8 Ways To Easily Spot An Unmarked Cop Car

It is the first warm, sunny day of spring and everyone has their automotive toys out after being cooped up in a storage garage all winter. No one seems to be obeying the traffic laws, but chances are most police officers are out in full force, even if they aren't easy to spot. Police units have become incredibly clever and downright sneaky over the years by blending in as best they can with the rest of traffic. Here is how to spot an unmarked police vehicle before it is too late.

8. Clusters of Antennas

A car with lots of antennas all over its roof or trunk, resembling a cell phone tower is likely a police vehicle. The average person does not need all these extras unless they really like listening to satellite radio. Even a bunch of antennas can be hard to spot if a person is looking at the car through the rearview mirror, but police cars are doing an even better job of hiding these by using newer pick-style antennas, which can make the driver a bit of a mystery.

7. License Plates

If the car in question has a lame personalized license plate, it is likely not a cop as most police cars will have a municipal license plate made up of only numbers. It may also have the word “official” at the bottom or some other weird looking symbols. Some police vehicles will also have an “X” in the middle of their license plate, which indicates a government vehicle. Be careful as these rules do not apply to every state and some officers are free to use civilian plates.

6. No Hubcaps

Many unmarked cop cars are easy to spot because they are riding around on black and silver steelies. Although there may be some exceptions to this rule, it is not likely that an unmarked police car has hubcaps. Watch for other signs as plenty of people ride around without hubcaps unintentionally. If the vehicle is a total a rusted over junker and also has a headlight or taillight out, it is probably not a cop.

5. Heavy Window Tint On An American Sedan

Some states have laws against tinted windows, but people still install tint on their vehicles anyways as they think it makes them look cool. Police officers have a use for window tint; they do not want civilians to know when they are about to get pulled over. If there is a sedan made by one of the Big Three with window tints parked on the side of the road, slow down.

4. Bars In Between The Seats

This one might be a little hard to spot unless the car’s doors are open. Any vehicle with bars in between their front and back seats is carrying either a cop or a mob member. Either way, no one wants to be in the back seat of one of these vehicles. These safety bars are pretty standard in most marked police vehicles, but they can also be found in many unmarked cars to give the officer a bit of added security.

3. A Searchlight On A Crown Victoria

Ford Crown Victoria’s were widely sold as either police cars or taxicabs between the years of 1992 and 2012. A good rule of thumb is to drive carefully anytime one is spotted on the road just in case it is an officer. A word of caution: there are plenty of douchebags out there who drive around in one of these just to scare people. Look for a searchlight on the vehicle’s side door to seal the deal.

2. Light Bars On The Front Grille

Civilian cars do not just ride around with light bars on their front grille or windows. An unmarked cop car will have these installed, but they can be hard to spot on the road, especially if the vehicle has tinted windows. So take a look at the car’s front grille, and if it has any bars or flashers in it, then it is likely being driven by a cop. They are even easier to spot when they light up, but no one wants to see that coming for them in their rear view mirror.

1. Look For Anything That Seems Unusual

There are plenty of unintelligent drivers on the road, which can make unusual behavior easier to spot, but police behavior is different from the typical stupid driver on the road. If the car has equipment that looks like it could be a license-plate scanner or is parked in a sneaky manner on the side of the road, slow down. If it has a bull bar, any odd badges, or is just plain suspicious looking, then it could be an unmarked police car.