Quote Quoting That Guy
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So the question is then, do you as a California LEO have access to NJ DMV records (via dispatch or otherwise)?
Yes. If the dispatcher or the officer has access to CLETS then he or she can access the NJ MVC via NCIC.

And if that is the case, and even if the officer were to testify (in this case) that he had done so, the fact that the OP's vehicle registration was valid, would suggest that there was really no justifiable reason for the stop!
Correct.

As he apparently had inadequate knowledge of the sticker requirement, a stop for a perceived lack of an expiration sticker would be a stretch. That is not to say a local traffic court judge/commissioner might not let it pass, but I doubt the stop would pass a greater analysis. Good thing no major criminal oiffese was not discovered, or there would be a good argument for suppression.

There are a great many people that pull this sort of thing - particularly near the northern border with Oregon and its cheap registration fees. These cheaters count on the officer buying their tale and letting it go. But, the residency presumption is rebuttable so the officer can still issue a cite with probable cause and the defendant can ask a judge to rule on it.