Bogus license plate fails to impress California cops. ‘Save the arts and crafts’

A bogus custom license plate reading “Bay Area” didn’t get past California Highway Patrol officers, the agency reported.

The homemade print-out, complete with fake registration tags, was spotted by an officer in the commercial operations unit, the Golden Gate CHP office said in a Monday post to Facebook.

“Your license plate is not an arts & craft project,” the CHP wrote of the red and black fake plate.

Officers said license plates must be issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, properly mounted, clearly visible and unmodified.

“Let’s save the arts and crafts for things that won’t get you in trouble,” officers said.

“With all the toner he used paying the registration might have been cheaper,” read one comment on the CHP post.

“The type of plate that screams ‘pull me over,’” read another comment.

This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 9:28 AM.