California Highway Patrol officers in Merced stopped a motorist using a homemade license plate that mimicked an official state plate. An officer noticed “something unusual about the rear license plate” during the traffic stop. “Upon closer look, it turned out to be handmade,” the CHP Merced station posted on social media. The fake plate included hand-drawn letters, numbers, the California logo, and a counterfeit registration sticker. The driver explained they had lost their original plate. “We’ll give this driver points for creativity,” officials wrote. However, CHP reminded drivers that “California law requires vehicles to display state issued plates only.” The department advised that lost or stolen plates can be replaced through the DMV. “While we appreciate the effort to stay compliant after losing the original plate,” officials said, drivers should contact the DMV “instead of breaking out the art supplies.” (Story URL)
