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by WkndTriathlete 1027 days ago
In Minnesota drivers recovering from DUI revocation are required to use the "whiskey" plates. (Incidentally the license plate database is incomplete because it does not include the Minnesota "whiskey" plate.)

While "whiskey" plates are on the vehicle police officers can legally stop the driver of the vehicle for a impairment check without cause (e.g. without any indications that the driver is under the influence or any traffic violations.) The idea is that the extra enforcement is incentive for the recovering DUI driver to continue to drive safely and re-develop that habit.
1 comments
HeyLaughingBoy 1027 days ago
> While "whiskey" plates are on the vehicle police officers can legally stop the driver of the vehicle

Not any more. They changed this part of the law a few years ago. Probably around the same time that they (MN) began to implement breathalyzer interlocks where you can't start or drive the car if you're above a certain threshold.

However, I think that if you're pulled over and you have an active DUI but are not driving a car with whiskey plates, then it's an immediate loss of license.

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sokoloff 1027 days ago
Being unable to rent a car or borrow a car while having a license seems like a weird combination of outcomes, so I looked it up.

> What happens if I drive a car without whiskey plates?

> It is a misdemeanor to drive a car that should have whiskey plates but doesn't. If you illegally remove whiskey plates from your car and are caught, you will go to jail.

> When you register for whiskey plates, you'll need to disclose all cars that you own or plan to drive and get whiskey plates for each of them.

So, it seems like you could incidentally drive a random car that you didn’t have a reasonable expectation to drive that specific car at a time of being forced to get whiskey plates.

https://www.ssdpa.com/articles/plate-impoundment-understandi...

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HeyLaughingBoy 1026 days ago
Well, you can do anything as long as you're not caught but the only exception that I'm aware of is if you must drive a vehicle as a part of your job, then it can have regular plates.
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