A resident arrived at the traffic police to register a car, and during the inspection, the inspector noticed an inverted frame that obscured the front license plate. The buyer had acquired the car from the previous owner and was unaware of the device’s purpose. As a result, the inspector suggested that the owner join the traffic police program, and after agreeing, a protocol was drawn up. Waiting for the court date, the question arises: are such devices truly without power to hide a vehicle? How can innocence be proven?
Nikita, Moscow
The head of the Main Directorate for Road Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Police Lieutenant General Mikhail Chernikov, answers questions from readers. |
By an inverted frame, the common interpretation is a device that flips the front license plate so that identification is difficult or concealed. Operating a vehicle equipped with such a device is treated as an administrative offense. Liability is defined in Part 2 of Article 12.2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation, carrying a penalty in the form of a fine up to five thousand rubles or a restriction on driving rights for a period of one to three months.
Having no knowledge about the presence of this frame does not automatically release a driver from responsibility. Drivers are responsible for checking their vehicles before departure and ensuring the correct technical condition of the vehicle in motion, a duty outlined in section 2.3.1 of the traffic rules.
- Details on when a license plate is deemed illegible and how a law enforcement officer proves a violation are explained in the referenced guidance.
- The program “Behind the Wheel” offers further explanations and discussions on road safety and enforcement.
In practice, the key questions concern how such devices affect license plate visibility, what constitutes clear evidence of unlawful concealment, and what steps a driver can take to demonstrate lack of awareness or mistake. The safety and legal implications extend beyond individual cases, influencing how licenses are issued, how inspections are conducted, and how penalties are applied when plate visibility is compromised. Authorities emphasize the importance of keeping plates visible under all normal driving conditions, and drivers are encouraged to review vehicle equipment before routes, especially in regions with strict enforcement policies.