[Judge Roy Bean]

Originally Posted by SansRecours

I am going to ask questions and hopefully receive some answers that will be of practical benefit all. In qualifying myself in relation to the thread title, I will say (and 'tis true) that I do not, nor did I ever receive a thing commonly known as a driver license, or a registration (although I am constantly behind the wheel of cars, some do, and some don't have registrations).


So one is going down the road, siren and lights come on. One then pulls off to the side of the road (or better, onto private property, like a parking lot).
The police officer strolls up to the window and says; "License and registration please."

What do you say in response?

How about likely scenario 1:

"Hi! You need to see my insurance, too, officer? Sorry, I, ah, don't have a license, and ah, the car isn't registered, see the plates are phony, too and so they wouldn't insure it so I don't have that either. You want me to get out of the car now?"

So they have you on several counts and they aren't going to send you off onto the road. In some states and municipalities now, not having insurance will get your car impounded, so you'll either be arrested (how do they know the car is even yours?) or you'll be on foot.

Scenario 2:

"See, officer, I was reading this stuff on the 'net, you know, about whether or not I"m really even, well, you know, subject to the law. Did you know about that, that commerce thing where I'm not operating the vehicle in commerce and so you know about your oath of office...."

So the officer again asks you for your license and registration and evidence of insurance, and when you babble on or give him that blank, confused stare, he talks into his radio for a few seconds and then asks you to step out of the car and asks you questions about if you've been drinking or using any drugs or have taken any medications. While waiting for the tow truck he sets you up for a field sobriety test while waiting for a supervisor to decide if you go to the jail or the local hospital for a psych eval first.

Either way, you're in jail or on foot. The car will be hauled off. And they charge daily impound fees.

Now of course, there's always the chance that our perp has been through this before and the local constabulary already know him pretty well. Repeat offenders are often colorful characters. In that case, the scenario is a bit shorter:

"Hi, Frank. Kinda late isn't it? No, still no damn license or b___s___ paperwork. Damn, you must not be busy. How's your sister's kid? That's good. Nope, I'll call my brother in law this time. No, haven't been to trial on that one yet. That first one they stuck me for twelve-hundred before it was all done. Awww, come on Frank. You really have to take me in again? It's not like I can go anywhere, Frank. Can we stop for coffee this time - that stuff you call coffee in the jail is boiled out owl____ and you know Frank, when Dale's boy towed the car last time he bent up the bumper, so don't....