california "euro" plates

[looneybin]

OK, so i saw a BMW that had a euro sized license plate, but it was a california plate.
It had the california seal on it, and the proper stickers.
I also talked to a CHP officer that told me he has seen them and they appear to be legal even though he does not know about them.
He ran one when he saw it & it came back to the correct vehicle.
Has anybody seen these? is it an aftermarket item that you get made with your original plate number on it then just add your reg stickers to it?
or can you get them from the DMV?
I just paid my tags & there was not an option for these plates, just the usual save the whales, the tree huggers, the beach combers & the artsy-fartsy plates.
if anybody has pics, or knows how to get these, i'd love to see it

[Zeke]

Apparently this has become popular. A BMW bbs has posts about these plates dated 2006. Their link to the CHP is broken, but here's the current one:
CHP - Asia Pacific Islander Outreach
Looks like vehicle code 5300 covers it.

Edit: sorry, 5200 VC
The title pretty much says it all: "Lack of front and rear DMV-issued license plates"

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Rule of thumb: If it's interesting, neat, appealing, enjoyable or fun in any way pertaining to automobiles, it's illegal in CA.

Now pay up.

[legion]

I have a friend who took a picture of his front license plate, then had a graffic studio make a sticker from the image. He stuck the sticker to his front bumper. He now at least appears to have a front license plate on his boxster.

[Brando]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Rule of thumb: If it's interesting, neat, appealing, enjoyable or fun in any way pertaining to automobiles, it's illegal in CA.

Now pay up.

I had to LOL at this, but then I cringed. So true. Here's hoping I can get my car registered in AZ this year and do all sorts of things CA would litter me with tickets for.

[Jagshund]

Just looking at all of that "illegal" business gave me a headache. Everyone who lives in California put on a fluffy white tail, get on your hands and knees and repeat the following:

Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa . . . baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

[CurtEgerer]

"Asia Pacific Islander Outreach" WTF is that? Does the State of California think that only Asian-looking people improperly modify their cars? Or is it more insidious; does the State think that everyone with a modified car understands the laws, except Asian-looking people who obviously need a special Outreach program? Why isn't it simply an Owners of Modified Cars Outreach program?

The rationale behind the Outreach program according to the CHP website is that "vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death for Asian Americans ages 14 to 34, and one of the major causes of death for Asian Americans of all other ages. "

That statement is true for everyone in the United States! - not just Asian Americans Why doesn't the CHP take it a step further and install signs along the highways - Caution: Asian-looking people are horrible drivers - Beware!

Rant off.

[Noah930]

It's true. Asians often are awful drivers. I'm a gifted exception.

But you're right about the comment re: assumption that only Asians modify their cars. WTF kind of Asian kid puts hydraulics on his car? Good thing Asians have thick skin. Heck, what if you put Chicano Outreach Program at the top of that webpage? How do you think that would go re: accusations of racial profiling?
Last time I looked around here in LA there were lots of Latino-looking people driving lowered cars with tinted windows, altered lights, thumping stereos, no bumpers, and modified exhausts. (Maybe they're just trying to look Asian?)

I also noted that they've recently changed the law. I once got cited for VC 27151 (modified exhaust). There used to be a 95 db standard. That's how I successfully challenged the ticket. The officer heard a louder than stock exhaust, so he wrote me up. Interestingly, despite how the state claims you can have your vehicle tested for compliance, in actuality the state has no provisions for actually testing the noise of a car. So I bought a decibel meter at Radio Shack and tested my car, myself. However, now there's no evidence other than the officer's personal judgement as to what constitutes louder than stock.

[CurtEgerer]

One more question: why is it just the "Islanders"? Are people whose heritage is from the Asian mainland better drivers not in need of an outreach program? I mean the bureaucrats and politicians have put some serious thinking into this to have focused their discrimination on a highly specific ethnic sub-group haven't they? Korean and Chinese heritage is OK with them, but if you're Japanese or Philippino you're on the CHP watch list

Oh well, as long as they don't target white guys with German heritage from the Bavaria region, I'm safe.