SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A sovereign citizen plate caught an off-duty police chief's attention this weekend, leading to a traffic stop that uncovered suspended driving privileges and expired vehicle registration, according to police.
The driver asserted his rights to operate outside the authority of California laws and officials, according to a statement on social media from Sebastopol police.
The encounter began when Sebastopol Police Chief Sean McDonagh spotted the license plates on a vehicle ahead of him.
An on-duty Sebastopol police officer notified by the department stopped the driver, Kevin O'Brien, 63, of Cool, California.
Police said O'Brien gave the officer, A. Siar, a nongovernment-issued "sovereign citizen" ID card, which is a self-made document not recognized by local, state, or federal authorities.
O'Brien's California license appeared to have been suspended, according to Sebastopol police.
His vehicle's registration was expired, according to police.
O'Brien told the officer he was "not in contract with the State of California" and did not need registration, according to police.
O'Brien could not provide evidence of liability insurance, police said.
Siar cited O'Brien. But when O'Brien signed the citation, he wrote that he did so "under duress" and added "UCC 1-308."
The Uniform Commercial Code references the reservation of rights in commercial transactions, police said.
However, writing this on a traffic citation does not exempt a driver from the California Vehicle Code or eliminate the obligation to respond by the date listed on the citation, Sebastopol police said.
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