My Son got a fix it ticket for his license plate lamp that works!

[Bubba_s]

So my kid was driving along and got pulled over for a burnt out license plate lamp. Problem is the next day I went out and it is working fine. He's been sent a summons to appear in court. I have some ideas about how to help him handle it but I wanted to ask BARF for the best way to handle it. I tried to google but I didn't find anything relating to this situation.

It's his first ticket, bummer. He's a good kid who bought his own car, paid his own insurance (His portion on our acct.) and it sucks that he got pulled for a non-issue. I guess it is possible there is a short somewhere but we have not seen it flicker or go out so I am doubtful that's the issue.

Cop also noted on the ticket that he was going 45 in a 35 (not on radar, estimated) but it doesn't seem to be part of the official ticket.

Thanks for any help/input you may offer

PS: it's a crappy little 98 Civic that his friends all voted for as "Best Car" (as a joke) for the yearbook :laughing

 

[Smash Allen]

sounds like the cop gave him a break for speeding :thumbup

 

[KrustyKruser]

sounds like the cop gave him a break for speeding :thumbup

+1. You could pull the bulbs out of the license plate light sockets and actually check the filaments and shake them a bit. Sometimes the filament will break and hitting a bump may cause it to fuse back together while there is power to it.

 

[Bubba_s]

sounds like the cop gave him a break for speeding :thumbup

True, and I am glad for that.

 

[bojangle]

True, and I am glad for that.

I've personally pulled over many vehicles for intermittent lighting issues. A light will be out and i will see it come back on.

If it is currently working, one option is to have an officer sign off the ticket and send it in with the $25 fee and it is taken care of. However, if there is a short, or a connection issue, that might not really solve the overall problem. If you think it needs repair, get it fixed first and then have it signed off.

If you think the officer was incorrect, and issued the citation in error, he could fight the ticket in court. Most people probably don't think it's worth the effort over a fix it ticket. Also, most departments have dash cameras now, and depending on what the video shows, there very well might be proof that the light was not functioning properly when the officer stopped him. You can always request discovery from the department for evidence they have if you think it's worth the effort.

 

[wazzuFreddo]

Just coming in here to laugh about how old I am now, a 1998 Civic was brand new and a very in fashion car back when I was in high school. :laughing

 

[Bubba_s]

+1. You could pull the bulbs out of the license plate light sockets and actually check the filaments and shake them a bit. Sometimes the filament will break and hitting a bump may cause it to fuse back together while there is power to it.

I'll do this, thanks.

I've personally pulled over many vehicles for intermittent lighting issues. A light will be out and i will see it come back on.

If it is currently working, one option is to have an officer sign off the ticket and send it in with the $25 fee and it is taken care of. However, if there is a short, or a connection issue, that might not really solve the overall problem. If you think it needs repair, get it fixed first and then have it signed off.

If you think the officer was incorrect, and issued the citation in error, he could fight the ticket in court. Most people probably don't think it's worth the effort over a fix it ticket. Also, most departments have dash cameras now, and depending on what the video shows, there very well might be proof that the light was not functioning properly when the officer stopped him. You can always request discovery from the department for evidence they have if you think it's worth the effort.

That's a lot of great info, thanks for responding. I am halfway thinking about trying to help him fight it but I'm not sure it's worth our time. Do you know if the Sherriff gave him the ticket, does a Sherriff have to sign off the ticket or can we go to the very close police department?

Just coming in here to laugh about how old I am now, a 1998 Civic was brand new and a very in fashion car back when I was in high school. :laughing

He got this car (two door, no AC hahaha) super cheap from a mechanic whose wife I work with. We fixed a a bunch of stuff, roof liner, speedo, etc.. It's a stick shift, I'm so proud of the boy for going with the manual. He wanted one but once he got it he didn't like it, now he loves it.

 

[i_am_the_koi]

Would your son pass the attitude test with an officer?

Sounds like he got pulled behind at 45 in a 35, pulled over for the LP light, wasn't doing anything exactly criminal and no weed in the car that the cop knew about...

But did the kid give any attitude to warrant the LP light infraction and it not being a fix it ticket to boot?

 

[Bubba_s]

Would your son pass the attitude test with an officer?

Sounds like he got pulled behind at 45 in a 35, pulled over for the LP light, wasn't doing anything exactly criminal and no weed in the car that the cop knew about...

But did the kid give any attitude to warrant the LP light infraction and it not being a fix it ticket to boot?

Oh hell nah. He was probably shitting his pants. He's not one to mess with a cop. He did say to me afterword that he thought it was lame because he was going with the flow of several cars that passed before him.

Now the middle kid, he might be a problem, but he doesn't have his license yet :laughing

 

[kevin 714]

go over to police station and get it signed off if it works, pay the 10$ and bail.

he learned a ten dollar lesson that cops can say whatever they want. good life lesson

 

[jdhu]

Your nearby police officer can sign off on that Fix-It ticket.

 

[Bubba_s]

We'll head over to the station today or tomorrow and I'll report back. BTW, it's $25, not $10. I've had fix it tickets signed off before, it was always $10, this ticket doesn't quite seem like a regular ticket though. He's 18 if that matters.

 

[afm199]

How many of you guys have actually found an officer to sign off a ticket. In Oakland, it simply never happens. I actually bitched and bitched once, about twenty years ago, to lieutenant, and he set an officer over to my house. The officer got there, and asked for the paper and signed it. I asked him if he wanted to see the work that was done. He said: "Who do you know? I'm not stirring up that kind of shit."

 

[Bubba_s]

How many of you guys have actually found an officer to sign off a ticket. In Oakland, it simply never happens. I actually bitched and bitched once, about twenty years ago, to lieutenant, and he set an officer over to my house. The officer got there, and asked for the paper and signed it. I asked him if he wanted to see the work that was done. He said: "Who do you know? I'm not stirring up that kind of shit."

Oakland is just a bit different than Sonoma :teeth

 

[asdfghwy]

How many of you guys have actually found an officer to sign off a ticket. In Oakland, it simply never happens. I actually bitched and bitched once, about twenty years ago, to lieutenant, and he set an officer over to my house. The officer got there, and asked for the paper and signed it. I asked him if he wanted to see the work that was done. He said: "Who do you know? I'm not stirring up that kind of shit."

I went to the santa clara county sherriffs office and posted up by their gas station and waited for someone to pull up to refill and sign off my front plate ticket

 

[byke]

Oakland is just a bit different than Sonoma :teeth

Because the officer would never have cited?

 

[dravnx]

Got a window tint violation about 20 years ago. Pulled the tint off the window and waited until I found an LEO. Happen to be in Novato and saw a LEO at a coffee shop. Got the sign off. He wouldn't let me buy him a cup of coffee.

 

[Bubba_s]

Because the officer would never have cited?

damn, very true!!

 

[kevin 714]

How many of you guys have actually found an officer to sign off a ticket. In Oakland, it simply never happens. I actually bitched and bitched once, about twenty years ago, to lieutenant, and he set an officer over to my house. The officer got there, and asked for the paper and signed it. I asked him if he wanted to see the work that was done. He said: "Who do you know? I'm not stirring up that kind of shit."

ive gotten a couple, local station always signs off no issue

 

[bojangle]

I'll do this, thanks.


That's a lot of great info, thanks for responding. I am halfway thinking about trying to help him fight it but I'm not sure it's worth our time. Do you know if the Sherriff gave him the ticket, does a Sherriff have to sign off the ticket or can we go to the very close police department?


He got this car (two door, no AC hahaha) super cheap from a mechanic whose wife I work with. We fixed a a bunch of stuff, roof liner, speedo, etc.. It's a stick shift, I'm so proud of the boy for going with the manual. He wanted one but once he got it he didn't like it, now he loves it.

Fix it ticket sign-offs haven't been $10 in a long time. Used to be a flat $10 for all corrected mechanical violations on a single ticket. Years ago it changed to $25 per corrected violation.

Any officer in the state can sign them off, however, you might want to go back to the agency that wrote it. More and more agencies are charging fees to sign off outside agency tickets. This fee would be in addition to the $25 the court will charge. Kinda like being charged twice for using an out of network ATM. Agencies shouldn't be doing this for their own citations though.