[Editor’s Note –To say “unpleasant confrontations” have occurred when hams have been stopped by the police, and the police have been unable to find their callsign license plate in the DMV computer is an understatement. Being stopped by the police can turn into a very serious matter. Such stops should be avoided. While to a police officer it is reasonable to stop a car whose plates are not apparently in the DMV computer, the cause of this is DMV computer defaults to putting a space into our callsign license plates. This issue has not been resolved].
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Note: This message was inadvertantly delayed at ARRL HQ for approximately 40 hours. We apologize for the error. -- KE3Z ************************************************************ Here's your update on major items of interest to us in the ARRL Southwestern Division... ************************************************************ The California Department of Motor Vehicles has made it official that Amateur Radio callsign license plates will again be issued without spaces in the callsigns. Those who currently have plates with spaces can get them exchanged. Information is on the DMV web-site at http://www.dmv.ca.gov/ham/ham_plate.htm . Amateur Radio's case was made by a number of individuals including a number of individuals who contacted DMV and/or their elected representatives. DMV apparently has several lists of license plate numbers, such as regular automobile, motorcycle, commercial vehicle, and amateur radio. Therefore database computers for callsign plates under the "ham" designation. Several people have reported that certain policemen were unaware of this, and unpleasant confrontations have occurred. People are suggesting fixes for this, such as putting the words "Amateur Radio" on the plates. These suggestions are being politely passed on to DMV. In the meantime, remind any officer stopping you that he must search for ham plates. After initial concern that phone while driving might be misapplied to use of Amateur Radio mobile equipment, DMV's web-site clearly now states that the law, scheduled to begin on July 1, does not apply to two-way radios. See http://www.dmv.ca.gov/cellularphonelaws/
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