Quote:
Originally Posted by ImEvil1
Not really. Is it illegal in your state to have the word "POLICE" on your vehicle?
I can only speak for FL law, where it isn't illegal, but I'm sure that the same common sense approach reigns supreme in other states:
Use of the signage "NOT A POLICE VEHICLE" would be akin to use of the lettering "FASHION POLICE" for a vehicle belonging to a fashion design firm. A reasonable person would not believe it was an authorized LE vehicle.
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In CA it's covered under the same provisions pertaining to paint/markings that resemble a law enforcement vehicle. And the bar is set pretty low as apparently there are very few reasonable persons out there.
I personally know of two local instances where it was applied and it's a safe bet that in a state this big there have been a ton of other cases too:
* an "artist" and his wife each had all white retired police Diplomats. On the front doors of both he had painted the cartoon characters of Porky Pig on one and Elmer Fudd on the other bursting out of an oval and a body length two tone stripe on the side with "Sheriff Porky" and "Sheriff Fudd" lettered inside it on the rear quarters. After much negative contact with LE and a trip to the see the judge, he removed all the markings. (Wish I had gotten a photo of those two.)
* a business called "NYPD Pizza" was running four-door full size Fords painted and lettered to very closely resemble old blue and white NYPD units to deliver their goods. They looked quite convincing, you really had to look close to see the word "pizza" on them and the real cops did not appreciate that as they were soon abandoned and replaced with unmarked delivery trucks. (It must have been lousy pizza too as they were out of business within a year.)
Out here, the authorities just don't like to see any LE words, symbols or paint combinations on anything that rolls down the road.