Can a police officer run your tags then pull you over if your not doing anything in the first place?

Question

Can a police officer run your tags then pull you over if your not doing anything in the first place?

Answer 1

The officer can run your plate for no reason, as it is in plain view on a public road, so there is no expectation of privacy.

If the computer indicates a problem with the plate, he would then have reason to make a traffic stop.

Answer 2

Yes, all they would have to say is that you were driving erratically and wanted to do a random check that you and your vehicle were okay.

Answer 3

There are many, many ways a police officer can pull you over. I'd argue that a car hasn't been made that obeys every law that exists for a vehicle on the road. They can pull you over for your fender being above or below so many inches from the road. A good cop can always find a reason.

If you plates have something attached to them, yes he is probably pulling you over. Too bad, so sad, even if you didn't do it. If the car has something attached to it you're getting pulled over.

Answer 4

In order for a police officer to pull you over there must always be probable cause. A cop will pull you over first and run your plates ...If there is a BOLO (be on the look out) or a warrant for your arrest the cop will probably order you out of your vehicle, frisk, pat down and arrest.

Answer 5

Yes, it is in plain sight.  And it's about to get worse depending on your point of view...  patrol cars are now getting plate readers installed.  The computer reads plates and checks them without the officer doing anything.  A tone alerts the officer the the computer has found a plate with a problem and displays the plate and vehicle description.  They work when the patrol is moving or parked.  A lot of uninsured vehicles that would have previously gone unnoticed are being stopped and towed.  

Answer 6

its on public view. Meaning if you have a laptop with wireless connect. you can run it on the motor Vehicle registration as you pleased. There are a thousand terms in law enforcement officer can find to justify the stop. or he can simply mention its a random traffic sop !

Answer 7

They can and do.  It has been held illegal by our courts (it is called profiling).  That's why they lie and make an excuse as to why they stopped you.  I saw a cop break a tail light once to have an excuse to stop a car he had no legal right to stop.

Answer 8

Yeah, as long as there was something wrong when he looked you up.

Answer 9

Yes if he finds something incriminating such as expired or suspended registration, license of the registered owner is suspended, stolen tags

wanted person etc

Answer 10

Yes, there is NO 4th Amendment protection for ANYTHING in public view.

joker_32605:

"It has been held illegal by our courts (it is called profiling). That's why they lie and make an excuse as to why they stopped you."

Really, because every court case that I'm familiar with says the exact opposite-

- State of Rhode Island v. Bjerke:

"We do not believe that either Bjerke or the public at large has any reasonable expectation of privacy in a motor vehicle registration license plate."

- Commonwealth v. Starr:

"Societal beliefs, reflecting our common sense, undoubtedly support the conclusion that it is unreasonable to claim privacy in that which one consciously places in public view. That conclusion is expressed in the established principle that ‘what a person knowingly exposes to the public . . . is not a subject of Fourth Amendment protection.’ The applicability of that principle to what is displayed on the outside of a motor vehicle is well recognized. ‘The exterior of a car . . . is thrust into the public eye, and thus to examine it does not constitute a search."

- State v. Richter:

"In this case, an officer observed a vehicle, which he properly determined to be registered to an owner who had a suspended driver's license, being driven on a public roadway. The officer observed nothing that would indicate that the driver was not the owner. It was reasonable for the officer to infer that the driver was the owner of the vehicle. ix Such an inference gave rise to a reasonable suspicion that the driver was committing a violation of RSA 263:64. We therefore conclude that the officer properly initiated a traffic stop to investigate whether the defendant was driving his vehicle in violation of the law."

- United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit reviewing Ellison:

"The United States Court of Appeal noted that every court that has considered the issue of privacy in license plates has concluded that no such privacy exists."

Vehicle Stops:

Does a Motorist have a Privacy Interest in their License Plate

http://patc.com/weeklyarticles/license-p...

"Courts continue to conclude that there is no right to privacy and no 4th Amendment search when an officer randomly or without reasonable suspicion runs a license plate. Further, it appears that information that is obtained with respect to the registered owner will also support a seizure by law enforcement."

- David

Answer 11

Yes they can.  You have no expectation of privacy on the back bumper of your car.  Besides the license plate is owned by the State not by the driver.

They may use the information from running the tag as reasonable suspicion/probable cause (expired insurance, expired or revoked license plate, etc.) to pull over the vehicle.  It happens all the time.

Answer 12

Yes and he will make up a lie as to why he pull you over.

Answer 13

yes as cops are a law unto them-self. they in-force the law but rarely follow the law because policing yourself never works. they are the biggest gang in any country