Amount of fine for unreadable numbers in 2021

What is the fine for dirty and unreadable license plates in 2021?

According to the Code of Administrative Offenses, dirty registration plates on a vehicle are considered unreadable, and are therefore considered grounds for a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of 500 rubles.

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The fine for dirty license plates is regulated by Article 12.2 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. In some cases, Part 2 of the same article applies, when the readability of the license plate is deliberately reduced, in which case the driver faces a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of the right to drive a car for a period of 1 to 3 months.

Situations with the government numbers, when the motorist faces an administrative fine in the amount of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for a period of 1 to 3 months (Part 1 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation):

1. not readable due to a layer of dirt stuck on;
2. covered with snow, ice;
3. the number is attached in the wrong place;
4. partially contaminated.

All options listed apply only to moving vehicles.

Room pollutants are usually:

• dirt from the roads;
• snow, ice;
• foliage;
• bitumen;
• paper;
• polyethylene film.

If the driver manages to prove the fact of natural pollution of the state. sign, then he can get off with a warning or a fine of 500 rubles for dirty license plates. Otherwise, another punishment is imposed.

Can my rights be revoked?

If you are stopped by a traffic police officer for having dirty license plates. Deprivation of a license or a fine for hidden license plates in 2021 is possible if the driver specifically tried to hide the license plate. Punishment is a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of the right to drive for up to three months. There is no arrest for this - that's what the law says.

This happens when the driver:

• covered part of the number with a sheet of paper;
• installed a special mechanism that turns the number back to front;
• deliberately soiled the room with mud or snow. This is immediately noticeable if there has been no precipitation for a long time. Car dealerships also sell “dirt in a can” for this purpose. Inspectors know about it - it is more difficult to clean off than ordinary dirt.

If, when checking documents, the inspector discovers that the license plate is stained with mud in dry sunny weather, he has the right to punish the driver. This is written in Part 4 of the special section of the Administrative Code.

Do cameras record dirty license plates? No, the camera will not see this, and the driver will not receive a fine for erased license plates.

When is a room considered dirty?

According to the note to Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in 2021, the state license plate on any vehicle is considered unreadable if at least one symbol is not visible during the day at a distance of 20 meters (this applies equally to the rear and front plates). At night, only the rear license plate, which is illuminated, falls under this criterion.

It is not considered a violation if the records on the state are not completely read. number “RUS” and “transit”, as well as a flag icon.

In fact, the criteria are clearly outlined, but in reality, controversial situations often arise on this issue between the driver and the traffic inspector. When stopped by an inspector regarding dirty license plates, if the car owner behaves correctly, the problem can be resolved peacefully, without imposing a fine.

Which numbers are unreadable

Registration plates are considered dirty due to weather conditions at the time the vehicle was stopped by a traffic police officer.

The following numbers are considered unreadable:

1. With damage from mechanical impact.
2. With paint damage on one or more characters.

Damage to paint on license plate symbols

1. The sign or part of it is intentionally covered.

An intentionally obscured part of a license plate
. A government official has the right to check damaged or soiled plates for legibility. The check is done visually, taking into account the time of day.

During daylight hours

During the daytime it is checked from a distance of 20 meters. The front and rear numbers are subject to verification. If from this distance it is impossible to see all the signs or individual parts of the number, it is considered unreadable.

In the dark

At night, only the rear plate must be checked: it is backlit. A number is considered unreadable if it is difficult to distinguish its individual characters from a distance of 20 meters.

Important! Dirty but legible signs may be detected by traffic cameras as unreadable. This is affected by the shadow from road lighting.

The rules for visual inspection and a distance of 20 meters are provided for by GOST 50577-47 p4.7.

Important! A traffic police officer does not have the right to check the front license plate of a car at night, because it does not have additional lighting, it may be dirty or damaged by the car ahead.

Fine for intentionally dirty or sealed license plates

When a driver is convicted of deliberate actions that impede the recognition of license plates, then in 2021 they are charged with Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Then the inspector has the right to issue a fine of 5,000 rubles. or draw up a protocol on the deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of 1 to 3 months.

This refers to the sealing of signs with some materials that distort visibility: film, mesh, plastic, dirt, paper, etc.

Legal basis for establishing penalties

Legally, the amount of the fine is established and regulated by the Code of Administrative Offences. Article 12.2 regulates the imposition of a fine. “Driving a vehicle in violation of the rules for installing state registration plates on it.” A dirty car license plate is recorded by the traffic police officer as unreadable. The Code specifies the following reasons for the unreadability of numbers when they:

• Dirty;
• wrinkled;
• Worn;
• With cracked paint;
• Closed (by accident or on purpose).

One of the above reasons determines how much the fine will be. For such a violation, in some cases the driver will be subject to deprivation of license from 1 to 3 months. And sometimes, the violator manages to get by with a warning and washing the license plate.

A traffic police officer determines whether a car license plate is unreadable during the day and at night using various parameters. So, if during the day it is not possible to read at least one license plate sign from a distance of 20 m both in front and behind the vehicle, then the sign is recorded as unreadable. At night, the same conditions apply, but only to the license plate located at the rear of the car.

The punishment for an unreadable number depends on whether the number was unreadable accidentally or intentionally. Accidental causes include: contamination caused by weather factors and paint peeling due to external influences. In these cases, you can get off with a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.

Deliberate violations include: painting over the license plate in whole or in part, sealing it with film, foil, a sheet of paper or some other sealed material. In these cases, a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of a driver’s license for 1-3 months is expected.

One point should be taken into account. At the legislative level, it is determined that the unreadability of a license plate and the punishment for it is carried out at the time of driving. In other words, if there is a vehicle in the parking lot whose license plates are unreadable, then this cannot be recorded as a violation.

Fine for dirty or illegible parking plates

Penalties under the law regarding license plates that are not subject to identification only apply to vehicles in motion. If the car is parked or in a parking lot, then there can be no claims against it.

In 2021, the car owner is not responsible for dirty or unreadable state license plates. numbers on the car if he does not use it for its intended purpose.

However, a parked car with or without license plates may be evacuated to an impound lot due to the ongoing fight against terrorism. After identifying the car owner, he may also be fined for parking in the wrong place or for failure to pay for a parking space in a paid parking lot.

Fine for driving without license plates

We are talking about driving a car that has not been registered with the traffic police and has not received a state license plate in the prescribed manner. Accordingly, the fine for driving without a license plate will be 5,000 thousand rubles. Alternatively, a more severe penalty may be applied - deprivation of a driver's license for a period of one to three months.

Sometimes a driver runs the risk of using a car with stolen or lost license plates. This situation is equivalent to operating a vehicle without a license plate and entails the consequences described above. Therefore, in case of loss or theft of a state license plate, we strongly recommend that you urgently order a duplicate from the traffic police or from a private office, which will cost you 2,000 rubles.

Procedure for imposing a fine for dirty license plates

When moving along the roadway and noticing an inspector waving his baton on the side of the road, you should stop immediately. Otherwise, the driver faces a fine for opposing a law enforcement officer.

The inspector must immediately introduce himself and present his identification (clause 45 of Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs No. 664 of October 20, 2017). He will then ask for documents for the car and driver's license, and also explain the reason for the delay - in this case, it is an unreadable number. It is not rational to argue in such a situation. If you show understanding and correct the problem immediately, you can only get by with a warning from the police.

Sometimes no arguments work and a traffic police officer begins to write a report on an administrative offense and imposing a fine for dirty license plates. He attaches the corresponding photo or footage from the video to the document. The resolution is written in two copies, one of which is given to the driver and explanations are given regarding payment of the fine, as well as the consequences for failure to pay on time.

The driver has the right to indicate his disagreement in the protocol in order to have the opportunity to challenge the punishment in court in the future. It is advisable to personally photograph the numbers, the surrounding area and the inspector himself.

A protocol on an administrative offense is drawn up on the basis of the regulations of Article 28.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

Arbitrage practice

Judicial practice in cases related to deprivation of rights due to unreadable license plates is not so extensive. The number of proceedings decreased after the Supreme Court clarified to lower authorities all cases of deliberate concealment of the number. The fact is that many traffic police officers interpreted icing or the presence of dirt as a deliberate concealment of information, but this is not the same as gluing strips or film.

The use of special means that attract and retain pollution has also not been confirmed in several legal proceedings. Current practice shows that in all cases where the application of additional unnatural elements is not involved, car owners are not deprived of their driver's license. The maximum permissible punishment is a fine of 500 rubles.

There are situations when the Supreme Court leaves decisions of lower authorities unchanged. An example of this is Case 4a-532 from 2016. The driver expressed disagreement with the imposition of a fine, as he believed that unreadability and dirty license plates are different concepts. The district and supreme republican court considered the inspector’s decision to impose a sanction to be correct, since he, according to all the rules, assessed the unreadability of the state sign associated with the presence of dirt. The Supreme Court of the Russian Federation joined the decisions of lower authorities and left them unchanged.

As for cases of overturning a decision of a traffic police officer, this is often done at the first stage of the trial. An example is the appeal of a resident of the city of Yakutsk to the district court. He was given a fine of 5,000 for deliberately concealing license plates in 2021 while driving through northern Russia in winter. However, the citizen presented photographs showing that the unreadability of the license plates was due to difficult weather conditions, which led to the freezing of dirt on the state sign. Having considered the case materials, the court ruled that the imposition of the sanction provided for in the second part of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses is incorrect, but the driver is obliged to promptly monitor the cleanliness of the license plates. In this regard, he was given a fine of 500 rubles, which corresponds to the penalty under the first part of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

Driving with unreadable license plates is prohibited by the Code of Administrative Offenses and requires a sanction. If the offense is related to bad weather conditions or mud on the roads, a fine of 500 rubles is issued. When it comes to deliberately changing the information, a sanction of up to 5,000 is imposed and the driver can be deprived of his driving license for three years. The fine for a dirty, unreadable license plate can be appealed and canceled by a higher authority or court.

Rules for drawing up a protocol

Fill out the administrative violation report manually or print it out. It contains the following information (Part 2 of Article 28.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation):

• date and place of the incident;
• Inspector's name and position;
• personal data of the citizen against whom charges are being brought for driving with dirty license plates;
• initials and other information (address, telephone) of persons involved as witnesses;
• regulations that were violated;
• explanations of the offending driver regarding this fact (in this line it is allowed to enter the driver’s disagreement with the fact of dirty license plates, so that in the future the punishment can be challenged in court);
• applications in the form of photographs and stills from video shooting.

Witnesses are invited to prove that the license plates are unreadable from a distance of 20 meters. Their testimony is entered into the protocol. Such people can be passengers, even if they are related to the driver and are considered interested parties. According to Article 25.6 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, interest can only be attributed to attesting witnesses, experts and others (this does not apply to witnesses).

It is advisable for the driver to personally photograph the license plates and attach them to the procedural document. This will be additional evidence of the car owner’s innocence.

After this, the traffic police officer must hand over the protocol to the driver for review against signature. If necessary, certain amendments are made (Part 4 of Article 28.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) by the inspector or the defendant. Then the signature of the employee who compiled the document is affixed. If the driver and witnesses refuse to sign after familiarization, this fact is recorded in the protocol (Part 5 of Article 28.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

The protocol on imposing a fine for dirty license plates in 2021 is written in two copies, of which one is given to the driver (Part 6 of Article 28.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation) and explanations are given regarding payment of the fine, as well as the consequences for failure to pay on time (Part 3 of Art. 28.2 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). This is recorded in the protocol.

If the inspector insists on drawing up a protocol

Do not admit guilt if there was no intent in your actions. In the protocol, make a note about the difficult weather conditions that led to the contamination of the registration numbers on your car. Take a photo of the car, be sure to pay attention, and, if possible, record the inspector’s actions in a photo or video when drawing up a report.

The law states that the state registration plate is recognized as unreadable if in the dark from a distance of 20 meters it is impossible to read at least one of the letters or numbers of the rear license plate, and in the daytime at least one of the letters or numbers of the front or rear license plate (note to Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). Therefore, if no photo or video filming was carried out on the spot, if there were no witnesses and if the distance was not measured using a measuring device, all of these are good reasons for overturning the traffic police decision in court.

An example of such a court decision is the cancellation of the traffic police decision to hold the driver accountable under Part 1 of Art. 12.2 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (driving a vehicle with unreadable license plates) ().

The court, having examined the case materials, did not find factual evidence of a violation. There was no information in the case about the distance from which the license plates were unreadable, as well as which numbers or letters and what sign were unreadable. The traffic police officers also did not include photographs or videos confirming guilt. Thus, the materials did not contain objective data that indicated the presence of an offense in the driver’s actions.

What should a driver do if the traffic police stops a car for having unreadable license plates?

In the spring and autumn, drivers being stopped due to dirty license plates is a standard occurrence. If this happens, then there is no need to argue with the traffic police officer and show aggression. If the inspector has not yet recorded the numbers, it is recommended to quickly clean them with a damp cloth. When the violation is eliminated, then, in fact, there can be no claims.

If the inspector continues to insist on his opinion and intends to begin drawing up a protocol, then proceed as follows:

1. They remind you of Article 2.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which states that in case of a minor administrative offense, the accused person can be released from liability and be limited only to a verbal warning.
2. Take a photo of the state yourself. signs to confirm that they are legible. The photographs are attached to the protocol. The driver can also make his amendments in the following form: “I was detained by a traffic police inspector (full name) for dirty license plates, which I consider unauthorized, since registration plates are visible. This is confirmed by photographs taken immediately after the vehicle stopped. I ask that the paperwork regarding this matter be discontinued due to the absence of an offense.”

It should be remembered that traffic inspectors are quite adequate people, but until they start being rude. Therefore, the driver’s tone should be calm, and his arguments should be weighty. It is important to immediately admit your guilt and promise to monitor the condition of the rooms in the future. Then the issue will be resolved without issuing a fine.

When cleaning registration plates on a car, it is unacceptable to use dry rags, paper or hard brushes. This leads to the paint rubbing off. Then the inspector will have a new reason to impose a fine, but under a different clause of the article of the Code of Administrative Offenses.

What to do if inspectors stopped you because of unreadable license plates

There are often cases when negligent traffic police officers seek to impose the maximum possible liability on a driver with unreadable license plates. To avoid this, we advise you to rely on the following recommendations:

1. When you stop your car with dirty license plates, do not wait to hear about the content of all the laws violated and the consequences provided for this, but take out a rag and clean the signs from the accumulated dirt. Under this condition, it will be considered that the violation was corrected on the spot, and there is a chance that only a verbal warning will be sufficient. Sometimes such measures do not help, and some inspectors still continue to insist on drawing up a report and issuing a fine. In this case, it makes sense to remind the employee about Article 2.9, according to which in 2021 the law only allows making a remark if there is a minor offense.
2. If the measures taken did not help and the protocol has already been drawn up, you are left with the following. Take a photo of the license plate number. The ideal option would be for an inspector to stand next to the car in the frame. In addition, do not forget to note in the application that you categorically disagree with the violation, due to the normal readability of state license plates, which proves the illegality of the accusation. The attached photographs will be your evidence.

Most police officers are able to adequately assess the current situation. However, you shouldn’t push too hard and cause a scandal to the inspectors, since for some of them this may become a call to draw up a protocol and set the highest possible fine out of principle.

The information on the site is relevant in 2021; to find out the latest information for 2021, fill out the form below ⇓⇓⇓.

During the daytime, the traffic police officer's fixator will not be able to identify a very dirty car registration number, which is a good reason to punish the driver. You can avoid serious consequences only by monitoring the condition of your car’s license plates and well understanding the difference between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 of Article 12.12 of the “Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses” dated December 30, 2001 N 195-FZ.

Appealing a fine for dirty numbers

Many citizens are interested in how to appeal a fine imposed by the traffic police for dirty license plates in 2021. According to the current legislation, such a possibility is provided for, according to which there is a choice of government body where you can apply for the protection of your rights. In our case, this is the court or the traffic police.

A complaint can be filed directly against a traffic police officer by addressing it to management. It is sent by registered mail with notification and a list of enclosed documents. If there is time, then visit the inspection in person and submit a written complaint to the secretary. You can also do this through the State Services portal.

Appealing the decision to impose a fine under Art. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation is permissible within 10 days from the date of receipt of the document in hand (Article 30.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). The traffic police considers such applications within 3 days, in court – up to 2 months.

The complaint must be accompanied by documentary facts confirming the driver’s innocence (a certificate of weather conditions, a photo of the license plate being viewed and an inspector nearby). There is no standard sample application for appealing the actions of a traffic inspector, since each case is individual and has its own nuances. But you can consider a universal form of complaint, which it is recommended to rely on.

When appealing a fine for dirty numbers in 2021, you can use the example below for writing a complaint.

Head of the Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for Moscow

Kovalenko Viktor Anatolyevich

From Timoshenko Vladimir Viktorovich

Living at the address: ………………………………………

Complaint

On unauthorized actions of a traffic police inspector

I, Timoshenko V.V., February 12, 2021 at about 9:00 p.m., driving a car of brand …….. with state registration. number ………….., moving in the direction from Znamenka Street to Mokhovaya Street, was stopped by a traffic police officer (his badge is …….) in the area of ​​Mokhovaya Street, building 7-8. The inspector introduced himself illegibly, and without announcing the reason for the delay, demanded to see the license and documents for the car. Only after my request, he gave the reason for the stop - dirty license plates, which contradicts Art. 12.2 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

After presenting the documents, he immediately began drawing up a protocol on the administrative violation. The inspector's name and position were illegible on it.

I consider the protocol unfounded based on the following:

1. I cited bad weather, as it was wet snowing and snow removal machines were working. So the rooms got dirty while moving and I was ready to clean them on the spot. My application was ignored. 2. According to the note to article 12.2 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation state. The number is considered unreadable if at least one character in the background is not visible at night at a distance of 20 meters. Due to the movement of my car in the dark and taking into account the location of the patrolman, he could not assess the degree of readability of my license plates.

Considering the above facts, on the basis of Art. 30.1 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, I ask:

1. Stop the paperwork on this administrative offense dated February 12, 2021. 2. Consider the complaint without my presence. 3. Send the response in writing to my residence address, in accordance with the deadlines required by law. Please send a copy of the court decision by email...... 4. If my complaint is not satisfied, please indicate the procedure for making a court decision.

Applications:

1. Copy of the resolution. 2. Materials confirming the illegality of the actions of the traffic police officer.

Date Signature (decryption)

Applications not to appeal a fine for dirty rooms can be found here.

It is impossible to answer unequivocally whether it is worth complaining about a fine issued regarding dirty rooms. If the driver is confident that he is right, then he must defend his position to the bitter end. When there has been an offense, there is no point in appealing.

When considering such cases in court, it should be taken into account that if the evidence base is equivalent on the part of the motorist and the road service inspector, the court usually takes the side of the government body. But multiple examples from practice suggest that a competent approach to the matter and a properly compiled evidence base produces positive results. It is advisable to involve a professional lawyer in the process.

What is the punishment?

The type of punishment is determined by whether the license plates were intentionally or accidentally covered. If pollution occurred as a result of natural causes, for example, bad weather conditions, then the driver must pay a fine of 500 rubles. When the room is covered up or closed on purpose, two types of punishment are possible:

• fine 5000 rubles;
• deprivation of rights from one to three years.

The above measures only apply to a moving vehicle. If the car is parked, the driver cannot be fined, since there is no violation of the rules. It is impossible to prove that he was driving with such license plates or intends to do so. The camera cannot record an offense, since it is necessary to assess the visibility of the license plate, which is carried out on the spot under specific visibility conditions.

How to avoid a fine for dirty license plates in 2021?

To avoid problems with traffic police, you should keep your registration plates clean and follow basic safety rules:

1. Always have wet wipes on hand to wipe license plates frequently. In addition, when stopping, the inspector may ask you to clear the sign.
2. Get into the habit of checking license plates every time you stop for a long time.
3. In bad weather (blizzard, rain, snowfall), try to stop every 10 km and inspect the state. signs.

In winter, it is recommended to pre-wet a cloth with a special anti-freeze liquid and then wipe off the dirt. This will prevent damage to the number.

If the rooms are dirty due to bad weather

Adverse weather conditions most often cause severe pollution of rooms and subsequent stops by traffic police officers. The more severe the situation on the street, the softer the attitude of inspectors towards inattentive drivers.

Expert opinion

Artemyev Dmitry

Experience as a forensic expert in the field of automotive technical examination for more than 2 years, more than 3 years of work in the field of insurance disputes, appealing guilt in road accidents.

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For example, at the moment there is really heavy snowfall, which covers up the numbers in a matter of minutes, or there is too much dirt on the roads. In this case, you will most likely be stopped to point out that the plates are illegible and encourage you to clean them. It is unlikely that employees will issue fines and, most likely, will be limited to only a warning. To avoid a more severe penalty, clean the signs immediately and promise to be more careful about their cleanliness in the future.

If it’s already warm and dry outside, and you continue to drive a car with unreadable license plates, then the likelihood of being fined increases significantly. If you have a clean car, but the registration plate remains dirty, this raises suspicions that it was deliberately made unreadable.

When the weather outside is objectively bad, and the inspector still intends to impose a fine, be sure to describe the weather situation in the protocol. It would be even better if a printout from a weather site confirming your words is attached.

Is there a fine for closed numbers?

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.

If everything is quite clear with sanctions for violations, then the main problems arose with the identification of the offense. How to determine that hiding a number is intentional? What are considered modified signs? What if the license plate on the car is equipped with a special device for concealment, but it was not in use at the time of the check? This is just a small part of the possible questions. It was precisely these that were resolved by the provisions of Resolution No. 20 of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

In accordance with it, the following cases fall under the intentional concealment/closing of license plates (in all situations described, the rules apply to both two and one of the license plates):

• Driving without state registration plates.
• Signs are installed in places not specified by the standards.
• If the rooms are modified or equipped with special devices and/or materials that allow them to be modified, incl. and in cases where such devices or materials can prevent identification at the request of the driver, but are not currently in use .

The final paragraph, among other things, means that a completely readable (identifiable) number plate, but equipped with a certain device (materials) that can cover the registration plate at any time, will be considered a violation. For example, certain curtains that were open at the time of the stop by a traffic police officer, but which could be closed at any time.

This is just one of the common examples, but the very concept of a “modified sign” needs to be explained in more detail.

Here Resolution No. 20 of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation comes to the rescue again. The same 4th paragraph lists cases that courts should consider an intentional modification of the number.

A state registration plate is considered to be intentionally modified if its constituent symbols/symbols have been distorted, changed (for example, sealed numbers), or the numbers/number are installed in such a way that this prevents its reading/identification (for example, the sign plate is installed upside down).

At the same time, common cases of devices and materials with the help of which an intentional modification of numbers can be made are also listed:

• Special mechanisms, devices, devices or equipment (for example, the already mentioned curtains or electromagnets).
• Natural materials, such as leaves, dirt and/or snow. However, these parameters can only be applied in cases where the weather/environment allows us to make an unambiguous conclusion that the license plates were not dirty during driving without the driver's intent (there was no self-contamination).
• Artificial materials (for example, cardboard, paper, fabric, etc.).

At the same time, it is indicated that photo/video recording made by a traffic police officer at the inspection site can be evidence of the intentional concealment of license plates.

An inverted symbol helps to deceive video recording cameras. However, this method will not save you from vigilant patrol officers. When stopped, the inspector will issue an administrative violation order and the owner will have to pay a fine.

It is possible to get rid of fines from surveillance cameras by deforming signs by flattening the symbols without affecting the paint. But it’s better not to get caught by traffic cops with such signs. At the first case of detection, a fine will be imposed on the car owner and the obligation to replace state signs will be imposed.

New fines for drivers: what they will be punished for in 2021

In accordance with paragraph 2.2 of Section 2 of the Traffic Regulations of the Russian Federation, a vehicle operated on public roads must have license plates of the state in which it is registered. The exceptions are trams, trolleybuses, and mopeds.

The basis for drawing up an administrative protocol and imposing a fine on a vehicle driver may be:

• driving without one or both license plates on the vehicle;
• installing numbers in places not intended for this;
• use of counterfeits or license plates that do not correspond to standard forms;
• inability to recognize a license plate due to contamination, or the use of means that prevent recognition.

Operation of vehicles without license plates is permitted for 5 days only in the following cases:

• The car has been transferred into the possession of another person (the one who, on behalf of the owner, owns, uses, disposes of the vehicle). Such a person has 10 days to register, in accordance with the procedure established by law, and receive state signs;
• Passing customs control of the vehicle;
• When replacing license plates and vehicle registration certificates.

This list is regulated by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 938.

Additionally, it is allowed to operate a vehicle without a license plate in case of loss of the latter and documentary confirmation of this from the traffic police. However, you can drive such a car only to a parking lot or garage. A certificate from the traffic police about the loss of a license plate is not a basis for driving without it.

Driving without license plates is a dangerous and quite expensive “pleasure”. Therefore, before you start driving, it is advisable to make sure that both license plates are in place and are legible. If for any reason the vehicle turns out to be without a state number, it is advisable to solve this problem without delay, since the amount of the fine and the consequences of driving such a vehicle can be extremely unpleasant.

• By car and driver
• By resolution number

• Which license plates are considered unreadable?
• Daytime recognition
• Recognition in the dark
• How to avoid being violated for dirty numbers
• Penalty for unreadable number
• Amounts of administrative fines for dirty license plates
• What actions fall under violations and are punished in accordance with traffic rules
• Fine for finding an unreadable license plate in a parking lot or while parked
• Unreadable license plates and the use of traffic police cameras
• Tightening liability for unreadable numbers in 2020
• Deprivation of rights for dirty numbers
• Your actions when stopped by a traffic police inspector for dirty license plates
• What to do when a traffic inspector issues a fine, but you don’t agree with it
• How to keep your license plate clean
• How to avoid penalties

The answer to this question can be obtained after reading the norms of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which establishes a list of signs that indicate the unreadability of the registration number. Everything will depend on what time of day and from what distance the license plate is poorly visible.

First of all, these are state signs:

• covered with mud at any time of the year;
• erased during use;
• specially covered with foreign objects;
• with changed numbers and letters.

What is the penalty for intentionally closed numbers? Will your rights be taken away?

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