Traffic police: hiding a license plate from photo cameras faces a fine of 1 million rubles

In our huge country, the situation with cleanliness on the roads leaves much to be desired. It's no secret that after washing a car gets dirty again very quickly, especially after bad weather.

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However, according to the law, a driver who does not keep state registration plates clean is fined a certain amount. How this happens and whether penalties can be avoided – we’ll look into this article.

Penalty for dirty numbers

Before you find out how much the driver will be punished, you need to decide what constitutes a violation. If the state registration plates are so dirty that it is impossible to see only one symbol from a distance of twenty meters both during the day and in the evening, then the inspector will definitely stop and make a remark.

A traffic police officer can stop the vehicle, warn about a penalty and ask to wipe the signs in place or issue a fine in connection with a violation of Article 12.2.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Russia. The amount of the administrative penalty is 500 rubles.

What violations of number installation exist?

All possible sanctions for violations of the rules for installing license plates are listed in Art. 12.2 Code of Administrative Offences. Let's look at each of them.

Is there a penalty for unreadable numbers?

The number is considered unreadable if it is impossible to distinguish one or more characters from 20 m from the car (exception: the front number on an unlit section of the road at night). Typical examples of unreadable license plates: they are stained with mud or snow, something is stuck on them, or some of the numbers have been erased.

For this offense, the mildest punishment is assigned: a warning or a fine of 500 rubles. according to Part 1 of Art. 12.2. The main criterion for the application of this particular part of the article is the unintentionality of concealment, for example, if you cover part of the sign with a sheet of paper, then the number will not be considered unreadable, but hidden - this is a completely different punishment.

What is the penalty for violating GOST when installing numbers?

The rules for installing state signs are regulated by GOST P 50577-93. The list of requirements for installation is quite lengthy, but when installing a sign in the designated place, the likelihood of violating the conditions of GOST is zero.

Here is the full list of requirements:

• maximum deviation from the line perpendicular to the length of the vehicle – 3⁰;
• maximum deviation from a line perpendicular to the road surface – 5⁰;
• the minimum distance from the border of the plate with the number to the road is 30 centimeters (for two-wheeled vehicles – 20 centimeters);
• visibility of the sign must be ensured at angles of 15⁰ up and down and 30⁰ to the right and left;
• The sign must be fastened exclusively with light-colored bolts;
• There should be no holes in the number except for the standard ones used to secure the number.

If the driver violates at least one of these requirements, then he can be held accountable for the same part and punished: a warning or a fine of 500 rubles.
It is important to understand that breaking the law occurs only while driving. If the owner installed the license plate incorrectly, but did not drive onto the road, then he did not break the law. But the intentionality or unintentionality of violating GOST does not matter; when driving such a car, punishment will be imposed in any case.

What is the penalty for hidden and modified signs?

For hiding license plates or changing their appearance, the punishment is much more severe: either a fine of 5,000 rubles, or even deprivation of rights for up to 3 months.

A number of methods can be classified as “hidden numbers” violations:

• the use of reflective and other films that hide license plates from automatic violation cameras;
• applying additional paint, which will distort the characters on the number and make them unreadable;
• installation of devices that change the angle of the number, lowering the sign with the symbols down to hide them from the camera or inspectors;
• the use of special curtains;
• deliberately hiding the number with a simple sheet of paper, cloth or any other object.

If you deliberately stain a number with dirt, making it unreadable, then theoretically the punishment should also be imposed under this article. However, it is quite difficult to prove the intentionality of causing dirt, so this issue is controversial.

Is there a penalty for upside down numbers?

Life hacks are widespread on the Internet that supposedly punishment for inverted numbers is illegal, since they are not modified and do not violate the requirements of GOST. This is only partly true: indeed, GOST does not impose a ban on installing inverted license plates, but such an action falls under the concept of modifying license plates. This rule was established by the Plenum of the Supreme Court: paragraph 4 of the Resolution of the RF PVS No. 20. According to the text of this resolution, an upside down number interferes with its reading and identification and is a violation of the law.

Punishment for an inverted license plate is imposed on the basis of the second part of Art. 12.2: fine 5000 rub. or deprivation of rights for 30-90 days.

What happens if you put signs on glass?

Another non-working life hack is to install a sign behind the glass, that is, inside the car on the windshield or rear window. Even if such a number is visible from a distance of more than 20 meters and even if all other GOST requirements are met, punishment cannot be avoided. The fact is that the above-mentioned part 2 of Article 12.2 introduces punishment not only for modified and hidden numbers, but also for signs installed in places not intended for this purpose.

The number must be installed on the bumper or trunk of the car, in a special place provided for it by the vehicle manufacturer. Moving the plate to any other place is considered a violation, which is punishable by a fine of RUB 5,000. or deprivation of rights for up to 3 months.

What are the consequences for fake numbers?

The law provides for the most severe punishment for the use of fake numbers. This number is considered to be a sign registered to another vehicle or not registered at all. In this case, you can receive punishment not only for driving with such license plates, but also for installing false signs.

When driving a vehicle with false license plates, a double penalty is imposed:

• fine 2500 rub. for ordinary citizens (15,000-20,000 rubles for officials and 400,000-500,000 rubles for legal entities) for the installation itself - part three of article 12.2;
• deprivation of driver's license for 6-12 months. directly for driving a vehicle – part four of article 12.2.

An important nuance is that only persons who are aware of the violation of the law are punished. Let's give an example: if a company installed a false license plate on a car and gave the vehicle to an unsuspecting driver, then they have no right to punish him.

Punishment for driving with dirty signs

There is a second clause in the law, which states that for deliberately hiding state license plates with some object, the fine will be 5,000 rubles. In addition, if convicted again, the motorist may lose his driver's license for up to 3 months.
It is worth noting that even for the dirtiest license plates they cannot deprive you of your license or impose such a large fine. But covered up license plates are equivalent to the complete absence of car registration marks.

If the car is parked and the license plates are covered with a sheet or film, making them difficult to see, then the inspector cannot issue a fine, since the vehicle is not in motion.

Why hide numbers

In fact, traffic police officers are no longer surprised by the desire of motorists to hide the license plates of their cars. However, the motives of some drivers are sometimes surprising.

The most common motive that guides most car enthusiasts is “since everyone does it, then I will too.” This is a manifestation of the herd instinct. Traffic police officers perceive such words as a banal excuse, unwillingness to think about the illegality of their actions.

Some motorists try to hide their license plates for deliberate reasons, such as to avoid scammers. Some representatives of scammers can easily find out all the information about the owner of a car by using the vehicle numbers. In particular, they may become aware of the owner’s full name, his residential address, and the date of registration of the car. All this information is in databases, from where unscrupulous traffic police officers can obtain it.

The most likely option for scammers to use the information received for personal purposes is to rob the owner’s apartment on a tip, steal a vehicle, or commit another crime against the life, health or property of the owner.

There are also more transparent motives for hiding car license plates. For example, when selling a vehicle, many car owners paint over the numbers on photographs so that relatives or creditors cannot find out that they have put the car up for sale. In the case of selling a vehicle through an intermediary, he also paints over the numbers on all photos, since using the car number you can easily find the real owner and buy the car from him much cheaper.

But for buyers this situation is completely different. For them, the fact of hiding license plates in the photo looks suspicious; it seems that the seller is deliberately trying to hide important information. But potential buyers are sufficiently understanding of the car owner's attempts to protect their personal information.

To make sure that the vehicle is not stolen and there are no restrictions on it, it is enough to carefully check the car and all documents before purchasing.

What are dirty and unreadable signs?

There are special criteria by which a license plate is considered unreadable.
All rules are spelled out in the Code of Administrative Offenses of Russia as a note. Based on these records, we can conclude:

1. In daylight, at a distance of twenty meters, at least one symbol (no matter a letter or number) on a dirty license plate in front and behind the car should be clearly visible. At night, inspectors check only the rear; they do not have the right to issue a fine for a dirty number in the front.
2. If the signs are not readable by photo and video equipment, but are clearly visible in the evening due to the play of light, the driver will also face punishment in most cases. Still, the main purpose of license plates is to be able to use them to find the car owner. If the camera records a violation, but cannot take into account the registration plate, this is considered an unreadable number.
3. Sometimes numbers and letters can be identified by their convexity, even if the meanings of the symbols themselves are not visible due to dirt. This is still considered a violation, although in certain situations a traffic police officer will most likely force you to wipe the license plate on the spot rather than issue a fine.

To prevent the inspector from taking extreme measures, you need to behave politely with him and not be rude. You can find out about other rules on how to avoid punishment on the spot below.

New fines for motorists from 2021: detailed table

Number plates that a traffic police officer or other road users are unable to see at a distance of two tens of meters are considered poorly recognizable at this time of day. To become a violator, it is enough that at least one number or one alphabetic symbol is poorly visible or dirty. This rule applies to the rear and front state. number.

For the dark time of day, the total viewing distance remains the same. But in order not to become a violator, you need to do everything possible to ensure that the rear license plate (each of its letters or numbers) is fully visible.

Now, if you are registered in a region of the Russian Federation, you will not be able to buy a “prestigious” Moscow number, and vice versa. To receive a state sign, you will have to confirm your registration by attaching a copy of the corresponding page of your passport.

If the plate is difficult to see, then a fine for unreadable numbers in 2021 is provided on the basis of Art. 12.2 (clauses 1 and 2) of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. It depends on the causes of pollution and its level. If, under a layer of dirt or dust, the plate is not damaged or altered, then the owner of the vehicle will simply be warned or fined a minimum amount of 500 rubles.

To avoid getting into an unpleasant situation, you should constantly monitor the state of the state. license plate, regularly wipe and clean it every time the vehicle stops and before starting to move. To do this, you need to always have some antifreeze or water, a cloth or brush with you.

Administrative legislation in 2019-2020 does not specifically provide for liability for dirty license plates. The punishment is established specifically for an unvisible state sign. If it is slightly contaminated with a layer of dust, then the traffic police officer has no right to punish the driver of the car.

If the number is not visible as a result of premature wear, the driver may be warned. If he immediately wipes the number with a rag, he can count on the leniency of the police officer. Otherwise, he will be fined 500 rubles.

In the case when the user or owner of the vehicle specially painted the sign in a different color, pasted opaque stickers on it or added other symbols, then in accordance with clause 2 of Art. 12.2. According to the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, he will be fined up to 5,000 rubles. If a significant violation is detected, the car owner’s license may be taken away for up to three months.

How should a driver behave when stopped by an inspector?

Firstly, you should not express your own aggression. The human factor in this case plays a big role. Someone can see the sign from 30 meters, while others cannot see it even close up.

It is important to note that if the inspector does not offer as proof the recording of a violation from a photo or video camera, you can take a cloth yourself and wipe everything at once, then there will be no violation.

If an employee makes a remark and tries to write out the amount of a further monetary penalty, you need to remind him of the second paragraph of Article 2.9 of the Administrative Code, that the official has the right to simply make a verbal reprimand to the driver and let him go in peace.

In the case where you initially set yourself up in a friendly manner, such actions should be enough to continue moving without any problems. Otherwise, you need to record a clean number yourself, and an inspector or a traffic police station should be included in the frame.

Attach such photos to the drawn up protocol and write a comment stating that you consider the actions of the authorized person to be unlawful and incorrect.

Try to behave calmly, do not shout, or start a conflict. Traffic cops are people too, if everything is resolved peacefully, there will be no problems. If, nevertheless, the driver acted aggressively, then you should not respond to provocations from an official, who may threaten a more serious fine or deprivation of your license.

The argument that the rooms are covered in dirt is completely baseless. Only if the registration plates are actually covered by another object, such as a thick piece of paper, does this amount to driving without license plates.

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 ⇓⇓⇓.

Dirty rooms are a problem that is especially relevant in the off-season, when dirt accumulates on the street. A car's license plate is considered dirty if it cannot be detected by the latch even in the daytime. This is what causes a fine to be imposed for dirty license plates.

If you don't want to pay a fine for unreadable car license plates, then it is better to take measures to ensure that the plates are always clean. This can be done in the following three ways.

Advice for motorists

To keep your rooms clean as long as possible, you should follow these recommendations:

1. Do not wipe off dirt with a dry cloth, as small particles of sand can erase the paint, and then the symbols will not be visible. In this case, the signs will have to be made again and a state fee will have to be paid for it.
2. Check the cleanliness of license plates before each trip. During the journey, when stops are made, the readability of the sign also needs to be checked.
3. You only need to wipe with water or anti-freeze. If you do this, for example, with a shoe sponge, you can see at the end of a short trip how everything possible has stuck to the number: sand, dust, twigs, leaves, etc.
4. If an official still stops you, and it is not possible to wipe the license plate with a rag, feel free to call a neutral party - witnesses who will have to read the meaning of the registration plate from a distance. Many residents of our country do not like inspectors, so even in the case of really severe pollution they will make every effort to examine the symbols.

Dirty license plates on cars are considered a gross violation, punishable by a fine of 500 rubles.

To avoid it, you need to timely monitor the cleanliness of the state sign, and if the inspector does stop a careless motorist, you need to behave non-aggressively and politely in order to get off with a warning, clean the registration sign on the spot and continue driving.

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Didn't find the answer to your question? Find out how to solve exactly your problem - call right now: +7 (Moscow) +7 (812) 309-53-42 (St. Petersburg) It's fast and free!

What is the fine for unreadable numbers in 2021 - the most comprehensive overview of the issue

In the Administrative Code there is no fine as such for the lack of an online cash register. There is a sanction for those who use a cash register that does not comply with the requirements of Law No. 54-FZ. The fine in this case will be at least 30 thousand rubles (Part 2 of Article 14.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation).

Companies whose activities are listed in Article 2 of Law No. 54-FZ can operate without a cash register. More details can be found here.

For non-use of cash registers you can be fined under Part 2 of Art. 14.5 Code of Administrative Offences:

• Individual entrepreneurs and officials - in the amount of ¼ to 1/2 of the amount of the payment made without a cash register. But the fine cannot be less than 10 thousand rubles.
• Legal entities - from ¾ to one size of the settlement amount without using a cash register. The fine cannot be less than 30 thousand rubles.

Romashka LLC opened a clothing store in the center of Lipetsk. We started working without a cash register, although we should have immediately used cash registers. Before the tax audit, they managed to clear three checks totaling 160 thousand rubles. The company was fined ¾ of the amount - 120 thousand rubles.

If this violation was committed again, and the total settlement amount was 1 million rubles or more, they will be punished under Part 3 of Art. 14.5 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation:

• Officials are disqualified for a period of one to two years.
• The activities of individual entrepreneurs and legal entities will be suspended for up to 90 days.

At the same time, companies and individual entrepreneurs that are classified as small and medium-sized businesses can replace the fine with a warning. This can be done if the violation was committed for the first time, and there was no threat to the life and health of citizens, emergency situations, property damage and other conditions under Part 2 of Art. 3.4 Code of Administrative Offences.

What to do to avoid a fine for a blank check, non-use of cash registers, failure to issue a check to the buyer and other violations is indicated in the note to Art. 14.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses states:

• Voluntarily fulfill an obligation, for failure to fulfill which you may be fined. However, this must be done before the tax office makes a decision on the violation.
• Break through the correction check. The rules for generating a correction check are in the Methodological Recommendations of the Federal Tax Service dated August 6, 2018 No. ED-4-20/ Moreover, starting from July 2021, it is no longer necessary to notify the tax office of a violation within three days.

The Federal Tax Service said that in 2021, people were most often fined under Part 2 of Article 14.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses - non-use of cash registers, and under Part 4 of Article 14.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses - use of a cash register with violations. Thus, in the first half of 2021, the Federal Tax Service conducted more than 4.5 thousand inspections in Moscow alone. Organizations and individual entrepreneurs were fined 30+ million rubles.

A fine for an incorrect SNO on a check may be imposed under Part 4 of Article 14.5 of the Administrative Code:

• for officials - from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles,
• for legal entities - from 5,000 to 10,000 rubles.

The fine for an individual entrepreneur not having an online cash register is 25-50% of the hidden money, but not less than 10,000 rubles. Repeat violations may result in a 90-day suspension.

Only individual entrepreneurs who provide services and produce goods of their own production and who do not have employees with concluded employment contracts can not use the online cash register until July 1, 2021. As soon as the entrepreneur enters into an agreement, he must deliver the cash register within 30 days.

What can you get a fine for?

You can get a fine for dirty license plates if your registration

is not recorded by a video camera or photographic equipment at night and in the evening. Problems arise if at least one of the symbols is not identified within 20 meters. A dirty white background does not affect readability.

The registration number is considered “unreadable” if it does not meet the requirements of the state standard (GOST 50577-93 “State registration marks”):

• There is no light reflection;
• Custom size;
• Incorrect spacing between elements;
• Use of inappropriate paint.

How to define "readability":

• During daylight hours:
  the visibility of signs should be clear at a distance of 20 meters. This applies to both front and rear numbers. However, we note that even if the number is dirty, it can be read during the day due to its convexity.
• At night:
  rear license plates must be clearly visible at a distance of 20 meters. The traffic policeman does not take into account how much the front license plate is splashed. At night, only the rear license plates are checked, as they have built-in lighting. A polluted room at this time of day is determined by its light and shade.

and in what cases this is possible - find out in the material from Procrossover.

must proceed according to a specific plan. See our material for the stages of constructing a place for a car.

Signs and time of day

It is worth considering a situation that often arises during the daytime.
If from 20 meters it is impossible to see at least one number or letter on the front or rear license plate, then such a number is considered unreadable. If we talk about night time, then only the rear license plate of the car is checked. The front one is not taken into account. Remember this rule, then no one will issue you a fine for unreadable license plates, since there is no violation. As in the daytime, the number is checked at night from a distance of 20 meters. If even one number or letter is difficult to see, then the license plate is considered unreadable.

When a number is considered unreadable or dirty

The rules for placing and installing license plates on vehicles are regulated by GOST rules, as well as traffic rules. Violation of these rules is grounds for administrative liability. Additionally, it is necessary to take into account the provisions of Art. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, which establishes a list of violations sufficient for drawing up an administrative protocol.

Attention! License plates are considered unreadable when it is not possible to see at least one sign (numeric or alphabetic) at a distance of 20 meters from the vehicle.

This rule applies the same at any time of the day, in any weather conditions, and at any time of the year. But at night and in bad weather conditions, only the rear sign should be clearly visible on the car.

In practice, this rule is controversial, since visibility from 20 meters also depends on the degree of vigilance of the inspector, as well as on the presence of concomitant diseases. Therefore, when assigning a punishment, the opinion of only one traffic police officer cannot be taken into account.

Possible reasons for the license plate being unreadable:

• accumulation of dirt due to weather;
• intentional damage;
• mechanical damage;
• smudging paint.

Even unintentional violations are sufficient grounds for punishment. True, the sanctions will be minimal. If there is a repeated violation, the court will be more strict in its decision.