If you hit the road without license plates, it’s a problem. From the point of view of the law, it depends a lot on whether you are driving intentionally or if, for example, someone stole your tags and you simply “have to go to work”. Justice is blind in this regard – you don’t have marks, you get caught, the Band-Aid doesn’t (usually) get you.
Photo: Jan Majurník
A sign outside the window? Although it is valid, it is taken as if you have no RZ.
You cannot avoid a penalty even if you throw your registration plates (even if they are valid) out the window. Among a group of friends, you can be a dude and say that it will be fine, but in front of a police patrol, that heroism can suffer considerably. That is, brands thrown out the window are perceived as if you had no brands.
Also pay attention to the green paper signs, which we talked about in detail in THIS ARTICLE. They are not universal either, despite what someone will tell you otherwise. In addition, all you have to do is place the plate with the mark incorrectly and your vehicle can already be perceived as unfit for use.
Photo: Jan Majurník
The so-called the green tag is intended exclusively for driving from the point of sale to the place of vehicle registration, it is valid for ten working days, and only in the territory of the Czech Republic.
The third evil is counterfeit license plates. Whether it’s amateurishly painted signs on a Thursday or the professional work of an advertising agency, it’s just as bad as if you didn’t have the signs. Even if you drive with counterfeit signs, you make it harder for yourself in the subsequent administrative proceedings and ask for a higher penalty rate.
For example, these strange RULAWA 0 P brands, which look believably made, belong to members who claim to belong to the East Bohemian sect called “Slavic Nation of Gána Sepata – Čahínas”. It goes without saying that such bizarre license plates are clearly fake and the drivers of these vehicles are asking for real trouble.
Photo: Roman M.
Driving with fake license plates is also an offense with aggravating circumstances.
So what are the risks for driving without plates, with plates outside the window or with fake ones? A fine of 5 to 10,000 CZK and a ban on driving motor vehicles for a period of 6 to 12 months. After the amendment from January 1, 2024, it will be a financial penalty of CZK 4 to 10,000 and a driving ban for 6 to 18 months. It is not currently a point offense and will not be so next year either.
So if you lose your license plates or someone steals them, it’s a good idea to notify the police to prevent them from being misused. Also, an illegible-damaged tag can be a problem. Therefore, do not drive into traffic without valid and legible signs, do not even place them outside the window, and certainly do not put fake signs on your vehicle. This is the biggest trouble for which you can get a long driving ban.
