Michigan Supreme Court decision on obstruction of license plate, not good news for drivers

About a year ago, I posted a blog entry on what you could do to get stopped by the police, or more importantly what you could stop doing to keep from being pulled over. 

I mentioned that the Michigan Court of appeals reviewed a case where a Michigan citizen was pulled over because he had an "obstructed license plate."  That obstruction was a trailer ball for a trailer hitch.  The Court ruled that the trailer ball did not rise to the level of "obstruction" intended in the statute prohibiting an obstruction.

However, last week, the Michigan Supreme Court unanimously reversed the decision of the lower court.  In its opinion, Justice Markman concluded that the Michigan Vehicle Code requires vehicle owners to attach their registration plate in a place where it can be seen without obstruction.

So... Drivers BEWARE.   If a towing ball is on your vehicle (or a bike rack or a trailer hitch or anything else), and it obstructs a police officer's view of your license plate, the officer can pull you over, the Michigan Supreme Court has ruled.