A silly question

[dangerdan]

Found some more reasons.

1 - There are services online that will let you search a liscense plate number for a fee.
2 - Private investigators can look up plates.
3 - Misinformed DMV people have been known to give up people's personal information when given a license plate number.
4 - It's a blanket safety mechanism, no reason not to.
5 - Suppose you found the love of your life. Get the license plate, find out who it is, and let the stalking commence.
6 - Tag information is public record in some States. Anyone can obtain the information at the local tag office.
7 - Criminals could just look at similar cars in the area and duplicate the plates.
8 - Owners of the car have not given permission to publish the photos of their car.

 

[Breeze3at]

Florida just recently last year changed the DMV "public" part of the internet site. Prior to that you could look up a person's tag number and actually see their social security number on it.

I don't know how many other states were practicing such ignorance besides Florida in today's multi-billion dollar identity theft problems. But I imagine that is why folks hide their tags.

Yes it's harder to look up their address that way, but you can't find the social security number in the phone book. When you publish your tag you are basically giving a crook a flag that says "looking for a new SS identity, here's one".

Hopefully Florida was the only one but I don't know that. I do know that "now" a Florida tag is secure for sensitive data. At least until someone hacks into the system.

Found some more reasons.

1 - There are services online that will let you search a liscense plate number for a fee.
2 - Private investigators can look up plates.
3 - Misinformed DMV people have been known to give up people's personal information when given a license plate number.
4 - It's a blanket safety mechanism, no reason not to.
5 - Suppose you found the love of your life. Get the license plate, find out who it is, and let the stalking commence.
6 - Tag information is public record in some States. Anyone can obtain the information at the local tag office.
7 - Criminals could just look at similar cars in the area and duplicate the plates.
8 - Owners of the car have not given permission to publish the photos of their car.

Good info in the above reply's, and some things I had not considered.
I tried #5 above in the '80's but the county tag office wouldn't give HER info up.

 

[BUBBIE]

I had a 441 Victor BSA stolen in 1970. My local newspaper would NOT Post the license Number UNLESS I took out a PAID Ad. Eager to ONLY report it STOLEN but no description from there on. $$$$$$

I would Not have had a problem with the license number given out. (.) Asked them to and NO was their response. $$$

signed....BUBBIE

 

[R_W_B]

I take it you never got the bike back Bubbie ? Do you remember the story about my friends brother that had his early 70's sporster stolen and they called him in 2001 from Finland and said they had his bike.

Who knows you might get a call one day LOL.

 

[SilverFoXD]

How come people obscure or cover the license plate number when they post pictures? I know it is possible to find out a name and address (but it's more difficult than just calling the DMV) but other than finding out where the vehicle may live, what good would it do a criminal? It especially puzzles me when the vehicle is for sale, and making a phone call would give you names and address.

In Arizona a number of years ago a stalker took the license number of young woman, then called the DMV for her name and address. He then kidnapped, assaulted, and killed her.

The legislature knee-jerked a response, and restricted access to license plates numbers.