Why Your KY License Plate Could Get You Pulled Over

Back in the 2000s, I drove a Chevy Impala for a few years before I grew unhappy with it--for multiple reasons--and switched up. But they were an eventful couple of years behind the wheel, let me tell you.

I came to think there was a mild curse on that vehicle because I kept getting pulled over for stuff. One time I was leaving the Executive Inn (ah, the memories) when an officer pulled me over and asked where I was going. I told him I was headed to Walgreen's and he let me go. No ticket, no warning, nothing...including an explanation as to why he'd pulled me over in the first place. And I didn't ask.

Interestingly, I never got a ticket during any of those stops and only received a warning one time. With that, here are some ways your plate could get you into some trouble.

License Plate Light Outage

We think about headlights and taillights all the time, but how many of us ever consider those little, inexpensive bulbs over our plates? Obviously, I didn't and got a friendly written reminder that I needed to take care of that issue as soon as possible, which I did.

That's one way your license plate can get you into trouble in Kentucky. Here's another.

Tinted Plates

While you can enjoy a stylish frame or cover around or over your license plate until the cows come home--so long as it doesn't obscure any numbers or letters--your plate cannot be tinted. The reasons are obvious--tints make the plates hard to read. Never good. Here's an example of such a no-no:

Missing Registration Sticker

This isn't just a Kentucky thing. That registration sticker HAS to be there. It's a no-brainer. But there have been reported incidents of those stickers being peeled off of vehicles. While that isn't as serious as having your entire plate stolen, you do need to get that sticker back. And WHY might someone steal that sticker? Here's what KOAA-Colorado Springs had to say on the matter.

The reason for a thief getting your registration sticker, either by peeling it off carefully or using tin snips to cut the plate, is pretty simple. They're trying to skip out on Colorado's high cost for vehicle registration or are not paying for car insurance and cannot register their vehicle.

Just take out the word "Colorado" and replace it with any of the other 49 states. It's a safe bet that what's not good for the Rocky Mountain State goose is not good for the Kentucky gander

Oh, and one more thing:

Inappropriate Personalized Plate

I included this but it's not going to happen unless the driver manipulates the plate to reflect something the Commonwealth of Kentucky wouldn't allow. That's a bunch of trouble you want no part of.

Rejected Kentucky Personalized License Plates

There are some rejections here that are real head scratchers. For others, you might be able to deduce the reason. For others still, it's kind of obvious. None in this list, however, fall into the NSFW category.