There are a number of requirements for state registration plates and their installation on a vehicle, violation of which leads to liability under the law provided for by the Code of Administrative Offenses. Therefore, if a car has an unreadable license plate that is not recognized by the traffic police inspector’s locking device, this becomes a reason to stop the vehicle and apply certain sanctions to the driver under the Code of Administrative Offenses (fine and more).

When is a number considered “unreadable”?

If you look at the situation from the point of view of the law, then license plates are recognized as unreadable when, being at a distance of 20 meters from the car, it is impossible to see at least one of the symbols (number, letter), and:

• at night this applies only to rear signs;
• in the daytime - either rear or front.

Most often, symbols become unreadable due to contamination (which cannot be avoided, especially in slushy and rainy weather); the problem can also arise over time due to natural abrasion of the paint. There are also more serious violations when the driver deliberately tries to hide the sign with reflective film or mesh, not wanting it to be recorded by video cameras.

What punishment does the law provide?

Punishment for unreadable numbers is provided for in Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offences. In the first part, sanctions are provided for cases of driving a car with illegible or incorrectly installed license plates, and this can be:

• warning;
• a fine of 500 rubles.

The second part of the article concerns more complex cases when there are no signs in the right place or they are modified (for example, as mentioned above, they are covered with a mesh that prevents their identification). In this case, the fine for an unreadable license plate is provided in the amount of 5 thousand rubles, but at the same time, the driver may be deprived of the right to drive a vehicle for up to three months.

Important! The third and fourth parts of this article concern the use of deliberately false license plates, providing for more severe penalties. But they do not apply to driving with dirty license plates.

What are the consequences of legal ignorance for a driver?

There are cases when traffic police officers take advantage of the legal illiteracy of drivers and attribute to them a violation under Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, according to which, instead of a warning for the primary violation or a fine for a dirty license plate (more precisely, unreadable) in the amount of 500 rubles (if the incident is repeated), they will have to pay ten times more.

There are often situations when they try to hold people accountable for pollution national flag on the sign or marks “RUS”, “TRANSIT”. But here, too, it should be remembered that the Code of Administrative Offenses does not provide for punishment for a dirty license plate. If you noticed, it was said above that letters and numbers are unreadable. That is, the law provides for liability specifically for unreadable license plates on a car, and these are different things.

What to do if you are stopped by traffic police for driving a car with a dirty license plate

Finding himself in such a situation, the driver has every right to double-check under what legislative acts, articles and parts the claims are being made against him and how justified they are. To do this, it would be useful to have a brochure on the road in which the current Rules are printed. traffic and a separate statement for various fines. In practice, the latter is more difficult to implement, so it is better to have on hand the telephone number of a lawyer who will advise you on the issue of interest and can explain what fine for an unreadable license plate is acceptable in your case, and advise you on what to do next.

For example, you can immediately put the rooms in order by cleaning them with a damp cloth, and insist that the violation is minor and does not contain malicious intent. Then you'll get off with a warning. You can also disagree with the accusation, indicating in the Protocol that the car was stopped illegally, due to the fact that driving with dirty license plates is not prohibited if the numbers and letters are readable at a distance of 20 meters. But in any case, when choosing a tactic of behavior, you need to look at the situation.

Before you start driving, be sure to check that the license plates are legible and free of dirt. If compliance with this rule becomes a habit, then the risk of the described situations can be minimized and a fine for an unreadable license plate can be avoided.

Of course, in slushy weather, pollution can occur at any time, but according to paragraph 2.3.1 of the Traffic Rules, every driver is obliged to immediately eliminate it upon detection of pollution before continuing to drive. To do this, you should always have wet wipes or a rag and a bottle of water in your car.

When driving in bad weather, don’t be too lazy to look at the license plates at each stop, because you can wipe them in a couple of seconds, but the situation can cause a lot of problems.

Important! In any collision with a traffic police officer, if you did not openly violate the traffic rules, consult with a lawyer.

During the daytime, the traffic police officer's fixator will not be able to identify a very dirty car registration number, which is a good reason to punish the driver. You can avoid serious consequences only by monitoring the condition of your car’s license plates and well understanding the difference between paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 of Article 12.12 of the “Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses” dated December 30, 2001 N 195-FZ.

What is the fine for an unreadable or dirty license plate?

According to Article 12.2, Clause 1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, the punishment for driving a car with an unreadable license plate is:

• warning (often with a request to wipe off the numbers);
• or fine of 500 rubles.

A more severe punishment, provided for in Article 12.2, paragraph 2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, is intended for those who deliberately make it difficult to identify the license plates of their car:

• fine in 5000 rubles;
• or deprivation of a driver's license for 1-3 months.

IMPORTANT! Rooms with adhered snow or mud should not be penalized as if they were deliberately equipped with materials that prevent or impede their identification.

Cleanliness is the key to peace

Before you start driving, it is a good idea to check that the vehicle registration numbers are legible and clean. A plastic bottle of water and a rag will help if necessary to wipe down muddy license plates.

If the license plates are soiled to the point of being unreadable along the way, the driver must, in accordance with clause 2.3.1 of the Road Traffic Regulations (RF Traffic Regulations), correct this malfunction on the spot before continuing further movement.

ON A NOTE! The numbers will last longer if you wipe them not with a dry cloth, but with a damp cloth. You can dampen a rag with water or antifreeze. Then, when washed off, the paint on which the marks are applied will not be damaged.

Dirty or unreadable

At night, a dirty car registration plate is not a hindrance for smart CCTV cameras. The embossed numbers and letters of the number will be clearly visible on the reflective background.

According to the note of Art. 12.2 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, numbers are considered unreadable if at least one letter or number cannot be seen from a distance of 20 meters

• in the daytime, front or rear numbers;
• at night only the back room.

That is, all numbers and letters of the registration number must be clearly visible from the specified distance. If at least one character is not legible, the number is considered unreadable.

ON A NOTE!

• Clause I.4.7 of Appendix “I” to GOST 50577-47, which defines the requirements for state registration numbers of vehicles, specifies that the registration plate of a vehicle in the dark must be read from a distance of at least 20 m when illuminated by a standard vehicle license plate lamp.
  This requirement does not apply to the inscription “RUS”, “TRANSIT” and the image of the flag of the Russian Federation.
• Clause 7.15 “List of faults and conditions under which the operation of vehicles is prohibited” prohibits the operation of a vehicle if its license plates do not comply with GOST 50577-47.

In wet or snowy weather, the state registration number of a car on the road becomes so covered with mud and snow that it often becomes unreadable. The driver only needs to check the cleanliness of the license plates at every stop and, if necessary, clean them.

It’s another matter if the car owner deliberately made the license plates of his car unreadable using special materials (grids, stickers, glass, curtains, etc.) to make it difficult or impossible to identify the vehicle. For example, when photographing and video recording a driver violating traffic rules.

Such a demonstration of readiness to violate established laws will certainly be punished to the fullest extent.

Audacity second happiness

After making a claim that the car's license plates are dirty to the point of being unreadable (if this is indeed the case), having a certain amount of impudence, you can immediately clean the dirty license plate with a damp cloth.

• or insist that this is a minor violation, committed without malicious intent, and it has already been eliminated. According to Article 2.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, a traffic police officer may limit himself to an oral remark and release the driver;
• or, if the license plates that were not cleaned of dirt were not recorded by the inspector on a photo or video camera, photograph the license plates yourself. It is advisable that the traffic police inspector also be included in the frame (this will prove that the photo was taken at the place where the protocol was drawn up, and not at another time).

In the protocol drawn up, it must be written that the driver does not agree with the violation. In the explanation box, indicate that the actions of the traffic police inspector who stopped the car for dirty license plates were unlawful. The license plates are legible, which is confirmed by photographs taken at the site of the report. Therefore, there is no event of an offense, and the administrative offense case must be closed.

The topic of punishment for dirty and unreadable license plates is popularly explained in a video by Dagestan motorists.

Video: Penalty for hidden and dirty license plates

If the driver has checked the cleanliness of his car's registration plates before driving and is sure that they are legible, he will not face punishment. And calm and reasonable behavior when communicating with a traffic police officer will quickly resolve possible problems. Something like this in this video.

There is no legal liability for driving a vehicle with dirty license plates. But if they are so dirty that they become unreadable, the driver will have to pay a fine. You shouldn’t let your car’s registration plates become unreadable. Otherwise, traffic police officers will have reason to decide that this was done to deliberately make it difficult to identify the car.

The license plate number of the vehicle must be clearly visible. Otherwise, the car owner may be punished. We will tell you in this article about what and other types of punishment await you if the car license plates are dirty or simply unreadable.

Basic Concepts

Readable and unreadable license plates

So, let's start with identifying an unreadable license plate according to traffic regulations. Many uninitiated people think that the distinguishability of a car’s license plate number is a subjective concept. After all, everyone's vision is different. In fact, the sign of readability of numbers is clearly defined by the Administrative Code. The norm is contained in the note to Article 12.2.

If at a distance of twenty meters from the car at least one letter or number is not visible on the license plate, then the number is unreadable. This condition must be met for both registration plates when it is light outside, and only for the rear one - in the dark.

Is the reason why the number became unreadable important? Only to some extent, and more on that below.

Read about the algorithm for recognizing dirty license plates below.

Dirty license plates

Let’s say the license plate number of a car cannot be read due to natural reasons. The main one is slushy weather. It is logical to assume that in this case the driver is not to blame? However, there is no definition of “dirty room” in the laws.

• Consequently, any car owner who does not keep the license plate of his car clean will be punished. The Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (according to the first part of Article 12.2) in such cases punishes relatively mildly, as indicated in the next section.
• Much more serious are situations in which the owners and/or drivers of a car literally hide their license plates. Most often, white or black electrical tape is used, with the help of which the numbers of registration plates, or even branches, tree leaves, allegedly accidentally caught on the edge of the license plate, are modified. Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (unreadable numbers) is devoted to such “art”, and the punishment is much more severe.

We will tell you below what types of punishment are provided for an unreadable or dirty license plate on a car, and how much the fine for this will be under the article.

Even more useful information The video below contains information about the possibility of imposing a fine for dirty license plates:

Fines for unreadable or dirty license plates

• If the number becomes unreadable by accident, a fine of 500 rubles is imposed. However, the driver can get off with a warning. But a second fine for unreadable numbers will definitely be imposed.
• When the number is deliberately “hidden”, and this is obvious, then unreadable numbers may result in deprivation of rights for one to three months. The alternative is a 5,000 ruble fine.

What to do when stopped by an inspector

• The simplest option is to apologize for the mistake and immediately put the rooms in proper condition. In most cases, this action is followed by permission to continue driving. Of course, if the numbers really turned out to be unreadable by accident - for example, they were splashed with dirt.
• On online motorist forums you can come across the following misconception: if the weather is rainy and the road is muddy, then the driver cannot be fined. In fact, the law does not stipulate weather conditions in any way, and there is no need to prove otherwise to the traffic police inspector.
• What if the number turns out to be completely covered with mud (or, alternatively, wet snow), so much so that you can’t make out a single number/letter? In such situations, not the most honest traffic police officers try to prove that the number simply does not exist and fine the person accordingly, that is, 5,000 rubles. Agreeing with this opinion of the inspector is very unprofitable, so you need to politely insist on legal formulations.

You can drive a car for many years and never in your life receive not only a fine, but even a reprimand for unreadable license plates. To do this, just follow a few tips.

1. Hitting the road in slushy weather or on a country road? Every 10 - 20 kilometers stop and check the legibility of the numbers. It only takes a few minutes - the traffic police inspector will take much longer to draw up a report.
2. There should always be a rag in the car to wipe the license plates. It is completely irrational to wipe them, for example, with the sleeve of your own clothes.
3. Under no circumstances should you wipe the numbers with dry cloths. Accumulated dust can act as an abrasive, and worn-out license plates should be replaced.

The biggest problem of Russian roads – dirt – has been talked about for a long time and a lot. As a result, dirty signs on cars are not uncommon. But even the newest technology is not always able to identify road or license plates completely splattered with mud and transmit them in photo and video recordings.

But we dare to disappoint those who have already enjoyed the imperfections of the world of technology: certain types of modern so-called “smart” surveillance cameras are able to distinguish and specify the numbers on a license plate of any level of pollution in the dark. This is explained by the relief of the numbers, which, regardless of the background, will be readable in photographs. But we will talk about the traffic police fine for dirty license plates in 2018 below.

Part 1 Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation

1. Driving a vehicle with unreadable, non-standard or installed state registration plates in violation of the requirements of the state standard, except for the cases provided for in Part 2 of this article, shall entail a warning or the imposition of an administrative fine in the amount of five hundred rubles.

So, if you are stopped on the road for dirty license plates, do not start a quarrel with the inspector. If he has not yet had time to take a photo of the number, it is better to calmly go to this very number and wipe it with what is at hand. After such manipulation, the inspector is no longer obliged to issue a fine and most likely will not. But if after this the employee continues to fill out the protocol, you can act in one of these two ways:

1. Talk to the inspector about Article 2.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in a calm tone:

1. If the administrative offense committed is insignificant, the judge, body, official authorized to resolve the case of an administrative offense may release the person who committed the administrative offense from administrative responsibility and limit yourself to verbal remarks.

2. Take a photo of your license plate. By the way, it will be a huge plus if the inspector also gets into the frame. Attach photographs to the protocol, and in the explanation indicate the following:

“I was stopped for dirty license plates, I consider the stop and actions of the traffic police inspector (inspector’s full name) to be unlawful, since the state registration plates are readable, which is confirmed by photographs taken immediately after the vehicle was stopped. I ask that the proceedings in the case be terminated due to the absence of an offense.”

It is worth noting once again that the majority of inspectors are people of conscious and adequate behavior. If you don’t start being rude, the inspector will also behave civilly and according to the situation. Remember: the conversation with the employee should be calm, and your arguments should be unshakable. Otherwise, the inspector may, in retaliation for the hysteria, arrange a true test of your knowledge of the Code of Administrative Offenses and accuse you of not having numbers, explaining that they are very dirty.

Part 2 of Article 12.2

Driving a vehicle without state registration plates...

entails 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.

The main thing here is not to fall into the trap of provocation - the above part is absolutely not about dirty numbers.

But we forgot to talk about the main thing - after all, dirty license plates on cars are not on the list of violations. In turn, it is important to know that dirty rooms are classified as a drawback that can be eliminated on the spot.

Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in no way determines responsibility for “dirty numbers”. But if what is written on the rear license plate (or part of it, for example, a number) cannot be read from a distance of 20m in the dark, the driver is already obliged to bear responsibility under Part 1, Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation. Under the same article, the driver will be punished if both his license plates (front and rear) are not fully legible during daylight hours.

There are various kinds of statements that a fine for dirty rooms is not imposed during rainfall. Allegedly, it is not the driver’s fault that it is raining or snowing. In their opinion, weather printouts from the Phobos website, attached to the protocol, will solve the whole problem. But let us just remind you that a printout from the site is not evidence in court. There they will require, at a minimum, a response to an official request to the “Phobos” of your choice, which will have to wait a long time. And the answer to the request does not guarantee that you are right.

And finally, we note that if you travel with dirty license plates in the rainy season, this is somehow justified, but in sunny summer weather the inspector is unlikely to believe that it is impossible to put the license plate in order in the spring.

What is the maximum fine for unreadable license plates, and when can you get away with a slight fright and a warning?

When conflict is possible

Unreadable license plates on a car are a problem that every driver faces not only in the off-season, when huge puddles cover broken roads, and other road users are in no hurry to slow down and splash neighboring cars from roof to wheel.

Snow can cover the rooms. If in the morning, when starting and clearing the snow after a snowstorm, paying attention to the license plate is not only possible, but also necessary, then how to control its cleanliness while driving? Understanding this, inspectors rarely issue fines for unreadable license plates in 2017, and in all previous years too.

Still, it is useful to know when the appearance of a registration plate violates current rules. We are talking about a situation where, from a 20-meter distance, a sign:

does not recognize photographic or video camera;

at least one character is not readable.

Important! In the dark, the rules apply only to the rear number; in the light, the front number must also look appropriate.

Will he scold you, punish you with a ruble, or deprive you of your ID?

Driving with unreadable license plates 2017 is not a serious offense, but only if the driver did not have malicious intent to hide information from the registration plate.

Warning

Typically, state inspectors do not issue a fine for dirty license plates, especially if “the weather is whispering” and absolute hell is going on on the roads. However, a servant of the law has the full right to stop the driver and point out a dirty license plate, after reading a short lecture on the rules for operating vehicles.

In this case, the car owner must quickly jump out of the warm interior, taking a damp cloth with him, and carefully clean the numbers and letters. And be sure to remember to nod your head as a sign of absolute agreement with the claims made. Usually, after such actions, the traffic inspector smiles condescendingly and wishes you a safe journey.

Little blood

Every driver knows that if the inspector really wants to, he will find something to get to the bottom of, or at least take a lot of time to check the proper condition of the car. In rare cases (usually when a motorist begins to argue, get nervous, or deny guilt), the inspector may punish for obstinacy with a ruble.

Standard fine for dirty rooms 2017 is small - only 500 rubles, but hardly anyone wants to pay “for nothing,” and even waste time on drawing up a protocol.

On a note! If the white part of the license plate is dirty and all the symbols on it are visible, then this is not considered a violation.

By the way, since May in Moscow they began to forcibly evacuate cars without state signs (damaged, altered, unreadable). Such measures are associated with an increased anti-terrorist threat. Suspicious cars are transported to a special parking lot, away from residential buildings, bus stops, metro, shopping centers, where they conduct a check to determine if they are wanted or if they are a potential threat to the population.

To the maximum

But if the driver deliberately soiled the state sign, he will face a more serious punishment. What fine will be issued for unreadable license plates if they are deliberately polluted?

Regarding the second part of Article 12.2 of the Code administrative offenses For such an offense the following is imposed:

fine 5000 rubles;

deprivation of rights for 1-3 months.

On a note! Requirements for registration plates are regulated in GOST R-50577-93.

Under the second part of this article the following may also be punished:

for driving a vehicle without a state license;

for installing it in the wrong place;

for its modification;

for the use of materials that make it difficult to identify a car sign.

But with the imposition of such a punishment, a difficulty arises - how to prove the malicious intentions of the driver? That is why inspectors extremely rarely resort to such measures.

Although a case comes to mind when a motorist had to go to the Supreme Court in search of the truth. The inspector gave him the maximum penalty for having the license plate attached backwards. The magistrate agreed with the claims. He was supported in the district and city courts, but the Supreme Court did not find grounds for such a severe punishment. The sign was in place, there were no materials on it that would make it difficult to read, and the unusual installation method did not alter the appearance of the sign, only making it slightly more difficult to read.

Step-by-step instruction

If you are stopped for having dirty license plates, but you don’t consider yourself guilty, and therefore don’t want to pay the fine, much less be left without a license, what should you do?

If an employee of the State Traffic Inspectorate stops you and draws attention to dirty car signs, as mentioned above, you need to go out and wipe them.

If the inspector insists on drawing up a protocol, correctly demand the provision of evidence from video recordings. Are there no records or the man in uniform refuses to show them? Proceed as described above - quickly clear the sign. They have no right to detain you any longer (unless, of course, they find something else to complain about).

If the principal inspector continues to write a protocol, then: 1) remind him of Article 2.9 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, according to which only a verbal warning is required for a minor violation; 2) take a photograph of the wiped license plates, capturing the inspector and part of the area in the frame to recognize it (the photographs must be attached to the protocol, accompanied by an explanatory note about the unlawfulness of the actions of the traffic police officer, the clean license plates and with a request to close the case).

If video evidence is provided, then do not interfere with the preparation of the protocol. It will no longer be possible to avoid punishment, but its legality can be questioned in court.

Be sure to read the text of the protocol, because for deliberate pollution you will have to pay many times more or lose your rights.

If, while drawing up a protocol, you find violations in the actions of a State Traffic Inspectorate employee, do not hesitate to include them in the protocol (they will be very helpful in court).

Before going to court, be sure to prepare evidence of your own innocence. For example, request a weather report from the weather center on the day of the conflict and expect a long wait. But with its help you will prove that the snow-covered room is not your fault.

And several useful tips for beginners:

always keep a rag in the car, as well as some liquid (water, anti-freeze, glass cleaner) to moisten the material, because trying to remove sand and reagents with a dry rag, you can scratch the license plate or erase part of the paint from excessive efforts;

if the roads are very dirty, try to stop regularly, each time remembering to check the legibility of the license plate.

Knowing that driving with unreadable license plates 2017 is not a serious violation, it is still worth remembering possible complications. You can leave snow on the roof or body, but you must clear it from the windows and license plates. If the sign is covered while driving, do not enter into confrontation with the inspector who stopped you. It is better to spend a few minutes cleaning the license plate than a couple of hours drawing up a report or months challenging it in court.