Fine for an unreadable registration plate. Fines for dirty license plates. Penalty for unreadable license plates if there is no backlighting at night

Recently, penalties for various violations on the road have become significantly tougher. In particular, traffic police officers must now pay more attention to the condition of cars. If a few years ago they could be safely transported under glass, today this is considered a violation and is punishable by a fine. But this is not the only innovation related to vehicle numbers.

Unreadable license plates are one of the common reasons why drivers receive an administrative fine. This problem becomes especially urgent when license plates quickly become dirty or clogged with snow.

In what cases is a number considered unreadable?

Not all drivers have a good idea of ​​which license plates are considered unreadable. Indeed, in fact, even because of bruises or a layer of dirt, the symbols often remain quite distinguishable and it seems that there is no reason for the traffic police to make comments. However, Article 12.2 of the Administrative Code provides clear clarifications in this regard.

The license plate must be fully legible from a distance of 20 meters. The time of day also has a certain meaning. During the day, both the front and rear license plates should be clearly visible, while at night only the rear plate should be legible. The definition of “unreadable numbers” also includes those cases when at least one character cannot be distinguished from 20 meters.

Such requirements are being made today in connection with the proliferation of video cameras on the roads. Even small defects on the plate with the number, especially during the day and in bad weather, can cause it to become indistinguishable on video. But if the defect is present only on a white background and does not interfere with reading the number, there is no reason for a fine.

For what reasons do numbers usually become unreadable?

• dirt;
• severe wear of the coating (if the numbers have not been changed for a long time);
• dents.

It is worth noting that poor registration number legibility is not the only reason for stopping. The same reason for a fine is non-standard signs that in any way do not comply with GOST 50577–93. For example:

• there is no reflector attached to the numbers;
• characters have a non-standard size or font;
• different paint was used to depict them, etc.

Penalty for unreadable numbers

According to the Administrative Code, the fine for dirty license plates in 2016 is a minimum amount of 500 rubles. But in the absence of other violations, the traffic police inspector may limit himself to an oral or written warning. He decides exactly what to do at his own discretion.

There are cases when traffic police inspectors insist that heavily soiled registration plates are equivalent to their absence, and threaten the driver with a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of rights for several months. Only knowledge of the law can save you from such situations. It is important to remember that such actions are illegal. Deprivation of rights for dirty license plates is not provided, since this is a minor violation. The maximum penalty for this is a fine.

It’s another matter if the number was changed deliberately, that is, one of the symbols on it is hidden using film, paper, reflective surfaces, etc. This is usually done so that it cannot be identified using video surveillance. This case is already equivalent to the absence of a state registration plate, and the punishment will be appropriate: a fine of 5,000 rubles or deprivation of a driver’s license for up to 3 months.

What to do if you are stopped for an unreadable license plate?

How to avoid fines for unreadable numbers? If there are no other violations, the situation can be resolved quite simply. The driver is advised to behave politely and clean the license plate from dirt without unnecessary arguments. After this, the protocol can no longer be drawn up, and the inspector can only limit himself to an oral remark.

If he nevertheless draws up a protocol, it is quite possible to challenge this decision. To do this, you need to photograph (or videotape) a car with already worn-out license plates, making sure to capture the scene of the action and the inspector standing nearby. And indicate in the protocol that the latter’s actions were unlawful. Photos or video recording will provide reliable evidence of this.

As a rule, during unfavorable weather conditions, traffic police officers are less strict about such violations. But still, you shouldn’t expect that they won’t stop a car with a registration plate completely covered in dirt. If there is slush on the road, it is advisable to periodically check its condition and always have cleaning products on hand.

Rumors spread across the Internet that traffic police licenses will be revoked for dirty or unreadable license plates. The basis for the rumors was the new June 2019 Resolution of the Plenum of the Supreme Court, which contained instructions for traffic police officers, which clearly stated which license plate number would be associated with an attempt to hide it or modify it. What will be the punishment for a dirty or completely unreadable license plate in 2019 (fine or deprivation of rights), this article will tell you.

A fine for an unreadable number can be received in the case when even one sign of the number is poorly distinguishable under the above conditions. The amount of the fine in 2019 for an unreadable number under Part 1 of Art. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation is equal to 500 rubles. Also, under Part 1 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, you can get off with a milder punishment - a warning, if this oversight is corrected immediately on the spot, i.e. Simply wipe dirty numbers with a rag.

A warning or a small fine can only be received if the license plates have become unreadable without the driver's intent. This may be due to snow or mud on the roads, etc. But sometimes the driver deliberately hides the license plate number in order to avoid penalties from traffic police cameras. Here the fine increases to 5 thousand rubles. or the driver faces deprivation of his driving license for 1 year.

The Supreme Court Resolution clearly spells out these nuances, when a driver can be deprived of his license for having an unreadable license plate. The traffic inspector will be in charge of proving the driver’s intentions.

Which number is considered unreadable?

Neither the traffic regulations nor any other documents stipulate which parameters are responsible for the “unreadability” of state registration marks. But they are in the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (Code of Administrative Offenses).

The Code states that all license plate signs, both front and rear, regardless of whether they are numbers or letters, must be recognized from a distance of 20 m in daylight, and in the dark, rear license plates must be recognized from the same distance. If this is not the case, then the license plate number is considered unreadable.

It turns out that the inspector can only make a complaint about the legibility of the license plate in the dark against the state signs located at the rear.

The reasons for the “unreadability” of numbers can be different:

• pollution due to bad weather;
• the appearance of natural or artificial abrasions on the license plate;
• mechanical damage;
• intentional changes in the form of additional characters or, conversely, actual characters were hidden.

When there are no strict criteria for “unreadability”, subjective assessment comes to the fore, thanks to which not very dirty numbers can be clearly seen from a distance of 20 m.

The penalty for an “unreadable” registration number depends on whether the owner of the vehicle had a hand in it or whether the “unreadability” was formed for other reasons.

If the symbols cannot be made out due to natural reasons, such as inclement weather, the impact of an aggressive environment on the integrity of the paint, then the punishment is determined according to Part 1 of Art. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in the form of a warning or a fine, the amount of which is 500 rubles.

If upon visual inspection it is clearly visible that the symbols are deliberately distorted (man-made covering of the license plate, covering the license plate with film or opaque material), the punishment will be much more severe under Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in the form of a fine in the amount of 5 thousand rubles, or deprivation VU for a period of 1-3 months.

By using various films to protect the state license plate from the effects of adverse environmental factors, you can fall under Art. 12.2 part 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation and receive punishment up to temporary deprivation of a driver’s license.

How to avoid fines for deprivation of rights for unreadable license plates

Unfavorable weather often make our numbers “unreadable”. If you are stopped by a traffic police inspector on this occasion, then follow simple everyday rules and maintain friendly communication. The maximum you will face for this violation is simply a warning and a request to bring the numbers into proper condition.

To clean your rooms on the road, you should always carry cleaning supplies (sponge, brush and rag) with you.

Sometimes inspectors find fault without reason. In order not to escalate the situation, it is better to immediately take and clean the license plates.

It happens that a traffic police officer did not have time to record an unreadable number on a photo or video, then it is better to clear the number immediately so that there is no subject of the violation, and therefore no evidence.

When driving in bad weather, it is best to stop after 50 or 100 km to clean your license plates. During this time, the driver can rest a little and warm up, which will have a good effect on his well-being.

If the driver behaves rudely, arrogantly or arrogantly, then finding fault with the cleanliness of the room will only be the inspector’s response to the opponent’s behavior. The inspector will be more lenient when he feels a human attitude towards himself and his work. Besides:

• punishment in the form of a warning is enshrined in law;
• The assessment of “unreadability” is very subjective, because everyone has different visual acuity, and an examination in this regard is not carried out.

In such a situation, everything is extremely simple: you need not argue with the inspector, but immediately take a rag and clean the rooms.

The inspector himself may be biased in this matter, despite the driver’s adequate behavior. In this case, you need to take a photo of the cleaned license plate of your car. It would not hurt to have this inspector in a company car or a traffic police post in the frame.

If the conversation takes a conflicting form, then in addition to a fine of 500 rubles. under Part 1 of Art. 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, if an inspector records a license plate that is unreadable due to contamination, you may run into suspicion from a traffic police representative that the license plate was deliberately polluted. And this violation will be dealt with under Part 2 of Art. 12.2, where among the penalties is deprivation of a driver’s license. In this case, you need to document the presence of bad weather conditions.

With the introduction of automatic cameras, the number of cases has increased in which drivers attempt to hide their license plate number or one of its symbols using paint, paper, film, etc. in order to avoid a fine.

These pranks fall under the punishment of Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. According to the same article, punishment will be imposed in case of unreadability of numbers due to snow or dirt, if the inspector manages to prove their malicious intent. Photographs confirming the absence of rain, snow, blizzard, blizzard during this period of time, the presence of clean asphalt, etc. can be used as evidence.

The absurdity of hiding license plates from the watchful eyes of traffic cameras also lies in the fact that they can easily read even the dirtiest license plates. It's all about their design, when identification numbers goes using built-in sensitive infrared equipment capable of calculating numbers and letters from the shadows cast by the bulges of registration plates. Therefore, of all traffic fines issued, 90% are recorded by cameras.

Dirty license plates mean you can get a fine. This is especially true in the off-season, when it starts to rain or the snow melts. Since we have asphalt in places, it is not difficult to find dirt even in the city, and therefore you need to be prepared for this problem.

The Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations clearly defines the criteria for determining an unreadable car license plate:

• During the day or during daylight hours, the front and rear numbers are considered unreadable if it is not possible to see at least one letter or number within 20 meters.
• In the dark, at night, according to the law, the license plate number cannot be read if it is not possible to identify at least one sign at a distance of 20 meters.
• Contamination of the white background while letters and numbers are fully legible is not a violation.

That is, each driver can independently check the condition of the license plates and eliminate the violation using a simple wet cloth or sponge, which should always be in the car. You can also water the room.

How will the legibility of a license plate be determined? What are the standards? Answers in this video:

Penalty for dirty room

A dirty license plate does not allow special recording equipment to determine the exact details of the car, which will cause a fine to be issued for violations under Article 12.2 of the Administrative Code.

Article 12.2. Driving a vehicle in violation of the rules for installing state registration plates on it

1. Driving a vehicle with unreadable, non-standard or installed in violation of the requirements of the state standard state registration plates, except for the cases provided for in part 2 of this article, -

entails a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.

2. Driving a vehicle without state registration plates, as well as driving a vehicle without state registration plates installed in designated places, or driving a vehicle with state registration plates modified or equipped with the use of devices or materials that impede the identification of state registration plates or allow modify or hide them, -

shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five thousand rubles or deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of one to three months.

3. Installation of knowingly false state registration plates on a vehicle -

shall entail the imposition of an administrative fine on citizens in the amount of two thousand five hundred rubles; for officials responsible for the operation of vehicles - from fifteen thousand to twenty thousand rubles; for legal entities - from four hundred thousand to five hundred thousand rubles.

4. Driving a vehicle with knowingly false state registration plates -

entails deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for a period of six months to one year.

It states the following: “The car owner bears financial responsibility for driving on vehicles with poor legibility or forgery of a state sign.”

Motorists periodically try to come up with new methods in order to avoid financial and administrative punishment for violating traffic rules and exceeding the speed limit.

Video recording cameras are not able to cope with some of the drivers’ imaginations, which is why traffic police officers periodically conduct raids to search for such violators.

The penalty in this case:

• 5,000 rubles;
• from 1 to 3 months.

But this is if the numbers were hidden on purpose or if they were not there at all.

How to avoid fines for unreadable numbers. Photo: prosedan.ru

For owners of dirty numbers, Article 12.2 provides:

• warning or fine of 500 rubles.

For fake numbers you will have to fork out:

• ordinary car enthusiasts – 2,500 rubles;
• officials responsible for the vehicle - from 15,000 to 20,000 rubles;
• legal entities – from 400,000 to 500,000 rubles.

If you drive a car with false registration plates, you will have to say goodbye to your license for six months to a year.

How to avoid a fine

There are several rules that will help you avoid fines for dirty numbers:

If a traffic police officer does not want to compromise and is fundamentally trying to issue a fine, you can take a photo of him against the background of the cleared license plates and not sign the protocol.

In this case, the issue will be decided in court, so is it worth making such sacrifices? Even if the trial is won, you will have to spend your nerves and time on it.

In this situation, you can simply remind the traffic police officer that if a minor administrative violation is committed, the inspector can release the guilty person from punishment by issuing a verbal warning.

How to behave correctly with traffic police officers

In order not to incur a fine for such a trifle as dirt on the rooms and not to ruin the mood of yourself and those around you, you should follow the following rules:

• Don’t start being rude right away, it’s best to say hello and apologize for the mistake.
• There is no need to get into an argument or speak in a raised voice. It is better to explain everything using a guilty intonation and ask for leniency.
• Politely remind about the terrible weather conditions with sympathy, emphasizing that the inspector has to stand on duty in such slush.
• Correct the offense yourself, thanking the government representative for pointing out the error in time.
• There is no need to point out the inspector’s incorrect attitude towards you or rudely point out his job responsibilities.

Unreadable license plates and what difficulties await car owners on the road? Watch the video:

If the decision has been made to bring this case to court within 10 days, it is worth filing an application and proving that there was a biased attitude towards you and the fine was issued illegally.

If a traffic police officer issues a fine and you do not agree with him

If you do not agree that the inspector issued you a fine for such a minor offense, you can. This will help you avoid paying fines and...

The complaint can be submitted in person or sent by registered mail. A sample complaint against a decision in a case of an administrative offense by the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate can be downloaded below for free.

You can write an application simultaneously in three instances:

• head of the traffic police department;
• the prosecutor's office;

The complaint is reviewed within 10 days. As evidence, you can present photographs taken at the stop site.

If the claim is satisfied, a decision is made to terminate the proceedings. If the court decides that the inspector is right, a fine is imposed.

You can appeal this decision to a higher authority within ten days. The fine must be paid within three months.

How to protect numbers from dirt

Of course, there are no most effective ways to completely eliminate dirt from settling on the registration number, but there are little secrets that will make this process minimal:

• , especially on the highway, since it is the main dirt that ends up on different parts of the car, flying out from under the wheels of the car in front.
• Can treat rooms with special water-repellent agents, with which the car is processed.
• Always carry with you several bottles of clean water, windshield washer fluid, a sponge or a soft, absorbent rag.
• Do not peel off frozen or dried dirt; this can lead to scratches or defects on the plate, which can lead to their replacement. It is best to soak and wait and only then wash off the dirt.
• It is best to wipe the license plates clean when parking your car in the evening before going home. This will prevent the dirt from drying out overnight. In the morning, you can calmly go about your business without wasting time on putting the registration plate in order.

To avoid a fine, it is best to be vigilant and not be lazy to stop in bad weather to check the condition of the rooms. This will save money and time.

With the massive introduction of a video recording system for traffic violations on the roads, the state also took care of its effective operation, for which it introduced a number of rules into the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation prohibiting the deception of recording equipment.

Sanctions for cheating depend on the degree of guilt of the offender and can be applied in the form of a warning, a fine, or even deprivation of rights.

How materials on such offenses are prepared, and how motorists are brought to administrative responsibility for them, is further in the material.

What the law and traffic rules say

The Road Traffic Rules of the Russian Federation stipulate the requirements for a vehicle registration plate in paragraph 7.15 of the Appendix with a list of faults in which the machine is prohibited from being used. According to this article, the state sign must comply with GOST of the Russian Federation No. 50577-93. This legal act is mandatory on the territory of the Russian Federation for all road users.

General requirements for the installation and readability of the license plate on a vehicle in accordance with GOST 50577-93 for cars owned by individuals:

• field color – white, alphanumeric combination – black;
• the arrangement of all numbers and letters is vertical;
• characteristics of the reflective coating (maximum – 250 cd/m2khlk for white);
• colorimetric properties (brightness coefficient - less than or equal to 0.35 for white);
• standard impact resistance;
• fixation - either with fastening material of the same color as the field of the state sign, or light;
• Any frames are prohibited.

The procedure for testing materials used for the manufacture of license plates has been approved for manufacturers. Deviation from the prescribed characteristics is unacceptable.

Not allowed to participate in traffic Vehicles with state signs:

• secured in an inverted position;
• with additional holes;
• with unauthorized lighting equipment;
• on which all elements of the state sign are not fully visible (even the edging), etc.

If a traffic police inspector records a failure to comply with at least one of the requirements of GOST 50577-93, then he is obliged to draw up a protocol on an administrative violation under Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation for unreadable license plates.

Definition of unreadability

A police officer has the right to stop a car under Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation if he was unable to visually determine the vehicle vehicle, and also if there is a suspicion that additional frames or devices are installed on the plate with the registration plate of the car that impede its regulatory readability.

During the daytime

The reason for stopping during the day may be:

• the presence of dirt on the license plate, through the layer of which at least some of the necessary elements are not visible;
• additional frame (even anti-vandal);
• operational information that special equipment has been installed on a similar vehicle that blocks the possibility of checking and photographing its state signs.

Even if the driver applied reflective spray from a spray can to the vehicle, this circumstance will sooner or later become known to the police, and their employees will take measures to suppress the violation.

To detect fraud with a license plate, a traffic police instructor only needs to try to photograph the registration plate from a distance of 20 m, and the violation will become obvious. Photo evidence is attached to the administrative violation case file.

At night time

During the dark period of the day, an additional reason for the unreadability of the vehicle may be the absence or poor operation of the rear state sign illumination lamp. In accordance with GOST 50577-93 and traffic regulations at night, only the rear number plate should be clearly readable.

Accordingly, if an inspector stops you in the dark and tries to draw up a report for violating Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation due to the non-compliance of the front launch vehicle with the established requirements, then such actions of the inspector are illegal.

Fines

When punishing unreadable or dirty license plates, courts and police do not limit themselves to fines.

This could be a warning or even deprivation of rights. The sanction depends on the nature of the occurrence of unreadability, as well as on whether the driver has previously been held accountable for obstructing the fixation of government signs on the vehicle.

So, if the license plate number of a car cannot be determined from a distance of 20 m because it is very dirty, then in this case administrative liability is a warning or a fine of 500 rubles. The inspector draws up a protocol at the scene of discovery of the offense.

If a motorist has not previously received a penalty for unreadable license plates, then he can ask for a more lenient punishment in the form of a warning, but if the database already has a protocol for a similar offense, then the inspector will impose a fine.

If it is established that the fact of deliberately obstructing the photo recording of car license plates by state video surveillance systems, the driver will no longer be able to ask for a lenient punishment and will be prosecuted under the more “heavy” part of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.

This provision provides for liability in the form of a fine (5 thousand rubles) or deprivation of a driver’s license for up to 3 months. The extent of the punishment depends on whether the earlier facts violations of traffic rules by this motorist and the degree of his guilt in the detected offense.

How to behave if traffic police officers charge you with unreadable license plates

The task of the policeman who stopped the car on suspicion of using LVs that do not comply with GOST 50577-93 is to record the offense and establish circumstances indicating the driver’s guilt.

The outcome of the case in court depends on how well the evidence is collected.

If the license plates of your car are simply covered with dirt during the daytime and because of this they are impossible to read, then there is no need to fuss around the car, run for a rag and try to wipe off the signs until the inspector records the fact that they are unreadable.

Such behavior by the offender may be regarded as obstructing the work of a police officer, which will entail a lot of additional, more significant problems for the driver.

In the event that you simply have a dirty license plate, it is enough to ask the policeman for the opportunity to clean up the state sign, inform you that you have not previously committed such offenses and ask for a punishment in the form of a warning.

If you are polite and adequate, the inspector will give you the mildest sanction.

It is impossible to hide the numbers that are closed, unlit at night, treated with aerosol, and mounted in special frames from the police. And it won’t be possible to fix the situation quickly either.

The only circumstance mitigating the degree of guilt is to report that the car was transferred for temporary use to other persons; they made changes to the design of the state sign without the owner’s consent, and the owner could not visually determine the presence of an illegal modification.

Yes, you can refer to this, but all the facts will need to be proven.

If a traffic police officer has recorded a deliberate change in the license plate to make it unreadable by video recording systems, he will draw up a protocol on administrative violation and send it to the court to assign the amount of liability (fine or deprivation of a driver’s license).

Article 2.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation

It is almost impossible to close the case of an administrative violation regarding the unreadability of a state sign due to insignificance (and this is exactly the possibility that is implied by Article 2.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). Unless the car was driving along country roads in a downpour, its license plate was splashed with fresh mud, and as it was leaving the dirt road it was stopped by a traffic police inspector. Or the RN is clogged with snow during a strong snowstorm.

If a layer of dirt has accumulated over a long period of time, then there is no point in appealing to insignificance. When leaving the parking lot, the driver must check whether the car complies with traffic regulations. That is, by driving with unreadable, dirty registration plates to participate in traffic, the motorist has already violated the traffic rules.

Photo recording of a clean license plate and a traffic police inspector

This trick will only work if the inspector did not have time to record your dirty RNs beforehand. If the fact has already been established, then subsequent photographing of clean license plates will only worsen the situation of the offender.

And, of course, if you believe that the state signs of your car comply with the requirements of GOST 50577-93, and the inspector is mistaken, then you have the right to record this circumstance and prove your position in court.

What to do if the weather is bad

In difficult weather conditions, the driver must carefully monitor the road situation and no one obliges him to jump out of the car every few hundred meters and wipe the license plates.

If the reason for the unreadability of state signs on your car is bad weather conditions that are in effect right now, and did not happen a week ago, then there is no administrative offense in your actions. The main thing in this case is to prove that you left the parking lot with clean license plates.