Expired Registration without a moving violation (Fredericksburg, Balcones Heights: 2013, houses, neighborhood)

[69GSstage1]

Can a motorist be cited for having an expired registration and/or inspection sticker without commiting a moving violation? This morning I was driving north on Fredericksburg Rd. I noticed a Balcones Heights police car in the turning lane. As I pulled into the parking lot of my employer, the officer parked behind me with his lights flashing. He walked in front of my car and said not to worry about it, he misread my sticker. I wasn't speeding or following too closely. My inspection and registration do not expire until January 2013. Has anyone experienced this?

[TexasRedneck]

Yes - if you're registration or inspection is expired, they can cite you for it.

[nismospec]

you bet. years ago I was driving to my girlfriends house and stopped at a 4 way stop sign within the neighborhood facing a cop car. I proceeded to my girlfriend's house and to my surprise he pulled a u-turn and pulled me over a few houses away from my girlfriend's place. talk about embarrasing.
had the new sticker with me, showed it to him, and he still gave me a written warning. :/

moral of the story....just keep it up to date.

[Neshomamench]

Yes. You can be arrested for any criminal violation found in the Statutes of the State of Texas. (except speeding and open container...I dont honestly know why those two alone)

If you are observed driving on a public way (even if the stop happens on a private way, you were still observed in violation of the law) you can be stopped and arrested.

That includes your registration and/or inspection sticker not being up to the legal standards as spelled out by Statute.

It sounds like the Officer did exactly what he was suppossed to do. He thought he observed you in violation of Statutes. When he realized his mistake, he explained it and left. It happens. The Police dont have to be right, they just have to be able to articulate, under oath, in a public court, why we took the action we did.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

You can definitely be pulled over for just an expired sticker.

Sometimes I think they pull you over because they don't like the look of you or your car and they want to see if they can find something. Really, they can make up any reason to pull you over, something subjective, like "it looked like you were swerving". When I was younger and used to get pulled over for no reason, they didn't usually give any kind of reason, just demanded to know where I was going and why. Now I get my cell phone camera out and start recording instantly and ask the reason, and I get those kinds of reasons, "it looked like..."

[SATX56]

Certainly! You can't even park it in your own driveway. If it has expired registration or inspection, Code Compliance can force you to move it or be fined. (Couple $$hundred bucks I believe).Or bring it current.

[69GSstage1]

The officer did move on after seeing the windshield. He didn't press the issue or put me through the third degree, not that I had anything to hide.