License Plate Light - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

Bobert · 04-12-2008, 04:38

So my friends and I were driving through a parking lot with about 1.5' of water. Maybe 5 mph getting a free car wash, when we see johnny law coming from about a mile away, park and hide with his lights off waiting for us to come out.

He must think he is camoflage maybe?

So after one more pass we go on our way with cop tailgating, looking for a reason to pull me over. About 2 mins later, He found one.

No what's this about a license plate light? I know my m1009 didn't come with one. Not even a place for the plate.

There must be a crackdown around here because my buddy got pulled over for the same thing, only he has a smoked cover.

So is a m1009 required to have a light on the plate?

GM72K10 · 04-12-2008, 07:36

In our state (pa.) it is. Not hard to rig up.

M543A2 · 04-12-2008, 08:11

I have never had any of that kind of trouble here in northern Indiana. Picky yo-yo, wasn't he? I love it when they do that kind of stuff and drug deals are going down all around them.
Did he ticket you? We beat nuisance things like that here by keeping insisting on our right to a jury trial, representing yourself. They may give you BS, but it is your right to a trial by your peers, so keep insisting. Usually the charges just go away because they do not want to spend the court cost for the trial, they just expect you to meekly pay the fine. Also, if the arresting officer does not bother to take time to show for the trial, you win.He may think twice about it next time if he thinks someone might force him again to take time out from other things he deems more important to show up for a trial over a trivial thing. My defense would be the vehicle was never equipped that way. The law allows these extremely loud and annoying Harleys to go through town, but if my car is too loud in their estimation, they write it up. The reasoning there is the Harleys came equipped with those pipes from the factory, therefore it is allowed, so why not plead the same kind of reasoning here?
I obviously am very adamant about keeping the freedoms we have, especially from trivial harassment by the law!
Regards Marti

Croatan_Kid · 04-12-2008, 09:04

It's really easy to rig one up on an M1008, not sure about the M1009. I just tapped in to the right rear parking light wire and made a little bracket out of a piece of marine grade stainless steel I had just laying around (lol). Then I drilled two holes in the bumper and bolted the plate to the bumper. The light LOOKS like it would be in the way, but I have never had a problem with it and it's in such a place that when the tailgate is down, it's in the groove. I think the light was like 3.50 at Auto Zone.

Perhaps I will go get a few pictures of it for you.

m35a2kevin · 04-12-2008, 09:46

its kind of funny, i owned my duece for three years before i started runnig
plates on it :P , i mean i was insured and all of that,i just wondered if
i could get away with it,,, and i did! just threw on the cover and jacket, they never knew the differnce never got pulled over, cops
would drive by and wave, now that im in pa,, its a differnt story,you got to many ex service men and guardsmen,, as state police, they know better! so tag is on all the time.
sorry,, didnt mean to change the subject
kevin

AJMBLAZER · 04-12-2008, 09:50

Do a search. This was discussed a good while ago and a few folks showed some really good setups for doign it.

CARNAC · 04-12-2008, 09:52

For most states, yes you do need a light for the license plate but it also may depend on how you license the vehicle--historic versus normal plates. All the states around me require one and this law overcomes the law of the fact the vehicle was never built with one. But also keep in mind I only checked on regular plates and not historic plates.

Go by the old addage---when in doubt, whip it out.

AJMBLAZER · 04-12-2008, 09:57

Just do like I saw a while back.

Rusty S10 Blazer with a trailer hitch. Apparently the plate lights didn't work so they duct taped a flash light to the curve in the tongue so it was pointed at the plate.

Recovry4x4 · 04-12-2008, 09:58

They are required in FL. Sometimes they are looking for any opportunity to check you out and that is one. They legally have the right to do it here. If they cite you follow the path required to go to trial and explain it to the magistrate. For the most part, the magistrates suffer less from napolean syndrome that some cops play into.

Recovry4x4 · 04-12-2008, 10:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by AJMBLAZER

Just do like I saw a while back.

Rusty S10 Blazer with a trailer hitch. Apparently the plate lights didn't work so they duct taped a flash light to the curve in the tongue so it was pointed at the plate.

This brings back memories. When I was younger I had the license plate light prolem on my off road truck. I kept losing plates off road so I mounted it on the roll bar. After a few citations I got fed up and mouted a 75 watt spot light in the bed aimed right at the plate. It was so flooded with light you could barely read it. Of course that didn't go over well either.