expired tags ticket while driving to get inspection

[tantrick]

My tags expired at the end of March and I got my car inspected on my day off on April 2. It passed emissions, but failed the safety due to a broken turn signal from vandalism. Today I went to the junkyard and got a new turn signal and was driving to the inspections station with part in hand and my paperwork showing I had just purchased the part and that I had failed because of the light. While on my way to the station I got pulled over and issued 3 tickets. The tickets were for the following: expired plates, no safety inspection tag (was scraped off by the inspection station), and expired vehicle registration. I explained the situation to the officer, and he replied I should have taken a taxi the 15 miles to the junkyard because it would have been cheaper than all the tickets he was giving me.

All that said I got my car reinspected within an hour and the tags renewed at the DMV within 2 hours of that.

According to the lovely folks at the DMV I should not have been issued the tickets because I am allowed to drive to the inspection station on expired tags without repercussions. But, I would like to make sure they weren't just placating me before I go to the police station to question them about this.
Oh and this is in St. Louis, Mo if that helps at all.

[OHRoadwarrior]

Soooooo.....

When you got to the inspection station, showed them the part and they failed you again, as the part was not installed, what story would you make up for the officer? You should have fixed the signals before the plates expired and you broke the law, by driving on expired plates.

[sandyclaus]

My tags expired at the end of March and I got my car inspected on my day off on April 2. It passed emissions, but failed the safety due to a broken turn signal from vandalism. Today I went to the junkyard and got a new turn signal and was driving to the inspections station with part in hand and my paperwork showing I had just purchased the part and that I had failed because of the light. While on my way to the station I got pulled over and issued 3 tickets. The tickets were for the following: expired plates, no safety inspection tag (was scraped off by the inspection station), and expired vehicle registration. I explained the situation to the officer, and he replied I should have taken a taxi the 15 miles to the junkyard because it would have been cheaper than all the tickets he was giving me.

All that said I got my car reinspected within an hour and the tags renewed at the DMV within 2 hours of that.

According to the lovely folks at the DMV I should not have been issued the tickets because I am allowed to drive to the inspection station on expired tags without repercussions. But, I would like to make sure they weren't just placating me before I go to the police station to question them about this.
Oh and this is in St. Louis, Mo if that helps at all.

The "lovely folks at DMV" don't know what they are talking about. You MIGHT have been allowed to drive to the inspection station if you had gotten a Moving Permit (I'm not sure if they have them in Missouri, but that's what they call them in CA). A moving permit gives you a specific number of days (usually one or two) allowing you drive the vehicle with the expired tags in order to correct whatever needed to be done to pass your inspection. No Moving Permit, no permission to drive.

And I'm with OHRoadwarrior. You had PLENTY of time prior to your tags expiring to take care of the inspection and getting a new turn signal. And you could have had a friend drive you to the junkyard, or taken public transportation, or a taxi instead of driving and risking the tickets you justifiably received.

[FlyingRon]

This is why they give you 60 days BEFORE the plates expired to get the inspection. Even so, you're not supposed to be driving around with a failed vehicle.

You're 100% guilty, but I'd get the inspection and plates renewed BEFORE your court date and see if you can get some compassion out of the court.

[HighwayMan]

You should have known that the car would not pass inspection if you knew about the signal light - which you obviously did. You should have had that fixed before anything expired.

[tantrick]

Ok so just to give you all a bit of a lesson since not a single one understood with the law. In the state of Missouri you are allowed to drive a vehicle to two places with improper registration, the DMV and a state inspection site. I took my new papers with passed inspection and new registration to the police department and had all three tickets thrown out upon speaking with the police chief. I also was told that I should NOT have been issued any tickets to start with since I showed the officer all my paperwork before hand and my intentions.

In other words I was 100% in the right that I could drive my car to that location under those conditions.

Also I did not know for sure if my car would fail the first time because there are thousands of cars on the road right now with tape on a turn signal driving everyday right now and the bulb worked perfectly so there was no safety concern to nearby motorists, I would not drive a car that would put others in danger.

[Zigner]

Based on what YOU posted, you were not following the law. You said that you went to the junkyard and then you went to the inspection station. Per Missouri Revised Statutes Section 307.350, here is the law:

2. For the purpose of obtaining an inspection only, it shall be lawful to operate a vehicle over the most direct route between the owner's usual place of residence and an inspection station of such owner's choice, notwithstanding the fact that the vehicle does not have a current state registration license. It shall also be lawful to operate such a vehicle from an inspection station to another place where repairs may be made and to return the vehicle to the inspection station notwithstanding the absence of a current state registration license.
^{(from http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C300-399/3070000350.HTM)}

You were operating in violation of the law (per your original post.) Congratulations on convincing the chief to give you a break.

Oh, and to be clear: You were 100% WRONG.