The Hanoi Police Traffic Police Division has fined a driver 23 million dong and deducted six points from his driver's license for operating a car with an illegible license plate. The driver reported to Road Traffic Police Team Number 9 and paid the penalty.

The incident occurred at 10:30 on 26/1, when the driver was operating a seven-seater car on National Road 32. A task force from Road Traffic Police Team Number 9 stopped the vehicle for inspection near Dan Phuong flower garden, Dan Phuong commune. Police observed that the car's license plate was illegible due to mud splatters. The driver, a Hanoi resident, explained that four days prior, he had driven the seven-seater car to Thanh Hoa province. He stated that heavy rain and dirty roads caused mud to splatter onto the vehicle, obscuring the license plate. Upon returning to Hanoi, he was aware of the mud but, due to work commitments, had not yet washed the car.

The dirty license plate during the police inspection. Photo: Screenshot from video

Initially, traffic police informed the driver that he could face a 22 million dong fine. However, the driver contested this, believing the offense warranted only a 900,000 dong penalty. He requested the police team to issue a ticket for the specific offense and record a video for social media. The incident attracted mixed comments online; some agreed with the enforcement, while others suggested a warning would be sufficient in this instance.

A representative from the Traffic Police Department (TPD), Ministry of Public Security, clarified that authorities do not typically issue tickets for license plates temporarily obscured by dust or mud. However, strict penalties are applied if mud has been caked on for an extended period, indicating the owner intentionally failed to clean it. According to Decree 168/2024, obscuring, blurring, or altering a vehicle's license plate carries a fine of 20-26 million dong for car owners, along with a deduction of six points from their driver's license. For motorbike owners, the fine ranges from 4-6 million dong, also with a six-point deduction.

Viet An