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⚡️What is the fine for a dirty or unreadable car license plate in 2020? Current fines in this article from the specialists of the “Traffic Police Fines” service.

The fine for unreadable state license plates on a moving car in Russia in 2020 is

500 rub.

Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation part 1

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The fine for unreadable (dirty) license plates on a car, according to GOST 50577-47 clause 4.7, is applicable to drivers driving vehicles whose license plates comply with the standards, are installed in the required places, but are “not readable” - not distinguishable by the human eye from a distance 20 meters in the daytime.

Fine for unreadable numbers in 2020

Traffic police fine for dirty or unreadable numbers in 2020 is equal to 500 rubles in accordance with Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, Part 1. However, according to the law, this offense does not pose a great social danger and the fine can be paid within 20 days from the date of the decision with a 50% discount. Thus, if you pay quickly, the penalty for dirty rooms equal to 250 rubles.

A traffic police officer can issue a fine of 500 rubles. if at least one character of the license plate is covered with dirt and cannot be read from a distance of 20 meters.

The state number is considered unreadable. a number that cannot be fully read from a distance of at least 20 meters. At night, the unreadability of license plates is checked exclusively from the rear side of the car and with the standard car license plate lights turned on.

Explanation

Don't fall for the trick

The fine for unreadable license plates is often linked to the fine for a dirty car. The traffic police of resort and capital territorial entities often urge citizens to keep the body of their cars clean. Dirty cars on the streets can affect your image settlements, however, the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation does not include a fine for a dirty car! If the car number plates are clearly readable from 20 meters, the traffic police cannot issue you a fine. Even if the car is covered with a thick layer of clay.

It is important to know!

Unreadable license plates at night can lead to two fines at once. The first one is actually for the state registration plates of the car that are unreadable from 20 meters, the second one is for the non-working backlight of the rear license plate. The first fine is under Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences, Part 1 (unreadable numbers, 500 rubles), the second - under Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses (driving a vehicle in the presence of malfunctions in which the operation of vehicles is prohibited, 500 rubles).

It is important to know!

The law does not force a motorist driving a car to wipe his license plates in the event of drawing up a report or issuing a fine. However, as soon as a driver gets behind the wheel of a car with dirty license plates, he can be stopped again and fined for dirty license plates.

Fine for dirty license plates or fine for lack of registration. numbers 2020?

Oddly enough, the penalties for unreadable, dirty license plates on a car in 2020 are quite vague. Even under Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences, Part 1, the punishment can be a fine of 500 rubles. as well as a verbal warning.

In some cases, this “fork” is supplemented by attempts by the traffic police inspector to identify a dirty license plate as being absent altogether. A traffic police officer may try to proceed from the position “I don’t see a state license plate, that means it’s missing.” In this case, the situation will be brought under Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation - “Driving a vehicle without state registration plates, as well as driving a vehicle with state registration plates, modified or equipped with the use of devices or materials that prevent the identification of state registration plates, or allow them modify or hide." The consequences of such an assessment of the driver’s actions are a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for up to 3 months.

Dirt, snow, leaves and other natural factors that impede the readability of license plates can indeed be perceived by a traffic police officer as “other materials” that impede (conceal, modify) the reading of license plates.

Moreover, against the backdrop of increasing speed fines and the emergence of large quantity automatic traffic police cameras, covering the license plate with snow or mud is a standard technique for motorists trying to evade traffic police fines.

Due to the vagueness of the wording, a traffic police officer who stops a car with dirty license plates can issue a fine for a more severe part. Such actions in the vast majority of cases are illegal and can be challenged in court. For further investigation, it is recommended to photograph the license plate with a camera against the background of a specific traffic police officer issuing a fine. In court, it would also be a good idea to attach to the application information about weather conditions in the region at the time the dirty license plates were discovered.

Often, reclassification of a dirty license plate from Article 12.2 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (unreadable) to 12.2 Part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (absent / specially modified) is a test of the legal knowledge of the motorist on the part of the traffic police inspector. A polite request to re-read the more severe provision of the law and relate it to the real state of affairs often solves the problem.

Deprivation of rights for unreadable numbers 2020

As stated earlier, it is against the law to lose your driver's license for unintentionally dirty license plates!

If the standard number plate is installed in the correct place, there are no films, clever inclined frames, anti-camera varnishes and foams, magnetic systems that interfere with reading and other things, the motorist has soiled the license plate with natural types of pollutants - snow, road dirt, leaves, such contamination is even, has no signs of artificial application, corresponds to the season and weather - the maximum penalty under Article 12.2 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation is 500 rubles.

In 2020, traffic police officers can deprive a driver of a driver’s license for unreadable license plates according to the law only if the interference in reading the license plate is created artificially and maliciously. Most often, a driver’s license is revoked for unreadable license plates, when the naked eye of an inspector notices the creation of artificial interference in front of the license plate - inclined frames, “paints”, films, magnetic systems and other things.

If you were stopped by a traffic police officer for dirty license plates 2020

Stopping a car by traffic police officers due to unreadable license plates is a standard procedure in Russia for the autumn and spring periods of the year. In most regions of the country, special “months” are even introduced, during which the attention of traffic police officers is focused exclusively on dirty cars.

When communicating with traffic police officers regarding unreadable license plates, you should keep two things in mind:

1. Dirty room– evaluation category. (a number can never be absolutely dirty or absolutely clean, absolutely unreadable or absolutely readable)
2. Article of the Code of Administrative Offenses 12.2 part 1 As one of the measures of influence on the driver of a car with dirty license plates, it implies a “warning” without issuing a fine.

The most reasonable model of behavior:

1. Partial admission of guilt: “Yes, the room is not the cleanest, but you can see the numbers.”
2. Arguments in his defense: “I was driving along the highway all day / miraculously got out of my dacha, the roads were bad / it was either snowing or raining all day long.”
3. Consolidating in the minds of the traffic police officer the image of a stumbled but conscientious driver: “I receive fines very rarely, I pay everything on time.”
4. Kind flattery - “I understand how difficult it is for traffic police officers to stand in the rain by the road all day.”
5. The desire to minimize damage - “I carry a rag and water with me, I always wipe down the rooms.”

It is important to know!

Do not wipe vehicle license plates with dry rags, brushes or paper. Dry cleaning of car license plates leads to abrasion of the paint. If the letters and numbers on the license plate are erased, the traffic police will have a new reason to impose a fine.

Fine for dirty numbers 2020

Dirty numbers are a special case of unreadable numbers. Essentially, dirty numbers are the same as unreadable numbers. The fine for dirty license plates under Article 12.2 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation is 500 rubles. In some cases, the norm of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation 12.2 part 2 is applied if the readability of the issue is clearly deliberately reduced.

Table: what is the fine for unreadable numbers depending on the specific situation for 2020
	License plate situation	Article of the Administrative Code	Punishment 2020
	State license plate of a moving car covered in dirt	Article 12.2 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation
	State The license plate of a parked car is covered in dirt	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State number of moving car covered with snow and ice	Article 12.2 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Warning or fine 500 rubles.
	State license plate of a parked car covered with snow and ice	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State The number plate of a moving car is covered by a foreign object	Article 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation
	State The number plate of a parked car is covered by a foreign object	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State The license plate of the moving car is clean, but the car is dirty	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State The license plate of the parked car is dirty, but the car is clean	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State the number of the moving car is missing	Article 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Fine 5,000 rubles or imprisonment from 1 to 3 months
	State The number of the parked car is missing	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State the number of the moving car is upside down	Article 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Fine 5,000 rubles or imprisonment from 1 to 3 months
	The license plate of a parked car is upside down	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State the number plate of the moving car is fixed in an abnormal place	Article 12.2 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Warning or fine 500 rubles.
	State the number plate of a parked car is fixed in an abnormal place	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State The number plate of the moving car is not illuminated by standard lamps	Article 12.2 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and Article 12.5 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Up to two fines of 500 rubles each.
	State The number plate of a parked car is not illuminated by standard lamps	No punishment provided	No punishment provided
	State the number plate of the moving car is tilted with a special frame	Article 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation
	State The number of the moving car has a magnetic jamming system	Article 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Fine 5,000 rubles or imprisonment from 1 to 3 months (if the violation is obvious)
	State number plate of a moving car is varnished	Article 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Fine 5,000 rubles or imprisonment from 1 to 3 months (if the violation is obvious)
	State license plate of a moving car covered with film	Article 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Fine 5,000 rubles or imprisonment from 1 to 3 months (if the violation is obvious)
		Article 12.2 part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Warning or fine 500 rubles.
	State The license plate of the moving car has been partially cleared (partially readable)	No punishment provided	There is no punishment.
	A dirty car leaves significant dirty marks on the road.	Article 12.33 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation	Fine from 5,000 to 10,000 thousand rubles.

The most common types of license plate contaminants are:

• Road dirt
• Leaves of trees and shrubs
• Bitumen
• Paper
• Plastic bags and packaging

If a motorist manages to prove the natural origin of license plate contamination, he faces a warning or a fine of 500 rubles. If the pollution is caused intentionally, in order to hide license plates from traffic police cameras and road inspectors, the fine increases to 5,000 rubles (deprivation of rights for up to 3 months is possible).

Tougher fines for unreadable numbers in 2020

In Russia, government agencies have been seriously concerned with unreadable license plates and tougher traffic police fines for dirty license plates since 2010. It was at this time that automatic systems for recording violations began to be involved in issuing fines. Unlike traffic inspectors, who are able to check the driver’s documents, verify the identity using fingerprints and an identikit, the only means of identifying cars in the arsenal of cameras is scanning license plates. If the number is clean, the traffic camera reads it, checks it with the data in the database and sends a fine by mail. If the number is not readable (dirty), the motorist avoids a fine.

Since that time, the fight against dirty license plates has actually become equivalent to the fight against systematic traffic violators and non-payers of fines.

Since 2008, the “strategic” traffic police fine for unreadable license plates has increased 5 times from 100 to 500 rubles. In the State Duma and related government bodies, ideas constantly arise to increase responsibility for unreadable numbers. At this rate, the tightening of fines for unreadable numbers by 2020 could reach 200-300%.

In 2020, the traffic police service still does not have a special certified special device that scientifically and reliably determines the level of contamination (unreadability) of car license plates. Assessing the degree of dirtiness of rooms, unlike, for example, tinting, is done solely by eye.

You can’t argue with sealed and standardized equipment configured in accordance with GOST. And if the device does not exist, there is always room for incorrect assessments and abuse by controllers. The situation can only worsen due to increased fines for unreadable numbers. It will be beneficial for traffic police officers to identify more and more “serious” violations.

Fine for unreadable numbers in parking 2020

Despite the ongoing attempts of the legislative authorities to introduce liability for motorists for missing or unreadable license plates. license plates on stationary cars - parked in paid municipal parking lots, in courtyards or on roadsides; in 2020 there is no such fine.

In other words, a motorist has no liability for a dirty, illegible or removed license plate on a car that is not being used as a vehicle.

Unreadable license plates and traffic police cameras

Currently, the degree of illegibility of numbers is not detected by special devices. Whether a car's license plate complies with traffic regulations or not is determined solely by the inspector, relying on his own vision and attitude.

The highlight of the situation is that, in accordance with the law, an organoleptic analysis carried out using the vision of a traffic police inspector determines whether the license plate is readable or not by the traffic police camera. That is, the inspector determines whether the car’s license plate numbers are suitable for subsequent analysis by devices (traffic cameras), and not vice versa.

At the same time, the question “do traffic police cameras read dirty license plates” is increasingly answered in the affirmative. Modern complexes for recording violations, which account for up to 90% of issued traffic fines, are capable of identifying license plates using sensitive infrared equipment and even identifying letters and numbers from the shadows of the bulges of the state registration number.

There have always been. This is a pressing problem that many drivers may face who do not keep their car clean. How much fine will a driver have to pay for a dirty license plate and how to determine the degree of pollution? This is what we are talking about.

Criteria for a dirty room

The vehicle's license plate must be clearly visible at any time of the day and from different angles. There is a similar requirement in the law on administrative offenses. If the license plate is not visible from a distance of 20 meters, then this is a violation. By the way, this is the main criterion that can be the basis for a fine for a dirty number. There are other rules according to which a number can be readable, but still fall under certain violations.

Violations occur in the following cases:

1. A dirty number that can be distinguished from a distance of 20 meters, but which is not recorded by photo and video equipment.
2. There is a lot of contamination on only one side. It happens that dirt makes it impossible to clearly distinguish at least one number on the sign. And although the sign can still be identified due to its convexity, the traffic police inspector has the right to issue a fine for a dirty license plate.
3. For any other reason, it is not possible to distinguish at least one character on the license plate from a distance of 20 meters.

It is worth noting that in the dark, only the cleanliness of the rear license plate of the car is taken into account. And if the front sign is dirty, then this violation is not taken into account. Remember this when the traffic police inspector issues a fine for dirty license plates at night. However, practice shows that quite rarely drivers can receive a fine. Most often, such a violation is corrected by the driver on the spot within five minutes, and everything ends only with a verbal warning from the inspector.

What is the fine for dirty license plates?

Dirt on the license plate is not a serious violation. Therefore, there is no liability for drivers who are driving a car with dirty license plates. However, liability is possible if the number is completely unreadable. There are penalties for this:

1. Simple verbal warning followed by on-site treatment. In this case, there is no penalty for dirty rooms. In 90% of cases, traffic police inspectors do exactly this. This is normal practice, because they understand that the driver could simply not notice how he stained the license plate.
2. Fine. Drivers are rarely fined. If the number cannot be determined due to dirt, then the traffic police inspector has the right to fine the driver 500 rubles. This is exactly the size of the fine for dirty license plates in 2017.

Deliberate pollution

There are drivers who deliberately stain license plates so that in case of violation, the camera will not be able to record the car number. For this, the punishment may be more severe:

1. A fine of 5,000 rubles.
2. Deprivation of rights for 3 months. This is the maximum period of deprivation of rights that is possible for such a violation.

The difficulty in this case lies in proving the driver’s intentional contamination of the license plate. He can deny everything and say that the room was dirty naturally. So it is quite rare for drivers to receive such serious fines for this violation.

Avoidance of responsibility

There is an opinion that you can avoid liability for an unreadable license plate if it was raining or snowing when the violation was detected. In this case, the driver has a chance to prove his innocence in court and not pay a 500 ruble fine. To do this, he needs to make an official request to the weather center, obtain weather data on the day of the violation and provide this data to the court. In this case, there is a chance to avoid punishment, but this cannot be guaranteed. However, this practice is not catching on, since it will take a long time to wait for data from the weather center, and no one will sue over 500 rubles.

What to do if an inspector stops you because of unreadable license plates?

If a traffic police officer stops the car and asks you to clean the license plate from dirt, then you should do what he asks. Driving a car with an illegible sign is a violation. Most often this is exactly what happens, but in some cases traffic police inspectors insist on drawing up a report, which will entail a fine. In this case, it is worth asking the inspector if he has photo or video evidence of the violation. If there is, the driver has the right to ask for it. If the inspector refuses to show proof of the violation or immediately admits that it is missing, then the driver can quickly clear the license plate on the spot. The traffic police officer no longer has the right to detain the driver, since the license plates are clean and there is no evidence of a violation. Therefore, most often, traffic police inspectors make do with a verbal warning.

If there is evidence when drawing up a protocol, you should not interfere with the traffic police officer, since he acts in accordance with legal norms. In this case, liability cannot be avoided unless the court finds sufficient grounds to cancel the fine. The weather can be such a reason, but this is rare.

Drawing up a protocol

When drawing up a protocol, you should be vigilant. Sometimes inspectors take advantage of drivers’ legal ignorance and indicate in the protocol that the driver deliberately hid the license plate with dirt. In this case, the fine will be 5,000 rubles, and even the possible deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of 3 months. Therefore, before you sign the protocol, you must re-read it carefully.

Some cunning drivers add their comments to the protocol, pointing out violations that occurred when the driver was stopped. However, this can be done by experienced drivers. A novice driver most often does not even read the protocol and signs what he is asked to sign.

Conclusion

Now you know what fines for dirty license plates are possible in 2017. Most likely, this norm will remain in 2018. Such a small fine is due to the fact that it’s easy to dirty a room in the city, and even more so outside the city. Drivers cannot know whether their license plate is dirty or clean. this moment, and for many its unreadability is indeed a surprise.

Fortunately, traffic police inspectors take the drivers' position and ask to eliminate the violation on the spot, after which they wish them a safe journey and let the driver go. This reaction occurs often, but there are harmful and principled inspectors who draw up protocols on violations. Therefore, before getting into the car, it is worth checking the condition of the license plates and washing them if they are so dirty that they are completely unreadable. This will help avoid a fine.

Dirty license plates mean you can get a fine. This is especially true in the off-season, when it starts to rain or the snow melts. Since we have asphalt in places, it is not difficult to find dirt even in the city, and therefore you need to be prepared for this problem.

The Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations clearly defines the criteria for determining an unreadable car license plate:

• During the day or during daylight hours, the front and rear numbers are considered unreadable if it is not possible to see at least one letter or number within 20 meters.
• In the dark, at night, according to the law, the license plate number cannot be read if it is not possible to identify at least one sign at a distance of 20 meters.
• Contamination of the white background while letters and numbers are fully legible is not a violation.

That is, each driver can independently check the condition of the license plates and eliminate the violation using a simple wet cloth or sponge, which should always be in the car. You can also water the room.

How will the legibility of a license plate be determined? What are the standards? Answers in this video:

Penalty for dirty room

A dirty license plate does not allow special recording equipment to determine the exact details of the car, which will cause a fine to be issued for violations under Article 12.2 of the Administrative Code.

Article 12.2. Driving a vehicle in violation of the rules for installing state registration plates on it

1. Driving a vehicle with unreadable, non-standard or installed in violation of the requirements of the state standard state registration plates, except for the cases provided for in part 2 of this article, -

entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.

2. Driving a vehicle without state registration plates, as well as driving a vehicle without state registration plates installed in designated places, or driving a vehicle with state registration plates modified or equipped with the use of devices or materials that impede the identification of state registration plates or allow modify or hide them, -

shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five thousand rubles or deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of one to three months.

3. Installation of knowingly false state registration plates on a vehicle -

shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of two thousand five hundred rubles; for officials responsible for the operation of vehicles - from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand rubles; for legal entities - from four hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rubles.

4. Driving a vehicle with knowingly false state registration plates -

entails deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of six months to one year.

It states the following: “The car owner bears financial responsibility for driving on vehicles with poor legibility or forgery of a state sign.”

Motorists periodically try to come up with new methods in order to avoid financial and administrative punishment for violating traffic rules and exceeding the speed limit.

Video recording cameras are not able to cope with some of the drivers’ imaginations, which is why traffic police officers periodically conduct raids to search for such violators.

The penalty in this case:

• 5,000 rubles;
• from 1 to 3 months.

But this is if the numbers were hidden on purpose or if they were not there at all.

How to avoid fines for unreadable numbers. Photo: prosedan.ru

For owners of dirty numbers, Article 12.2 provides:

• warning or fine of 500 rubles.

For fake numbers you will have to fork out:

• ordinary car enthusiasts – 2,500 rubles;
• officials responsible for the vehicle - from 15,000 to 20,000 rubles;
• legal entities – from 400,000 to 500,000 rubles.

If you drive a car with false registration plates, you will have to say goodbye to your license for six months to a year.

How to avoid a fine

There are several rules that will help you avoid fines for dirty numbers:

If a traffic police officer does not want to compromise and is fundamentally trying to issue a fine, you can take a photo of him against the background of the cleared license plates and not sign the protocol.

In this case, the issue will be decided in court, so is it worth making such sacrifices? Even if the trial is won, you will have to spend your nerves and time on it.

In this situation, you can simply remind the traffic police officer that if a minor administrative violation is committed, the inspector can release the guilty person from punishment by issuing a verbal warning.

How to behave correctly with traffic police officers

In order not to incur a fine for such a trifle as dirt on the rooms and not to ruin the mood of yourself and those around you, you should follow the following rules:

• Don’t start being rude right away, it’s best to say hello and apologize for the mistake.
• There is no need to get into an argument or speak in a raised voice. It is better to explain everything using a guilty intonation and ask for leniency.
• Politely remind about the terrible weather conditions with sympathy, emphasizing that the inspector has to stand on duty in such slush.
• Correct the offense yourself, thanking the government representative for pointing out the error in time.
• There is no need to point out the inspector’s incorrect attitude towards you or rudely point out his job responsibilities.

Unreadable license plates and what difficulties await car owners on the road? Watch the video:

If the decision has been made to bring this case to court within 10 days, it is worth filing an application and proving that there was a biased attitude towards you and the fine was issued illegally.

If a traffic police officer issues a fine and you do not agree with him

If you do not agree that the inspector issued you a fine for such a minor offense, you can. This will help you avoid paying fines and...

The complaint can be submitted in person or sent by registered mail. A sample complaint against a decision in a case of an administrative offense by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate can be downloaded below for free.

You can write an application simultaneously in three instances:

• head of the traffic police department;
• the prosecutor's office;

The complaint is reviewed within 10 days. As evidence, you can present photographs taken at the stop site.

If the claim is satisfied, a decision is made to terminate the proceedings. If the court decides that the inspector is right, a fine is imposed.

You can appeal this decision to a higher authority within ten days. The fine must be paid within three months.

How to protect numbers from dirt

Of course, there are no most effective ways to completely prevent dirt from settling on registration number, but there are little secrets that will make this process minimal:

• , especially on the highway, since it is the main dirt that ends up on different parts of the car, flying out from under the wheels of the car in front.
• Can treat rooms with special water-repellent agents, with which the car is processed.
• Always carry several bottles with you clean water, glass washer fluid, a sponge or a soft, absorbent rag.
• Do not peel off frozen or dried dirt; this can lead to scratches or defects on the plate, which can lead to their replacement. It is best to soak and wait and only then wash off the dirt.
• It is best to wipe the license plates clean when parking your car in the evening before going home. This will prevent the dirt from drying out overnight. In the morning, you can calmly go about your business without wasting time on putting the registration plate in order.

To avoid a fine, it is best to be vigilant and not be lazy to stop in bad weather to check the condition of the rooms. This will save money and time.

The fine for license plates for 2018 depends on the specific violation. What fine for numbers will be imposed in each case depends on whether your number is unreadable, hidden, modified, distorted or even counterfeit; and also on whether it is installed in the place provided for by the design and whether the rules for its installation have been violated.

What is a fake number? This is a license plate that does not belong to your car - that is, a number from another car or one that does not exist at all. In any case, such a number is not registered with the traffic police for your car. We will consider all cases of fines for license plates on a car in this article. According to data current for 2018, they are regulated by 4 parts of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences.

What is the fine for unreadable numbers?

So, the very first part of Article 12.2 states that the driver is subject to a warning or a fine of 500 rubles for unreadable license plates. Please note that a fine is imposed only for driving a car with unreadable license plates or one license plate. If the car is stationary, there is no fine for this.

In what cases are numbers considered unreadable? The numbers will be recognized as such by the traffic police inspector if he fails to read at least one letter or number from a distance of 20 meters (note to Article 12.2). At the same time, the inscription “RUS” and the image of the flag may be unreadable, there is no fine for this. There is a difference in unreadability depending on the time of day. Since the front number plate is not illuminated in the dark, there is no requirement for its readability from 20 meters, but the rear number plate must be readable at any time. During daylight hours, both license plates should be readable - again, from a distance of 20 meters.

At the same time, the unreadability of numbers here does not include that due to their concealment and modification. The reasons for unreadability can be, for example, the following:

What to do if the traffic police stops a car for an unreadable license plate

According to Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences, part one: “Driving a car with an unreadable, incorrectly installed or non-standard registration plate entails an administrative fine of 500 rubles or a warning. The exceptions are the cases described in the second part of the article.”

After stopping a car for dirty license plates, you should not sort things out with the traffic police and show your aggression. If there is no video or photographic record of the violation, immediately take a damp cloth and wipe the license plate. Your number will be readable, and the inspector will not be able to provide evidence of a violation, and, accordingly, issue a fine or impose a punishment. If the inspector continues to fill out the protocol without evidence, there are 2 scenarios.

Option 1. You can remind the traffic police inspector of Article 2.9 of the Administrative Code

“If the administrative offense committed is of minor significance, then the authorized body, official or judge may terminate the punishment and release the person who committed the traffic violation from liability, limiting himself to an oral reprimand.”

If the inspector is conscientious and you were not rude to him, everything should be resolved without drawing up a report. Otherwise, the second option will help you.

Option 2. Record clean numbers by capturing an inspector or a traffic police station in the frame

After wiping off the license plate, you should take a photo of it yourself. It is advisable to capture in the frame of the car a traffic police station, an inspector, a company car or some other signs indicating where the stop occurred. Attach photos to the protocol and leave a comment:

“The inspector stopped me for the presence of dirt on the license plate, which interferes with reading. I consider the actions of the traffic police officer (full name of the inspector who stopped you) to be unlawful, because the state sign of the car is legible, this is confirmed by photographs taken after the car was stopped. I ask you to stop the proceedings, since there are no violations.”

Inspectors, most often, are adequate and understanding people until you start being rude. Talk with a smile, calmly and problems will be solved by themselves. Aggressive and nervous drivers are often tested for studying the Code of Administrative Offenses and are assigned more serious responsibility for unreadable license plates, such as “lack of state signs,” based on the fact that they are heavily soiled or covered in dirt.

Article 12.2 part two: “Driving a car without state signs entails an administrative offense and a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for up to 90 days.”

Bad weather is not a sign of a fine

If your numbers have become dirty due to bad weather, you can attach a printout of the forecast from Phobos to the protocol. This is equal to the attached photo. However, if this case is brought to trial, a regular printout will not be considered evidence. For the court, you must submit a written request to Phobos and wait several weeks for a response.

Basic Concepts

Citizens driving their own vehicles must know and understand the meaning of the following concepts:

Register sign vehicle	License plates of the Russian Federation are symbols printed on metal plates and assigned to each vehicle. This sign can be used to identify the owner of the vehicle.
A car	A vehicle owned by a citizen and designed to transport passengers from 2 to 8 people and small luggage
State registration of vehicles	The procedure for obtaining personal license plates for a specific vehicle. Driving without such license plates is punishable by law.
traffic police	State Road Inspectorate. The main task of the organization is to ensure law and order on Russian transport routes

Every driver, when driving on the road, must remember that his primary task is to comply with traffic rules and, as a result, ensure road safety.

While driving, being distracted by talking on the phone is not acceptable. You must stop the car at the first request of a traffic police officer.

Readability Criteria

Numbers may be readable, but still fall under a certain violation if:

• there is contamination, due to which, due to the play of light and shadow, the number can be read at night, but is not captured by photo and video equipment;
• There is slight contamination, in which one symbol is partially obscured, but due to the convexity, the meaning remains clear.

During the daytime, the number is unreadable if it cannot be determined from a distance of about 20 meters.

Legal settlement (Administrative Code of the Russian Federation)

The main regulatory act that regulates the process of calculating penalties, including for unreadable license plates, is the Code of Administrative Offenses:

Article 12.2	Contains an indication that the state. The number is unreadable if it is impossible to identify at least one letter or number from a distance of 20 meters. This is valid both during the day and at night
Article 2.9	It states that the traffic police inspector can issue a warning and release the driver without imposing a fine if he follows his order and cleans the license plates
Clause 1 of Article 12.2	Fixes a fine of 500 rubles or a warning as a penalty for unintentional contamination of signs
In paragraph 2 of Article 12.2	It is noted that if the numbers are hidden intentionally, the driver is subject to a more severe punishment. The fine increases to 5 thousand rubles. Deprivation of rights for a period of up to 3 months is also allowed.

The punishment comes into force after drawing up the appropriate protocol. You can appeal it at the traffic police department. The case will be considered by a special commission.

FINE FOR HIDING LICENSE PLATES

Deliberately concealing license plates is a more serious violation of the rules. In accordance with paragraph 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, the fine for closed or sealed license plates in 2018 is 5,000 rubles. In some cases, deprivation of rights is possible.

With the advent of a large number of cameras on the roads recording offenses on the roads, drivers are trying to use a variety of devices that make it difficult to read license plates. Sometimes state license plates are completely hidden from the all-seeing eye of traffic cameras.

Grids, stickers and even special sprays do not allow the video camera to completely capture the number, although with normal glance it is almost impossible to notice the tricks. Traffic police officers are aware of all the tricks and tricks of unscrupulous drivers. Although the Rules do not contain a separate article indicating a ban on the use of films and nets, a driver who uses them may fall under the influence of several articles.

• The fine for hiding the number with a net that prevents numbers and letters from being seen from a distance of 20 meters is 5,000 rubles in full accordance with Article 12.2, part two of the Administrative Code.
• In the second part of Article 12.2 of the Administrative Code, driving a vehicle with license plates bearing devices or materials that make identification difficult is punishable by a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of the right to drive a car.

Driving in a car with intentionally hidden license plates in accordance with Article 12.2, paragraph 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses is equivalent to driving without a license plate, and therefore is punished in the same way. For the first time, a fine is imposed for driving with a hidden license plate; for a repeated violation, you can actually lose your license for up to 3 months.

PUNISHMENT FOR ERASED NUMBERS

A fairly significant fine of 5,000 rubles or the threat of losing your license for up to 3 months under Article 12.2, paragraph 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses is a reason for drivers to think about it. You should not rely on the fact that in a stream of cars the inspector cannot identify a car with a “bad” license plate. To detect such cars, employees only need to turn on their high beam headlights. The numbers with stickers will be illuminated. Taped-over or erased license plate symbols will not prevent experienced traffic police officers from calculating the driver’s identity by comparing unmasked numbers and letters, the make and color of the car. As a result, the driver who violated the rules will pay for violating driving rules and for using erased or sealed license plates.