Is 'debadging' illegal?
#7
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 1,193
Car Info: 2004 WRB STi w/ s202 spoiler
Debadging, while not illegal alone, does present an officer with probable cause to search your car for illegal modifications under the hood. Other examples of probable cause...
- Stickers (yes, an i-Club sticker counts)
- Window tint (even if it's stock)
- Hood scoop (even if it's stock)
- Non-stock wheels
- Wing (STi wing, not so much a WRX wing)
- Lowered stance and other visible suspension modifications (got pink or blue?)
- Extra gauges
- Carbon fiber
All of these came from my uncle who is a Union City PD officer
- Stickers (yes, an i-Club sticker counts)
- Window tint (even if it's stock)
- Hood scoop (even if it's stock)
- Non-stock wheels
- Wing (STi wing, not so much a WRX wing)
- Lowered stance and other visible suspension modifications (got pink or blue?)
- Extra gauges
- Carbon fiber
All of these came from my uncle who is a Union City PD officer
#10
Just a question, but how is pulling someone over for illegal mods based on a sticker fly constitutionally??
I mean, doesn't California have some of the highest murder rate cities(Oakland made #6 IIRC), Drug, and gang issues? How is this not seen as a huge waste of money and manpower that could be used towards...Oh I don't know getting real criminals off the street or building more prisons or something that actually benifits the populace? Then again I guess it's easier(and more profitable) to harrass auto enthusiasts than arrest MS-13 members.
Sorry I guess this falls more in the POL forum..
I mean, doesn't California have some of the highest murder rate cities(Oakland made #6 IIRC), Drug, and gang issues? How is this not seen as a huge waste of money and manpower that could be used towards...Oh I don't know getting real criminals off the street or building more prisons or something that actually benifits the populace? Then again I guess it's easier(and more profitable) to harrass auto enthusiasts than arrest MS-13 members.
Sorry I guess this falls more in the POL forum..
#14
Registered User
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 1,193
Car Info: 2004 WRB STi w/ s202 spoiler
I mean, doesn't California have some of the highest murder rate cities(Oakland made #6 IIRC), Drug, and gang issues? How is this not seen as a huge waste of money and manpower that could be used towards...Oh I don't know getting real criminals off the street or building more prisons or something that actually benifits the populace? Then again I guess it's easier(and more profitable) to harrass auto enthusiasts than arrest MS-13 members.
Sorry I guess this falls more in the POL forum..
Sorry I guess this falls more in the POL forum..
There are those who modify their car (illegally sometimes) and do nothing but race on the streets. But there are those of us who modify our cars to do better in things like autocross, rallycross, track days, etc. Law enforcement has a single track mind, if a car is modified, it was modified for street racing.
Any outward sign of possible illegal modification is more than enough reason for a search of the engine bay. Yes, the engine bay, nothing else. They can't search your glove box if you have an i-Club sticker.