Stolen Tags

[Passport1]

Had a second tag stolen from my small utility trailer. Twice in ten years. Trailer is parked inside of a fenced in back yard. It is taken to Lowes several times a year to pick up sod and other garden items. Just noticed it gone today as it has been in my son's yard for about a year. He uses it more than me. When I got the first replacement the lady at the DMV suggested I have it welded on. I'll do that this time. $21 and paperwork to get another one.

Anybody else have their plates stolen?
Lowes

 

[mattwithcats]

Get some anti theft screws...

More Information for DORMAN 45956

More Information for DORMAN 49258

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

The plates were stolen off a company work van that was parked more often than not about 20 years ago. No idea what ever came of that.

 

[Passport1]

Get some anti theft screws...

They're interesting. How do they screw on?

 

[bullwinkle]

They're interesting. How do they screw on?

They only have flats for a standard screwdriver in the clockwise direction, counter clockwise has no flats. My utility trailer has bolts through the gate, double nutted, red Loctite. If they want it bad enough, they’ll just break it off. Hasn’t happened yet… (knock on wood!)

 

[TCL]

They only turn one way, to tighten only.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Sounds like your back yard needs a couple of junk yard dogs!

 

[Urshurak776]

My B-I-L has had this issue on his motrocycle trailer. He used the anti-theft screws after the first time. Metal tab female part and the anti-theft screws similar to linked above with a drop of red locktite.

Only way they will come off is if you break the screw. They would have to really want that plate. Granted, my B-I-L will have to do the same thing if he changes the plate.

 

[MRC01]

My wife's license plates were stolen earlier this year. She didn't notice for weeks because the thieves swapped her plates with others. After she noticed we went to the state DOL to report it and get new ones. Cost us about $80 and the clerk told us the plates on her car were from a car that was reported stolen. Then she started getting auto-tolls from the old plates. Even though she got new plates through DOL, they don't talk to the DOT who does the tolling. She had to report to the state DOT separately from the DOL. And they wouldn't accept her report without a police report. So we had to call the police to come visit our house and take the report, then wait weeks for the police to publish the report, then resubmit everything to DOT and wait for the bureaucrats to process everything. Meanwhile, more toll charges are coming through and threatening fines because even in the same department, the left arm doesn't know what the right arm is doing.

Long story short, it all got resolved. But SHEESH what an extended pain in the @$$! I've love to tar & feather whoever did that to us and make it public to deter others.

 

[MNgopher]

Had the plates stolen off my truck when parked in the street in front of my house. Aggravating... Had to file a police report so I had documents in case I got pulled over for no registration, then had to go get new plates which was around $50 bucks.

No tolling by plate around here, so I at least avoided that.

Small trailers under 3000lbs no longer get plates here - they get a sticker to put on the tongue - lifetime coverage.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I haven't had it happen (yet) but I'm not surprised that it happens. There's a lot of stolen trailers out there that people can't (or don't want) register so they throw another good tag on it.

 

[Chris142]

Here they peel the sticker off and glue it on their plate. Most everyone here now slices the sticker with a razor so they can't get it off in one piece

 

[Hall]

Here they peel the sticker off and glue it on their plate. Most everyone here now slices the sticker with a razor so they can't get it off in one piece

Ohio's stickers are effectively pre-sliced, by design. They don't come off after you apply them. If you try (I've tried), it just comes off in slices.

What's funny is I've seen more than one car where the owner never considered that they could put their new sticker on top of the old one. By law, they go in the lower-right corner (lower left used to be a 2-digit number representing the county but they're moving away from that). I've seen plates with 5-6 tags stuck around the perimeter of the plate with each new one going next to the old one.

 

[97prizm]

Had a second tag stolen from my small utility trailer. Twice in ten years. Trailer is parked inside of a fenced in back yard. It is taken to Lowes several times a year to pick up sod and other garden items. Just noticed it gone today as it has been in my son's yard for about a year. He uses it more than me. When I got the first replacement the lady at the DMV suggested I have it welded on. I'll do that this time. $21 and paperwork to get another one.

Anybody else have their plates stolen?
LowesView attachment 192954

My tags were stolen years ago. I put a clear plate cover and then no issues. Then back in June while at work someone ripped my rear license plate off of my car. I was not a happy individual.

 

[michael007]

I've been using allen head screws after a neighbour had his plates stolen.

 

[RaymondP]

So what's the penalty for the thief when caught driving with stolen plates. Seems like a lot of effort to save a few dollars and take the risk.

 

[Hall]

So what's the penalty for the thief when caught driving with stolen plates. Seems like a lot of effort to save a few dollars and take the risk.

Petty theft (??) for the plates and something related to an unregistered vehicle on the road, which usually results in the vehicle being towed and impounded.

 

[brages]

So what's the penalty for the thief when caught driving with stolen plates. Seems like a lot of effort to save a few dollars and take the risk.

Stealing tags may allow the driver to avoid paying for insurance or taxes, could be quite a bit of money.

Our city has had a problem with temp tag abuse, generally I think it comes down to dodging taxes or insurance.

 

[Nick1994]

A small weld-tack on the threads sounds like the best option. Then if you ever needed to take it off for some reason, cut the bolts off with an angle grinder.

 

[zzyzzx]

Petty theft (??) for the plates and something related to an unregistered vehicle on the road, which usually results in the vehicle being towed and impounded.

You are assuming that laws are actually enforced.