Can a cop run your plates without probable cause

Question

Ok so i am in the wrong for driving to the DMV to get my I.D. back after a cop pulled me over and took my I.D. cause it had expired and I did not know. But besides that, a friend of mine told me (who is and or had training on this for reasons unknown) that anyone who has (I think they are called this anyways) an "MVP" ? in thier police car, (Thing that allows your plates to be scanned) Has to have have probable cause to run your plates for any reason...

Well I was not speeding, I did not run a red light or mis use my turn signals. The cop told me that he pulled me over because he ran my plates and it said I was driving without a License. (On top of being extremly rude and tried to make me out to be a liar) I feel very much violated because of the way I was treat and he was a rookie cop with an attitude on a high horse. I would really like some help on maintaining the saftey and respect between officer and civilian. Does anyone had any suggestions that could be of help? Thank you.

Answer 1

Yes, any officer can run your plates.  They do not need a Mobile Data Terminal (MDT) or Mobile Data Computer (MDC) to do it. They can call it in over the radio and get returns if they want.

Answer 2

The computer is an MDT, a mobile data terminal. It can preform a multitude of functions.

And yes he can. You are using the public roads funded by the government. Some police agencies now have access to a device that will scan all the plates in the area and checks them for expired tags or suspended drivers.

Answer 3

yes they can run your plates and you were in the wrong.  if you hadn't been doing wrong, you would have never known he ran the plates.

Answer 4

As much as I fight against the violations the police impose on people this is not one of them.

Yes. They Can.

I personally find absolutely nothing wrong with them doing so,

Answer 5

His probable cause was the fact you were either on a public roadway or private property.

Period.

You have no rights to privacy when you drive. You're in public domain, on public or private property....

Quit whining.

Answer 6

Your friend is wrong!  The plate scanning system is designed to take the information from a plainly visible license plate and compare it to plates listed in a database, the plates of interest to law enforcement.

The unit can be mounted in a variety of different ways, depending the needs of the department.  There is even a unit that is designed to be mounted on an overpass on a freeway to scan the license plate on every car on the freeway.

The officer does not need either probable cause or reasonable suspicion to "run your plate", on the other hand ... information gained by running your plate against the database of plates available to the scan unit can be the reasonable suspicion the officer needs to pull your vehicle over.

There was nothing wrong with vehicle stop, and you do admit that you were in the wrong for driving to the DMV to get your ID back (renew your license?).

At the time the officer stopped you, you were driving without a valid license.  I don't see many ways of beating the ticket on this one.

Answer 7

Is perfectly legal, driving is a privilege not a right. What if your car had been stolen, reported but the driver was following all the rules? Registration checks are perfectly legal, they can be tied to the registered owner which is accessible through DMV checks. And the term you are looking for is LPR. License plate reader vehicles just drive around town with scanners on the roof rack that read plates on all four corners of the vehicle at the same time and dispatches patrol units when a violator is located, some patrol cars have them as well.  

Answer 8

Yes they can and it may not be for a traffic violation but a warrant check. or to check the cars ownership, or to see if the car is insured. It's all called policing and it's done to protect us all.

Answer 9

Heres what you need to do, this is what I have been trying to do.

Surcome to the fact that police can do pretty much anything they want. If they want you, they will get you, probable cause or not. You will learn after a few encounters with the police, what they say goes, and often times they say whatever they want, which usually includes a lot of attitude, sometimes racial comments, and other rude remarks. However there are those police out there that arn't just looking to get civilians in trouble, and will even help you out and let you off with just a warning.

      Police often forget their limits, it doesnt matter... You VS. Police, police almost always win. Many people will tell you after encounters with the police that they felt violated and insecure. Its nothing new.

   Police can run your plates for any reason, even if they have no reason. This system puts bad people put in jail..

Everyone has done something wrong and broken the law before.

Don't throw stones at your neighbours, if your own windows are glass.

Answer 10

the police can run you for any reason whatsoever. your id (or license) expires on your birthday so unless you forgot when your birthday is, you knew it was expired. they can also be as rude as they want, not a lot you can do about it.

Answer 11

Yes they can and why were you driving if you only had a ID?  You were in the wrong and you are the only one you can blame.  

Answer 12

Yes they can.  

Answer 13

I will answer your question, and ignore the other postings about police.

An officer may check registration on any vehicle being operated on the public roadways in his/her jurisdiction. Many people with warrants are located in this manner.