Question about Code 4000 (A) v.c. NO PLATES

[MichelleMichell]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? CALIFORNIA

Last night I was cited for not having plates on my car while I was in my car dropping off a passenger. I DO have my car registered. There were problems with DMV getting my hard plates to made. DMV just finally issued my hard plates which I was able to pick up yesterday. I have not yet put the plates on my car, simply due to my disability of my arm however I have an appt to get them put on by a dealership next week. I felt no urgency as my temporary registration in my windshield is good until Oct 2009. Regardless of my explanation the officer ticketed me for not having plates on my car since my registration shows the personal plate number.

On my ticket its writtten as "4000 (A) V.C no plates"
I dont know what the "V.C" is.
Question to you: Did the officer issue me a wrong citation? Looking it up, it states all vehicles must be registered. My car is registered. However I dont see anything under THIS code that states about displaying plates. Can I fight this?
Please advice
Michelle


22400. (a) No person shall drive upon a highway at such a slow
speed as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of
traffic unless the reduced speed is necessary for safe operation,
because of a grade, or in compliance with law.
No person shall bring a vehicle to a complete stop upon a highway
so as to impede or block the normal and reasonable movement of
traffic unless the stop is necessary for safe operation or in
compliance with law.
(b) Whenever the Department of Transportation determines on the
basis of an engineering and traffic survey that slow speeds on any
part of a state highway consistently impede the normal and reasonable
movement of traffic, the department may determine and declare a
minimum speed limit below which no person shall drive a vehicle,
except when necessary for safe operation or in compliance with law,
when appropriate signs giving notice thereof are erected along the
part of the highway for which a minimum speed limit is established.
Subdivision (b) of this section shall apply only to vehicles
subject to registration.

[FlyingRon]

VC = Vehicle Code, California laws are divided up into bunch of codes that typically go by two letters (sometimes with the C in front for California).

You looked up the wrong section of the code. That is 22400 VC. 4000 VC is:

4000. (a) (1) No person shall drive, move, or leave standing upon a
highway, or in an offstreet public parking facility, any motor
vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole or pipe dolly, or logging dolly,
unless it is registered and the appropriate fees have been paid under
this code or registered under the permanent trailer identification
program, except that an off-highway motor vehicle which displays an
identification plate or device issued by the department pursuant to
Section 38010 may be driven, moved, or left standing in an offstreet
public parking facility without being registered or paying
registration fees.

You had plates issued, but you failed to display them.

The law doesn't give you an out because you are incapable of installing them. It expects that if you can not comply with the requirement to have the plates, that you do not operate or park the vehicle on the public roads.

The only possible out is that you were displaying a temporary registration (if it was still valid).

[CdwJava]

This was covered in another thread ... or board, I can't recall.

The section she should have been cited for was 5200(a) ... 4000(a) is not the appropriate section but it deals not with the display of tags, but with the valid registration. From what she wrote elsewhere she IS guilty of the 22400, however.

- Carl