uninsured moterist rant

gbopp wrote:

Bumpyroad wrote:

Tom N wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:
In this state, no insurance = no registration sticker.

in 2017 PA eliminated the no insurance/no sticker solution by permanently eliminating yearly license plate stickers.

so how does it work in PA? surely (don't call me shirley) they don't issue new metal plates every year.
bumpy

No Shirley, they don't issue new plates every year. :)
Pennsylvania police departments are going to License Plate Readers.
You can renew your vehicle registration online and print out the new registration card.
No one will know if you renewed your registration unless it is scanned by a reader.

Don't know if I missed it, in later pages, but it's a bit more complicated than that. You need to keep the inspection and emission stickers current in PA. They are large, visible from a distance, and relatively theft proof, since they are located on the inside of the windshield, and don't come off in one reusable piece. These stickers can only be renewed once you present the licensed inspection mechanic with proof of current insurance and valid registration. There are ways to game the system, but it's pretty rare that the inspectors are willing to play games, since inspections are directly controlled by the state police, and they have little tolerance for cheating. So, it might be easy to game the insurance coverage, but once you have an expired inspection, it would be tough to get a new one without a valid registration.