You’re cruising home after a long day, the radio humming your favorite song. In your rearview mirror, you spot flashing blue lights. Your stomach drops. Pulling over, you roll down the window. “Officer, I wasn’t speeding, and I didn’t run a light,” you say, confused. The cop looks at you, calm but firm. “You didn’t,” the police officer replies, “But I ran your plates anyway. Your registration’s expired.”

Yes, police can run your plates anytime—even when you’ve done nothing wrong. “We see this happen all the time,” explains attorney Chris Rike. “As soon as they get behind you, yeah, they’re gonna be running your plate looking for a reason to pull you over.” And there are many reasons they might find to pull you over.

1- Expired registration

“Sometimes you don’t even know there’s anything wrong with your plates,” Rike says. Maybe you missed the renewal notice or forgot to stick the new tab on your license plate. Either way, it’s an easy ticket.

2 – Stolen or swapped plates

This happens more often than you’d think. “We’ve had people whose license plate was stolen, and the thief put a plate from another car back in its place,” says Rike. You might not even notice until the police pull you over because they ran your plates and the tags don’t match your car.

3 – Registration mismatches

If your car is registered in one state but you live in another, or if the DMV made a mistake, a quick plate scan will reveal it. In this case, police can pull you over to double check everything.

4 – Suspended license

When they scan plates, officers also check the registered owner’s driving status. If the owner’s license is suspended, the car becomes a target. Even if the registered owner isn’t driving, the car might still get stopped.

5 – Unpaid tickets or photo enforcement fines

“Photo enforcement tickets are a big one,” says Rike. They mail them out, and you might not even realize it. “A default judgment gets entered against you, and your license gets suspended. You find out when an officer pulls you over.”

So, what can you do?

Keep your paperwork up to date. Check your registration and insurance regularly. “Don’t give them a reason to pull you over,” Rike advises. Make sure your plates are secured and haven’t been swapped. If you get a ticket in the mail, pay it or challenge it immediately. The rules might feel harsh, but its easy to avoid trouble when police run your plates if you stay on top of your car’s paperwork. See the rest of Chris Rike’s advice in the video below: