License PLate
License PLate
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,746
Likes: 7
From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
It is if your state requires a front plate. Now, how stringently do your local police officers enforce such a law? Check with friends that don't display a front plate (I'd start with Corvette owners) to find out how often they've been ticketed. I can tell you that, here in New York, our police forces don't waste their time with such things when EVERYTHING ELSE about your vehicle appears OK. But, if your car/ truck is slammed, loud (stereo or exhaust) or appears to be the favorite ride of drug dealers, then a missing front plate is the PERFECT excuse to pull you over.
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 25
Likes: 0
From: Northbridge,MA
ya that is a state by state thing, here in mass if the lettering is red you have to have one in the front, if the lettering is green you dont need one. the fuzz really doesnt care, theyll usually bag you for it if they want to check something out, like my bud was driving a few friends around illegally (in mass u need your liscence for 6 months before you can drive anybody else)he didnt have a front plate and got bagged, i have my moms old green plates so im all good.
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 210
Likes: 0
From: Whittier, CA
It is illegal in California.
Point--My friend removed his front license plate and put a Lakers fan plate in its place. One night he parked his car head out in his driveway, located on a quiet, residential street, and the following morning found it had been ticketed for not displaying a front license plate.
Counterpoint--on my last truck, the front plate fell off and the mounting thingy vanished (or more likely was stolen), and for some reason Ford had put the actual holes in the bumper at a different width then the holes in the plate, so I couldn't remount it. I kept it visible on my dash for a while, but eventually just stuck it under the seat and there it stayed for a couple of years. I was never ticketed.
Point--My friend removed his front license plate and put a Lakers fan plate in its place. One night he parked his car head out in his driveway, located on a quiet, residential street, and the following morning found it had been ticketed for not displaying a front license plate.
Counterpoint--on my last truck, the front plate fell off and the mounting thingy vanished (or more likely was stolen), and for some reason Ford had put the actual holes in the bumper at a different width then the holes in the plate, so I couldn't remount it. I kept it visible on my dash for a while, but eventually just stuck it under the seat and there it stayed for a couple of years. I was never ticketed.
Last edited by soksniffer; Oct 17, 2003 at 09:50 AM.
Elder User
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 714
Likes: 1
From: Zville, Ohio u.s.a.
If the DMV/BMV issues you two plates, that means the one that won't have the expiration sticker on it goes on front. Some law enforcement officers pull for it, some don't. Might depend on the time of month and the quota. Better to have and not need, then to need and not have.
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
From: Paso Robles, CA (Central Coast)
If its required in your state, and you dont have it displayed. Cops only use that as probably cause to pull you over. And then maybe ticket you. But where im at, everyone that I know that doesnt have a front plate hasnt gotten a ticket for it.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,135
Likes: 0
From: Illinois
in illinois you need em both, found that out the hard way...got my plates in and didnt want the front one on..my friend told me id get pulled over but i said i wouldnt...2 days later im on the side of the road with 2 local cops...just got a warning and i put that plate on as soon as i got home
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,746
Likes: 7
From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
There MAY be another way around this. Remove the front license plate bracket with your plate attached to it. Break off one of the mounting tabs. Throw the broken bracket, with plate attached, in your trunk. If you ever get pulled over, explain to the cop that it JUST broke off, and the dealer ordered a new one for you, and it should be in any day now. Pretty devious, huh? Well, I am a car salesman, don't you know............
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,232
Likes: 0
Originally posted by 1956MarkII
There MAY be another way around this. Remove the front license plate bracket with your plate attached to it. Break off one of the mounting tabs. Throw the broken bracket, with plate attached, in your trunk. If you ever get pulled over, explain to the cop that it JUST broke off, and the dealer ordered a new one for you, and it should be in any day now. Pretty devious, huh? Well, I am a car salesman, don't you know............
There MAY be another way around this. Remove the front license plate bracket with your plate attached to it. Break off one of the mounting tabs. Throw the broken bracket, with plate attached, in your trunk. If you ever get pulled over, explain to the cop that it JUST broke off, and the dealer ordered a new one for you, and it should be in any day now. Pretty devious, huh? Well, I am a car salesman, don't you know............
That won't always work, I have heard of people doing that in three different states and getting fix-it tickets that they have to pay, plus fix it within 2 weeks, so there is another cost, why not just put it out there, not bothering anything.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: Sebastopol, CA
A front license is required in CA. But..... my '90 Plymouth Lazer rolled into a tree in '92 and mashed the front plate. I removed the remnants and drove it till '02 and was never stopped. You'd probably get a fixit ticket if you were stopped for anything else but it doesn't seem to be a big issue in NorCal. All my vehicles currently have front plates The state supplies them so why not apply them?
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