ontario licence plate

Someone actually thought this hand drawn Ontario licence plate would fool the cops

Drivers are getting bolder and bolder when it comes to hitting the road without valid plates on their cars, if dispatches from local police forces are any indication.

This week, we have a new motorist following in the footsteps of Ontarians who've recently been caught using crudely altered plates, 30-year-expired plates, fake plates made out of a diaper box and... whatever it is that police in Guelph pulled over here.

The newest member of this unfortunate club comes to us from the streets of Kingston, Ontario, where they recently learned that pencils and markers do not a valid licence plate make.

"Good job by one of our newer patrol officers today, stopping a driver in a vehicle with multiple issues including improper plates," tweeted Kingston Police Traffic Safety Sergeant Steve Koopman on Monday evening, tossing in a savage hashtag for effect: "#AtLeastYouTried."

People who saw the tweet were understandably perplexed by the thought of someone thinking they could get away with such a stunt. Some were even a little bit impressed.

"You really have to give bud credit for measuring everything out and even copying both fonts the best they could," wrote one.

"(C-) only because this looks like an incomplete art project," wrote another, grading the work. "Missing [crown] and trillium. And the validation sticker... extra marks if they would have made it reflective."

Under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, a driver can be fined $85 each for operating a motor vehicle with no plates, without two plates, with improperly displayed plates, without a validation sticker, with an improperly displayed validation sticker, with an obstructed plate or even a dirty plate.

It's not clear if the artist behind the Kingston plate was charged for their actions, but they no doubt will need to secure a real plate before hitting the streets again.

Lead photo by

Sgt. Steve Koopman


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