. But if you ask any New Jersey cop they'll tell you a different story that might change your mind.

They write a lot of these tickets to give drivers a break for more serious and expensive violations. Much like they used to give a lot of tickets for your graduation tassels hanging from your rearview mirror back in the day to avoid giving you a speeding ticket.

Hmmmm, maybe all those license plate frame tickets aren't such a bad thing after all.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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