“we are not supposed to be running tags for no reason...”
Now that may very well be true, but if that is the case there is really no reason for plates to be required at all.
Ehh...they serve a purpose for sure. Ties the vehicle to someone...and to a specific vehicle and its vin number, thus showing whether the tag or the car is stolen. But all the traffic conducted over the system is subject to audit...so you need a legitimate reason to run a tag.