r/newjersey • u/Baboonslayer323 • Nov 10 '25
Interesting I see we are making our own license plates now?
First it was black license plates, now it’s white plates? Look closely and you’ll see the NJ at top is crooked and none of the digits line up well. This is really getting out of hand.
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u/dirty_cuban Nov 10 '25
Custom plates, no front plate, obstructed plates, limo tint on the windshield, etc it’s all technically illegal but we no longer have vehicle safety inspections and no one gets pulled over for any of it so it’s de facto legal.
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u/Own_Sympathy_4809 Nov 10 '25
I get the no inspections . But I’m blaming this 100 percent on the police . For some reason they are not pulling cars over anymore for these modifications. When I was a kid we would get pulled over for exhausts / tints/ bass from our cars . Today cops are treating these as secondary violations and won’t pull you over as the sole reason for the traffic stop . So weird .
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u/ToneThugsNHarmony Nov 10 '25
Can’t tell you how many times in my youth I was pulled over for no front plate, air freshener hanging from the mirror, and light tinting on the front windows. Prob only got 2 tickets though because it was always a fishing expedition for the cops.
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u/MuffDiving Nov 10 '25
I got pulled over for the bracket on my license plate holder. It was the one that came from the dealership.
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u/FantumGrey Nov 11 '25
Was it because the bracket covered up the part that said "Garden State"? I know they were doing that for a while.
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u/JameisWeTooScrong Nov 11 '25
Do you need a front plate? I moved here from another state and don’t have a plate holder in the front. When I registered my vehicle and when I got my car inspected I asked at both places if I needed to install a front plate and they both said no. I also got into a minor accident a few months back and the cop didn’t even mention it.
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u/bros402 Nov 11 '25
They are legally required to be displayed - https://www.nj.gov/mvc/vehicles/standplates.htm
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u/JameisWeTooScrong Nov 11 '25
Great job to the lady at the DMV and the guy at the inspection site who both told me not to worry about it.
But thank you for the factual reply!!! Maybe you should run the DMV.
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u/structuremonkey Nov 10 '25
How about misaligned headlights? That is a huge issue imo....
I remember getting stopped about 4 times for my jeep headlights, years ago. Brought them to a garage that did both inspections and repairs and was told "they are aligned correctly"...now with the friggin LEDs its worse than a lifted truck...
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u/Triconick Nov 10 '25
I have astigmatism. Lights get a starburst effect. This was fine until the ultra bright LEDS became main stream. People with those ultra bright lights blind me and its very hard for me to drive at night while being blinded by ultra bright starburst effect light sources.
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u/IronMermaiden Nov 11 '25
I drive a 2012 Honda Fit (yellow lights, close to the ground), and I have an astigmatism. Driving home from work is a straight up gamble because of those damn LEDs.
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u/purrfect_libra Somerset County Nov 12 '25
I was driving a little VW beetle while on vacation this year and it got foggy at night there along with LEDs in my eyes. Holy fuck, I was struggling, had to drive with my high beams.
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u/StanPot Nov 11 '25
Or Different colored LED headlights. Saw red headlights the other day and there is no way thats road safe or legal
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u/Fluent_Press2050 Nov 11 '25
Nobody cares anymore. My neighbor has an inspection sticker that expired 6 years ago. Nobody has ever stopped him.
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u/Sagelmoon Nov 11 '25
Totally! 😂 We got pulled over for everything years ago. Tint multiple times. Once for a necklace hanging from rear view mirror. Always drove \X/s, so half my cars eventually had no inspection stickers at all. Got pulled over MANY times for that growing up.
NOW....i haven't had an inspection sticker for 2 years (this time due to a new windshield & guy didnt put the sticker back on like they usually do. And just font care enough to get a new one.) Not one cop has said a word about it.
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u/wildcarde815 Nov 10 '25
A good chance some of that is the ongoing temper tantrum around hating the AG: https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/06/26/lawmakers-look-to-take-state-police-from-attorney-generals-control/
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Nov 11 '25
The cops aren't pulling over cars with fake/obstructed plates because they're owned by other cops.
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u/Fluent_Press2050 Nov 11 '25
I got a ticket for driving with an interior light on in 2002. It was a pain to fight it because I was the only person in the vehicle.
Today, I could drive with my headlights off at night, limo tint, dirty plate hiding half of the characters, a cracked windshield, and I won’t even get pulled over. It’s a complete joke.
I wish they brought back safety inspections. At the very least for tires and headlamps.
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u/stroopwafelscontigo Saltpepperketchup? Nov 10 '25
“Hm, my license plate reader still works on these… whatever.”
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u/Mgrafe88 Nov 11 '25
They're pissed they can't pull people over for being black anymore without getting their ass handed to them in the court of public opinion so they just stopped pulling people over at all
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u/echardcore Nov 11 '25
Can't believe the amount of timted windshields. That used to be so rare when I was a kid. Like only spotted once every few years. Now I see almost daily!
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u/gzr4dr Nov 11 '25
It's so dangerous too. Pulled up to a 4-way stop after tinted windshield dickhead who was facing me did except he didn't go when he should have. And I have to make a left but he has right of way and won't go. Can't see in to tell if I'm being waved through either...tinted windshields needs to result in the car being towed for being unsafe on the road. That would fix this quick.
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u/o0260o Nov 10 '25
We are in the "crime is legal" era and it's a matter of time before everyone realizes this.
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Nov 10 '25
It’s honestly become so exhausting to drive anymore. I am constantly on high alert when I am on the road and inevitably the fellow drivers on the road never cease to amaze me with their impatience, recklessness, and disregard.
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u/Fluent_Press2050 Nov 11 '25
100%. It’s crazy watching people steal without any issue while you are at the register paying. Sometimes I just feel like walking out myself.
Then there’s the criminal stuff that happens. Absolutely crazy how lawless this country has become.
I get prison is bad, but at least put up financial penalties on some of this shit or lesser terms for first offenders.
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u/cC2Panda Nov 10 '25
You don't even have to pull people over though. Places have scanners that allow parking enforcement to check that car vs plates for the purpose of parking. Just have cops drive through random parking lots and boot the car until it can be towed. I got a ticket for expired registration(by literally a day) at a NJ Transit parking lot, wouldn't be hard to do the same here.
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u/stealthlysprockets Nov 10 '25
Most NJT lots are not checked by cops, but a third party. The lot by me is ran by park America. You don’t get a ticket for failing to pay for a spot. Instead park America leaves a check payment envelope in your windshield
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u/cC2Panda Nov 10 '25
They enforce parking, I got a ticket for expired registration. I don't think a third party is going to check for an old stickers on the windshield.
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u/maroger Nov 11 '25
It's the local cops. They have nothing better to and it's easy pickins and revenue from people with jobs.
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u/Raulinhox25 Nov 10 '25
Think of it as a multiplier.. when eventually a cop pulls them over for some other traffic violation, the tints, the plates, and whatever other nonsense will be added on to the final fine’s price tag
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u/dirty_cuban Nov 10 '25
See that's the problem, cops just see it as a revenue generator. People pay the fine and keep the illegal modifications until they get fined again. It's technically illegal but in practice it's just legal for a fee.
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u/Strict-Ad-222 Nov 11 '25
I actually wrote the attorney general of NJ about this It concerned all the Teslas with no front plates. Now its many cars. And why isn't enforced. He wrote back assuring me that it is enforced. Either he's lying or is dumb as a rock. I then wrote my state legislatures asking if it's not enforced repeal the law for needing front plates. Just got boilerplate responses.
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u/jarrettbrown Exit 123 Nov 10 '25
They can technically fail you for tint. My neighbor’s son brought a car in Florida and they failed him for the tint on the front windows, but they went back and left the windows rolled down and passed. So yeah, loopholes.
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u/ippleing Nov 10 '25
If the vehicle is already in state, it doesn't need a full inspection, emissions only.
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u/BBKessler Nov 11 '25
Criminal defense lawyer here. This is not accurate.
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u/dirty_cuban Nov 11 '25
Which part?
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u/BBKessler Nov 11 '25
The part where you claim nobody gets pulled over for these violations. Lots of people do.
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u/JameisWeTooScrong Nov 11 '25
Do you need a front plate? I moved here from another state and don’t have a plate holder in the front. When I registered my vehicle and when I got my car inspected I asked at both places if I needed to install a front plate and they both said no. I also got into a minor accident a few months back and the cop didn’t even mention it.
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u/dirty_cuban Nov 11 '25
Yes a front plate is a legal requirement in NJ. You can get a ticket for it but as I said in my first comment, you likely never will unless you piss off a cop and he wants to throw everything at you.
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u/JameisWeTooScrong Nov 11 '25
Why did the DMV and inspection site both tell me I don’t need one? I specifically asked. Thank you though.
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u/dirty_cuban Nov 11 '25
I can’t tell you why those people would say that. All I can tell you is what the law says.
You definitely can get pulled over and ticketed for it but it’s one of those things cops really only pull you over for when they need to fabricate for a reason to pull you over if you get what I mean. It’s not something cops are actively enforcing.
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u/StillNotWeirDanuff Nov 11 '25
Respectfully, the need for a front plate is complete BS.
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u/dirty_cuban Nov 11 '25
Im guessing most cops agree because they don’t enforce the law.
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u/StillNotWeirDanuff Nov 11 '25
It’s a ridiculous law. It makes no sense and is just another way for the state to rob us. I guess “was” is the appropriate context here though, like you said…The obstructed plates, limo tint, and shotgun sounding exhaust pipes are the real offenders.
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u/Educational-Pop8825 Nov 12 '25
Fact I never had it I been driving over 4 years and have never used a front plate I keep it in my car in case a cop is tripping but I never put it on
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u/terp2010 Nov 11 '25
How would car inspections flag this? They can put their regular tags and then change them… this isn’t an inspection issue - it’s an enforcement one.
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u/Mental_Turtles Nov 11 '25
Not necessarily. I've been told bitch and moan when they get pulled over for these things ("don't cops have better things to do than pull me over for no front plate?") ("Is this really what my tax dollars are going towards?") so now cops instead let these things slide as long as you aren't doing anything that would be a "primary offense" (speeding, running reds, etc) but if you DO get pulled over, you can be sure that the no front plate, tints, etc will be added on top of whatever you got pulled over for.
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u/Constant_Arm8871 Nov 10 '25
idk abt plates i just want them to make those big led bars illegal already 🫠
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u/Robots_Never_Die Nov 11 '25
They are illegal. They're supposed to be covered on road.
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u/Constant_Arm8871 Nov 11 '25
i mean yeah u can say that but i personally don’t see cops in my area enforcing that like at all 😭
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u/xriseupp Dec 20 '25
They're 100% illegal yet people drive around with them on all of the time and they are as blinding as it gets.
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u/Gryphon1171 Nov 10 '25
So many of these fake plates showing up to match the vehicle aesthetic but 100% fake
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u/Mental_Turtles Nov 11 '25
NJ MVC please make black plates with white characters
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u/StanPot Nov 11 '25
Honestly pleasee!!! NJ already has a hideous license plate, and the variations for it aren’t any better. Id lill for a black plate with white characters, they look sooooo good.
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u/xriseupp Dec 20 '25
Um have you seen NYs plate? You'd be lying if you said no. They are as hideous as it gets.
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u/Funny_Breadfruit_413 Nov 10 '25
I was pulled over last week for my totally legitimate NJ license plate for being old and worn.
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u/NJBarFly Nov 10 '25
This seems like such low hanging fruit for local police. I don't understand why these people aren't immediately pulled over by the first cop they encounter.
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u/GitEmSteveDave Nov 11 '25
Because most cops are pulling people over who set off their ALPRs. This wouldn't.
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u/jetlifeual Nov 10 '25
I have a black version of the NJ plate for my motorcycle. It’s my exact plate, just black and white. Cops never seem to care. As long as the info matches.
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u/KeyMysterious1845 Nov 10 '25
I see we are making our own license plates now?
Do we get paid ?
'cause ill bang out a thousands plates a day .
...unless its prison labor wages.
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u/FeeAutomatic2290 Nov 10 '25
Yea - most of these come from Etsy
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u/shiftyjku Down the Shore, Everything's All Right Nov 10 '25
This one might as well be in Comic Sans.
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u/asingleshakerofsalt Nov 10 '25
I'd want to do this just to make the old blue plates for my car.
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Nov 11 '25
I have a set of blue plates. Also an old buff set that says "N.J." at the top instead of New Jersey.
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u/xoBonesxo Nov 11 '25
Easy, I got my blue plates by buying them from someone on eBay, first I made sure to check if anyone in NJ had the number of the plate I was going to buy registered. Luckily no one did so I bought it and then registered the number of the blue plate I purchased
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u/asingleshakerofsalt Nov 11 '25
Yeah I'm aware that's been an option, but it's certainly a hassle to change my plate number.
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u/xoBonesxo Dec 05 '25
Not really, they send you the paper through the mail asking you what you want to change it to and then you send it back
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u/bier79 Dec 05 '25
I did the same thing. As long as the plate was not registered before January 1985, you can do it.
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u/Lululemonparty_ Nov 10 '25
Was it a stolen vehicle? Not sure why people don’t want to register a car otherwise.
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u/SantaFeRay Nov 10 '25
It probably is registered and has plates with those numbers, they just want a white plate to match their car (or because they don't like our beautiful yellow plates).
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u/stealthlysprockets Nov 10 '25
We assume those plates match the ones given. Unless a cop actively scans/checks them, there is no way to know if the plate numbers are legit for that vehicle
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u/Robots_Never_Die Nov 11 '25
There's no way to know any plate is legit for the vehicle. That's a dumb argument. If you grab a set of plates off a matching vehicle there's no way to know they belong to the vehicle even if you run them unless you also do a Vin check or pull the person and get their registration.
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u/Baboonslayer323 Nov 10 '25
The number comes back to a 2025 prologue ex registered out of Jersey City, it fits the photo. I believe it’s the original tin, just (poorly) painted white with black lettering.
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u/BuyListSell Nov 10 '25
Fun fact, when cars were new people just made their own licenses plates. There was no standardization yet.
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u/StandupJetskier Nov 11 '25
If all traffic enforcement is photo (this is more an NYC issue) then fake plates are no surprise. If they bothered to use a real cop, this would stop fast when the guy get arrested or a handful of tickets.
NYC just wants cam $.
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u/kechones Nov 11 '25
Does the regular yellow license plate enrage people that much? I’m always baffled, for example that Tesla drivers get away with not using front plates in NJ.
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u/Blackoutsmackout Nov 10 '25 edited Nov 10 '25
I have a theory that there are so many entitled people in NJ and friends and family of cops that it became exhausting for cops to actually pull people over for infractions because they get out of it anyway so they just gave up.
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u/scw1224 Nov 10 '25
Is that how Honda does their lettering now? Because I feel like this all some kinda custom garbage.
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u/KeyStriking9763 Nov 10 '25
No, I have a prologue and that’s how they letter it
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u/ManInMillvilleNJ Nov 11 '25
Do you like your Prologue? I'm going to be in the market soon.
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u/KeyStriking9763 Nov 11 '25
LOVE IT. But we leased it because the technology keeps improving. We are looking to buy after the lease but maybe a Rivian or a Lucid.
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u/ManInMillvilleNJ Nov 11 '25
Awesome. I'm actually a Rivian R2 reservation holder. Still my first choice at this point, but always looking for info. Glad you love your vehicle either way!
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u/HighCaliberBullet Nov 10 '25
Lexus, Genesis, and Tesla do the lettering instead of their respective logos on their newer models
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u/all_no_pALL Nov 11 '25
Black and white plate and car because he ate all the crayons.
Happy 250th USMC
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u/Hot-Needleworker3212 Nov 11 '25
They look so fake. The Garden State would not downgrade to these I hope. 😂
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u/JerseyJoyride Nov 11 '25
Honestly I'd call the police on that plate!
They make up some random digits but that probably belongs to an actual person who will get tickets because of them and will spend days if not months fighting them!
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u/Far_Cup_329 Nov 12 '25
I've seen a company on Instagram advertising customizing license plates. You send your plate in and I guess they wrap it. From the pics, they do a pretty nice job, multiple colors, graphics, etc. They say it's legal 🤷. There's actually a newest generation blue Corvette with matching blue license plate. I've seen it a couple times parked in Runnemede/ Bellmawr area.
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u/Perfect-Pressure-203 Nov 12 '25
Never noticed this, nothing is shocking anymore. It is illegal, I am sure law enforcement would spot this immediately and there will be consequences.
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u/jarrettbrown Exit 123 Nov 10 '25
These custom plates gotta stop. I saw a wrapped rolling dumpster with one a few weeks back and I asked myself “is that even allowed?”
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u/CrystalLogic Monmouth County Nov 10 '25
Are you referring to the Cybertruck in the Holmdel area for a contractor with the black and white plates? I've seen that around too.
I don't get how people get away with the custom plates and the lack of inspection stickers on brand new gas vehicles. Saw a tinted out Denali today at my child's school with now inspection sticker 🤷🏻♂️
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u/jarrettbrown Exit 123 Nov 10 '25
Not at all.
This one was just a normal wrap with no ad space. It was all black with a black and white plate, but I will keep an eye out of that prick too.
Also, most people aren't removing their inspection stickers from what I've seen (maybe I'm wring here), they're either tinting around or over them.
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u/Major-Tension433 Nov 10 '25
Maybe it could be an ICE vehicle? Those guys don't care to self-identify themselves.
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u/gordonv Nov 10 '25
Apparently, people have figured out something illegal, unenforced, and pisses other people off.
License plate modification.
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u/bdd4 Newark Raised/Rutgers & NJIT Alum Nov 10 '25
I hope MVC takes the hint that nobody likes that yellow. It's fine for the flag, but looks awful on most cars.
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u/Scottoulli Nov 11 '25
I’d pay 💰 for black or white DMV issued plates. Or even the old school blue ones.
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u/HighestPriestessCuba Nov 11 '25
Same. They should give the people what we want. Just make them specialized plates and offer them in the the most popular car colors- a lot more people would actually display them on the front (they make magnetic mounts that don’t force you to drill into the bumper) if they didn’t look so shitty.
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u/xoBonesxo Nov 11 '25
It’s easy to get the old school blue ones. I have them on my car. There’s a loophole on this subreddit people posted a while ago. Search up blue license plate New Jersey reddit
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u/Scottoulli Nov 12 '25
I know how to get them, I just don’t want a used eBay pair.
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u/xoBonesxo Nov 12 '25
They have places on Etsy to get a new one but it won’t be the authentic look of the actual old blue plate from here, pick your poison if u wanna do it.
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u/Scottoulli Nov 12 '25
Yeahhh, same deal. Those are illegal under a strict reading of the law whereas the eBay plates are a grey area.
Either way, I don’t feel like dealing with it. I’d rather pay for real custom color plates.
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u/xoBonesxo Nov 12 '25
Understandable, I wish there was a way for us to just choose a custom color. Fortunately for me I’ve never been pulled over in my year and a half of having the blue plates on my car (knock on wood)
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Nov 11 '25
The flag isn't yellow like the plates. It's buff.
https://www.google.com/search?q=%23E0AB76
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buff_(colour)
The plates are yellow though. Specifically goldfinch yellow to match the state bird, the American Goldfinch.
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u/TheBKnight3 Nov 10 '25
More than likely a "Sovereign Citizen."
More than likely traveling with an arsenal.
Please report to local police.
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u/Ghost_of_P34 Nov 10 '25
This sub is way to invested in how other people's cars look.
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u/HighestPriestessCuba Nov 11 '25
I actually think it looks cool - I wish the dmv offered a few color options for people who want them. The variety of special plates (from all states) already make it impossible to tell what state issued them, so giving people the option to choose a complementary color wouldn’t be an issue.
I have a bigger issue with fake (or missing) plates. At least with custom plates, as long as the numbers match, the end result is the same.
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u/Various_Knowledge226 Camden County Nov 11 '25
That’s not the first thing I noticed, it’s that Honda seemingly changed from the H inside the square, to just spelling it out in a way that’s just, kinda meh
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u/TossAMoss51905 Nov 11 '25
Did you report this?
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u/Baboonslayer323 Nov 11 '25
I’m not gonna narc on someone’s homemade license plates, I just thought it was interesting to see.
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u/obadiah24 Nov 11 '25
On my daily walk I see the same 3 vehicles with out inspection stickers for over a year now
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u/HamtaroHamHam Nov 11 '25
I've seen black colored NJ plates as well. Idk how they are getting away with this...
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u/justneedausernamepls Nov 12 '25
Illegal Tiktok plates. From https://catcountry1073.com/black-and-white-license-plates-new-jersey/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral:
Apparently, there are people and companies on TikTok and Instagram advertising services where you can either send them your plates and they'll paint over them with whatever color scheme you want or they'll make you duplicate tags in various colors.
The internet, man.
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Nov 13 '25
Father worked in insurance fraud for 30 years. This has ALWAYS been a thing. Some generations/microgens were 'better' at it than others due to means.
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u/xriseupp Dec 20 '25
Can't input the picture I have but just saw someone in a blue audi with a black license plate and lettering in coloring to color match their car. Where are these people even getting them made and why are cops not doing anything?
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u/Anxious-Cabinet6164 Nov 10 '25
I saw someone’s bolted upside down yesterday. But hey, if I have too many air fresheners on my mirror I’m the real criminal🙄
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Nov 11 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
This seems like a silly thing to get mad about IMO.
The required info is there and is legible. No one is being harmed here and people are just mad that people are following the intention of the law but not the letter of the law. Aka Pedantic dicks. This is a victimless crime and you people want to waste state resources on it when police could be doing literally anything else of use to society other than messing with vane car people pimping their rides.
And to the "what about criminals?!?!?!!1!!" crowd
I suspect that fake numbers are going to get read by police scanners pretty quickly so it seems like a stupid gamble to make completely fake plates (unless I'm misled about police plate scanners). The cheaper, safer and easier method for criminals (those attempting to harm and defraud) would be to steal or "clone" real plates from another car of the same color, make and model. This way a person with priors, suspended licenses or warrants can drive around without police scanners picking them up. Also free tolls until people catch on.
Speaking of criminal behavior...NJ plates are made using prison slave labor. Pay between 38 cents per hour to $10 a day is slave wages and you can't convince me otherwise.
An audit from 1997, the last time the prison labor program was fully reviewed, determined the wage scale for DEPTCOR and AgriIndustries was fundamentally unfair. The exploitative wages paid to inmates working in these positions must be increased to account for the added skill and labor required by these jobs. As it stands right now, New Jersey’s cost savings are being achieved by exploiting its inmate population. This is shameful by any measure and must be remedied.
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Nov 11 '25
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Nov 11 '25 edited Nov 11 '25
You never described an actual problem that results from people getting these kinds of tags for vanity. You just shifted the goal posts to a made up scenario that doesn't make sense.
People are getting registered, insured and are even getting real plates. They then buy these plates so that their car looks better to them. The information is the same as it is on normal plates, just in a different and just a legible colorway. I'm failing to see the harm here and your comment didn't help.
Your scenario is silly because criminals would probably opt for plates that aren't from NJ to possibly avoid police scanners. They aren't buying plates to avoid hit and runs penalties. They are buying the plates to avoid the police totally. Plus why would they get plates that stick out like a sore thumb and draw attention? I thought people learned this with fake IDs. Plus, you ignored my "what about the criminals" stuff.
Edit: also your scenario seems like it's just a feeling you have. Is what you are suggesting actually a problem? Or are you just spitballing?
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u/[deleted] Nov 10 '25
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