Q: I was recently pulled over by a state trooper on my way to work. When she pulled me over she asked if I knew why she was
pulling me over and I said No. She said You aren't wearing your seatbelt. I had forgotten to put it on before leaving my house, busy morning. She then asked me in passing if I knew if there was a license plate under the front bra of the car I was driving and I said I was pretty sure. I'm currently "renting" my friend's car while she is out of the country. My understanding is that, in the state of Ohio, officers can't pull you over for a seatbelt violation but it has to be for another reason. On my ticket the main offense is the seatbelt violation and then under remarks it says No Front Plate Warning. Am I able to contest this since she flat out said she was pulling me over FOR the seatbelt NOT the license plate (which is there by the way)? Also....when did the cost of a seat belt ticket go up from $30 for a first time offender?
A: An increasing number of local jurisdictions are making seatbelt infractions a primary offense (one for which you can be pulled over). You can check the local ordinances but chances it’s a primary offense where you were. The cost of the tickets varies from place to place.
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