Tuesday Tip - License Plates and Registration Tabs

An often overlooked theft is sometimes discovered by car owners when they receive a parking ticket or are stopped by an officer for "no plates" or an expired year tab. We walk past our cars everyday and assume that our license plates are intact. Take a quick look at your car before you get in and check your plates. Thieves will sometimes target a license plate of a similar vehicle in order to "cold plate" or hide a crime such as a stolen vehicle or lack of insurance. Year tabs are stolen and used to falsify registration on out of date vehicles or vehicles with no current insurance coverage. Make sure to fasten your license plates securely to your vehicle. Discourage theft of year tabs by removing old tabs and scoring the newly installed tab with a razor blade. Report the theft of plates or tabs to your local police. Replacements can be obtained from either the DMV or AAA.