[jaiden3301]

I have a leased vehicle and I am sure (100%) that back in April, I received a letter for renewing the registration from BMW FS and I paid for the registration renewal online and the state must have mailed the registration to BMW FS. BMW FS may have mailed me a copy but it may have been misplaced and it was not in my glove box.

Today I got pulled over and the cop said "your registration expired in June 2021". I am confused, how can I have registered the vehicle (valid for one year at a time) and his records show my vehicle's registration is expired?

From what I remember BMW FS would not let you drive a car with expired registration. Also, to check online I need BMW Corp Code in NJ and I dont have that so the online system will not let me access the information.

Any thoughts? I will call BMS FS on Monday ...

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by jaiden3301

.....I have a leased vehicle and I am sure (100%) that back in April, I received a letter for renewing the registration from BMW FS and I paid for the registration renewal online and the state must have mailed the registration to BMW FS.

100% sure huh? I don't think so. The car is registered to you, not BMW. Why would your vehicle registration be done by BMW?

Originally Posted by jaiden3301

..BMW FS may have mailed me a copy but it may have been misplaced and it was not in my glove box. Today I got pulled over and the cop said "your registration expired in June 2021". I am confused, how can I have registered the vehicle (valid for one year at a time) and his records show my vehicle's registration is expired?

100% sure .... that BMW "may" have mailed you a copy..... And it's not "his" records. It's the state motor vehicle records that show.... you didn't register your car. Don't you have stickers on your plates or windshield?

Originally Posted by jaiden3301

.From what I remember BMW FS would not let you drive a car with expired registration. Also, to check online I need BMW Corp Code in NJ and I dont have that so the online system will not let me access the information. Any thoughts? I will call BMS FS on Monday ...

My thoughts are that you should remember if you registered your car 5 months ago. Also that you should set up a file system where you keep ALL your vehicle information - and receipts.

Mostly just yankin' your chain but, seriously, it isn't anyone else's responsibility to register your car and make sure you have your registration and insurance proof in your car all the time. Doesn't NJ have registration stickers on the car? Hope the ticket wasn't for something too expensive.

[chris719]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

100% sure huh? I don't think so. The car is registered to you, not BMW. Why would your vehicle registration be done by BMW?



100% sure .... that BMW "may" have mailed you a copy..... And it's not "his" records. It's the state motor vehicle records that show.... you didn't register your car. Don't you have stickers on your plates or windshield?



My thoughts are that you should remember if you registered your car 5 months ago. Also that you should set up a file system where you keep ALL your vehicle information - and receipts.

Mostly just yankin' your chain but, seriously, it isn't anyone else's responsibility to register your car and make sure you have your registration and insurance proof in your car all the time. Doesn't NJ have registration stickers on the car? Hope the ticket wasn't for something too expensive.

https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/about/faq.htm

Why don't I receive a registration renewal application in the mail for my leased vehicle?

Renewal applications are mailed to the owner of the vehicle. The owner of a leased vehicle is the leasing company. The renewal application is mailed directly to them approximately 60 days prior to expiration of the current registration. Your leasing company should mail you the renewal application properly stamped and signed by a company officer. Contact your leasing company if you do not receive your application.

Pretty sure I never had to deal with registration for the one car I leased while living in NJ, though, since they do have multi-year registration for this purpose.

https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/nj-re...-wtf/119464/20

[jaiden3301]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

100% sure huh? I don't think so. The car is registered to you, not BMW. Why would your vehicle registration be done by BMW?



100% sure .... that BMW "may" have mailed you a copy..... And it's not "his" records. It's the state motor vehicle records that show.... you didn't register your car. Don't you have stickers on your plates or windshield?



My thoughts are that you should remember if you registered your car 5 months ago. Also that you should set up a file system where you keep ALL your vehicle information - and receipts.

Mostly just yankin' your chain but, seriously, it isn't anyone else's responsibility to register your car and make sure you have your registration and insurance proof in your car all the time. Doesn't NJ have registration stickers on the car? Hope the ticket wasn't for something too expensive.

You are correct I needed to have a copy of the registration in the car. I showed my insurance card on the Geico app but I did not have the copy of the current registration in the car (two older copies were there). With the amount of junk mail we receive its a mistake that I may have misplaced the original reg. sticker.

[jaiden3301]

Originally Posted by chris719

https://www.state.nj.us/mvc/about/faq.htm



Pretty sure I never had to deal with registration for the one car I leased while living in NJ, though, since they do have multi-year registration for this purpose.

https://forum.leasehackr.com/t/nj-re...-wtf/119464/20

So I called BMW FS and they emailed me a copy of a VALID registration sticker expiring in June 2022

Now what is amazing to me is that the cop's computer system showed I was driving an unregistered vehicle

how can that happen?

Now I have to waste my time to plead not guilty and go to the municipal court to show them the sticker, yes, I have all the time in the world!

[micvite]

Originally Posted by jaiden3301

So I called BMW FS and they emailed me a copy of a VALID registration sticker expiring in June 2022

Now what is amazing to me is that the cop's computer system showed I was driving an unregistered vehicle

how can that happen?

Now I have to waste my time to plead not guilty and go to the municipal court to show them the sticker, yes, I have all the time in the world!

Because the cops "system" is based on whatever paperwork you show him. Even if you go to court technically you're still guilty of "failure to provide proof of valid registration" because at the time you didn't have it in your car. Depending on the court they might dismiss the ticket, but if not you're gonna end up adding another 33$ court cost for what's probably a 56$ ticket in the first place.

[jaiden3301]

Originally Posted by micvite

Because the cops "system" is based on whatever paperwork you show him. Even if you go to court technically you're still guilty of "failure to provide proof of valid registration" because at the time you didn't have it in your car. Depending on the court they might dismiss the ticket, but if not you're gonna end up adding another 33$ court cost for what's probably a 56$ ticket in the first place.

Yes, I thought they had a way to tell if the car is truly unregistered
why do they carry carry around computers if they cant?
He specifically said "the reason I pulled you over is because your registration is expired and has not been renewed"
this is the dumbest thing I have faced with our local cops in NJ
I guess I will be paying the $33 and wasting two hours with these clowns

[Bc2005]

Most of the time when you are pulled over for registration and inspection issues it is because the sticker on the car is wrong or out of date. They probably don't even run the plates until you provide them some documentation. If you have no documentation, then they just let the court sort it out.

However, its usually worth going to court, since in many cases the judge will dismiss it if you prove that it actually was registered.

Going to traffic court is also an education in real life and how others think and live. Some of the stories they tell the judge are truly amazing. Many are on about the level of a grade school student who tells you the dog ate his homework.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Bc2005

Most of the time when you are pulled over for registration and inspection issues it is because the sticker on the car is wrong or out of date. They probably don't even run the plates until you provide them some documentation. .....

Actually, it's the exact opposite. The anticipated traffic stop is called out up to 1/2 mile before activating the lights. The stop is called out to let dispatch know where you are and who/what you will be out with. Before the lights are turned on, dispatch advises the officer what vehicle the plates come back on and if there are any warrants, or other issues, associated with the driver or vehicle. Only then are the lights turned on and the stop initiated. You generally call the stop out about 1/4 ahead of where you are and anticipate the car taking a few thousand feet to stop.

Otherwise the stop is initiated on the MDT (computer) and that advises the officer - again long before the stop - what the status of the car and registered owner is. Asking for your "proof" of registration, license and insurance is because you're required to have them on you when driving.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Onesie

@Sedan_Clan?

You rang?

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

Actually, it's the exact opposite. The anticipated traffic stop is called out up to 1/2 mile before activating the lights. The stop is called out to let dispatch know where you are and who/what you will be out with. Before the lights are turned on, dispatch advises the officer what vehicle the plates come back on and if there are any warrants, or other issues, associated with the driver or vehicle. Only then are the lights turned on and the stop initiated. You generally call the stop out about 1/4 ahead of where you are and anticipate the car taking a few thousand feet to stop.

Otherwise the stop is initiated on the MDT (computer) and that advises the officer - again long before the stop - what the status of the car and registered owner is. Asking for your "proof" of registration, license and insurance is because you're required to have them on you when driving.

I suppose that depends on where you are and what department you work for. We rarely put traffic stop information over the air to dispatch unless we are conducting a felony stop (…or we've run a plate on a vehicle that comes back stolen, has wants, etc. and dispatch contacts us over the air for a status update). I don't see how you'd put out plate information for a vehicle a half mile away unless you have eagle eyes or a pair of binoculars.

I do agree that asking for documentation is merely procedural, BUT not every officer/deputy/trooper runs a plate prior to a stop…….although they should.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Onesie

@Sedan_Clan?

??? No idea what that means.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

You rang? I don't see how you'd put out plate information for a vehicle a half mile away unless you have eagle eyes or a pair of binoculars.

I do agree that asking for documentation is merely procedural, BUT not every officer/deputy/trooper runs a plate prior to a stop…….although they should.

I meant you plan the stop for a distance ahead of where you are. You can't call it out exactly where you are because they almost never slam on the brakes and stop right there. As for not calling it out. ........... foolish.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

I meant you plan the stop for a distance ahead of where you are. You can't call it out exactly where you are because they almost never slam on the brakes and stop right there. As for not calling it out. ........... foolish.

Again, it depends on how YOUR department functions. On MY department I can press "CODE 6" on my MDC to pinpoint where I am; it takes half a second. I can drop a traffic stop obs on my MDC to pinpoint where I am as well. I don't need to muddy up the air with traffic that is non-emergent. Let's not start with the judgmental nonsense because I'm sure your department doesn't operate as tactically as you think.

[DenverSteve]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

I do agree that asking for documentation is merely procedural, BUT not every officer/deputy/trooper runs a plate prior to a stop…….although they should.

Nobody's being judgmental - just agreeing. What's up with the snappy? I clearly stated that it would be done on the MDT if not called out.

[jaiden3301]

Originally Posted by DenverSteve

Nobody's being judgmental - just agreeing. What's up with the snappy? I clearly stated that it would be done on the MDT if not called out.

Guys, my question was simple and no one really could answer that -

the cop came up on me, stopped me and said "license, registration and proof of insurance please" to which I provided the first and the last and started digging through my glove box for the registration, founds copies of two prior registrations and the cop noticed that while staring by my passenger side window and commented "yeah, you are not going to find what you are looking for! your registration is expired and that is why I stopped you" to which I gave a bewildered look and said "really? because I am pretty sure BMW asked me and I paid for the registration a few months ago as they would never let a lessee drive an unregistered car", cop "can you just hand me your d/license", I followed his instructions and he went back to his car and came back with a ticket "if you have a valid registration just provide it to the court and they will take care of this ticket, otherwise just pay the small fine and you don't have to go to court". I am thinking in my head "yes, for sure I am not paying the small fine of $55, when I already paid for registration" and drove off ....traffic stops are so ridiculous and horrible experiences!

so my question was "why did his system show my vehicle had an expired registration when in reality it didn't? registration sticker says I am registered through 6/22"

[MurrayB]

The department in Somers Point NJ have plate readers on some of their cars. You might have been a victim of plate readers.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by jaiden3301

Guys, my question was simple and no one really could answer that -

the cop came up on me, stopped me and said "license, registration and proof of insurance please" to which I provided the first and the last and started digging through my glove box for the registration, founds copies of two prior registrations and the cop noticed that while staring by my passenger side window and commented "yeah, you are not going to find what you are looking for! your registration is expired and that is why I stopped you" to which I gave a bewildered look and said "really? because I am pretty sure BMW asked me and I paid for the registration a few months ago as they would never let a lessee drive an unregistered car", cop "can you just hand me your d/license", I followed his instructions and he went back to his car and came back with a ticket "if you have a valid registration just provide it to the court and they will take care of this ticket, otherwise just pay the small fine and you don't have to go to court". I am thinking in my head "yes, for sure I am not paying the small fine of $55, when I already paid for registration" and drove off ....traffic stops are so ridiculous and horrible experiences!

so my question was "why did his system show my vehicle had an expired registration when in reality it didn't? registration sticker says I am registered through 6/22"

It happens often. It's the DMV's fault, not the officer's. There are plenty of times I've run a plate that came back with expired registration, only for the driver to have documentation showing the registration was valid. Sometimes I still write the citation and sometimes I don't. It's up to the courts/DMV to deal with. Documentation can be forged. I've seen that as well.

P.S. As far as I know, BMW can't do anything if you don't pay registration. Sometimes insurance companies will notify the lender if insurance coverage lapses and/or is dropped, but even that's not consistent. This may vary from state to state however; my reference point is California.

[jaiden3301]

As a quick update, this case was dismissed and I did not have to even pay court costs