Front License Plate

[AMiller]

How many of you folks who live in a state with front plates required actually run one? I have been looking at pictures of different cars and almost never see a front license plate. I dont like the looks of them on the cars when I happen to see one. I also dont like the sounds of a $100 fine for not having one.

My brother just picked up a ticket for no front plate on his Jetta. Cop pulled him over just for that purpose.

I know of 3 Cobras in my area and none of them are running a plate on the nose.
Are you less likely to get ticked for this in the Cobra?

Just Wondering?

Aaron

[4RE KLR]

$100 fine in Texas. I have never seen a cobra with a front plate here in Texas.

There was a clip on the news the other night that said the police would start enforcing the no front plate laws and that it would bring in approximately $3,000,000 in revenue for the state per year.

I have noticed that about 1 in ten or so cars do not have a front late. I am sure that once the tickets start flying the word would get out though.

[scootter]

Not sure what the fine is here in California. I don't have one on my cobra, and I have my wifes covered up on the front of her Escalade. She got a speeding ticket, but never said anything about the front plate.
Scott

[GlynMeek]

Originally Posted by 4RE KLR

$100 fine in Texas. I have never seen a cobra with a front plate here in Texas.

There was a clip on the news the other night that said the police would start enforcing the no front plate laws and that it would bring in approximately $3,000,000 in revenue for the state per year.

WOW, Steve, was this on your local TV news? I've heard nothing of it down here in Austin. Was it City or County or State police? We provide training facilities for all three police groups in 'high-speed pursuit' stuff down here in Austin at our racetrack, so I will ask them next time they have a 'training day', and let everyone know what they say! Couple of the guys in the Austin Cobra Club do have front plates, but you're right, at the March gathering I don't remember more than 2 or 3 out of almost 100.

sh!t, I just remember I don't have one on my 'daily driver' either...

Glyn

[Russ Dickey]

Originally Posted by 4RE KLR

There was a clip on the news the other night that said the police would start enforcing the no front plate laws and that it would bring in approximately $3,000,000 in revenue for the state per year.

Just a quick follow up to prove the point from my last post. According to a news report I just found, Texas has more than 20 million registered vehicles, up from 14.2 million in 2000. So that equates to about 725,000 new vehicles per year being registered in Texas.

Now do you think that the cost of materials & labor needed to produce the plate, not to mention your yearly renewal decals, all cost at least $2 per plate? Probably so.

So instead of trying to earn $3 million per year by wasting officers (and citizens) time through the enforcement of a ridiculous non-moving violation, they could have been saving at least $1.45 million per year by just not making front plates!

Now I realize there's a difference there of $1.55 million, but I firmly believe that if the law starts being enforced that rigorously, you'll have everybody in the state putting their front plates on in no time, and that revenue number will decline sharply after the first year of enforcement. All states should just repeal these laws and save the money and resources for something worthwhile.

[BDR298]

Illinois requires a front plate , I don't know what the fine is. I was at a car show parked next to a t-bucket with a front plate. I started talking to the owner and he was a county sherriff. He told me his guys would just give me a warning but the cops in the small towns around here look for no plate, so I probably should get one. He said mount the plate to an old beat up bracket and tell them it was coming off:-) it might work. I know in Illinois they started enforcing license plate plastic covers and a couple guys at work got tickets and had to remove them. Seems they can take a 'red light' picture through a cover. I don't like they way it looks but I know guys you have gotten tickets recently.

[clayfoushee]

I do. I like the classic look, and don't care to have to worry about the hassle of a stop, which combined make it a no-brainer.

[Wayne Maybury]

No front plates required here.

Thank gawd for small miracles.

When you think about it, the front plate serves no useful purpose anyway.

Wayne

[Joe Wicked]

Originally Posted by Wayne Maybury

No front plates required here.

Thank gawd for small miracles.

When you think about it, the front plate serves no useful purpose anyway.

Wayne

The claim I heard was that is to allow the officer to read your plate from the front while going the other way. Of course there are so many flaws in that logic.

[RedBarchetta]

Front plates required in CA, but I don't have them on the two cars I drive. My wife's and kid's car have them (one is a crossover and the other is a RAV4, so nothing special). I have been ticketed in my C5 at LAX though...they will nail you in their parking garage for $35 a pop. Knock on wood...haven't been pulled over on the street in either the 'Vette or Cobra for no plate.

-Dean

[Seagull81]

Texas requires the front plate and I put one on my Cobra after a friend of mine got a $140 ticket in Austin for no front plate. That is the only reason the cop gave him for the stop. The guy that did my inspection also informed me they were cracking down on no front plates in our area. I would rather use the $140 for upgrades than waste it on the crap they spend our tax dollars on around here.
Steve

[Don]

CT requires a front license plate, not aware of any tickets regarding not having the plate, on any type of vehicle, as the only charge.

It might be that not having the plate allows for cause regarding a traffic stop. Have seen the charge in press reports accompanied by other significant charges, such as drugs, alcohol etc., etc.,

[carmine]

Be very careful!!! The plate holder sandwiched bettween the signal light and the body shown in the photo by Clayfoushee tend to create stress cracks in the fiberglass over time due to the large surface area of air that the plate deflects.

[clayfoushee]

Originally Posted by carmine

Be very careful!!! The plate holder sandwiched bettween the signal light and the body shown in the photo by Clayfoushee tend to create stress cracks in the fiberglass over time due to the large surface area of air that the plate deflects.

If it were only "sandwiched" between the signal light and the body, you might be correct. However, you can't see the additional part of the aluminum bracket behind the plate that loops below the front fender and is attached inside the fender well. There is no deflection at all.

[wtm442]

Here in Taxachusetts, its only a $35 fine for first ticket, $75 for 2nd and $100 for 3rd ticket. That is with the red lettered plates they have been issuing for a couple of decades. Of course, my daily beater has a real old green lettered plate, which means you only need the one on the rear.

Why do I know all this? Because I checked it all out when I got a ticket in the mail last week for no front plate on my Cobra. I wish the cop had stopped me, because I have the second plate in the trunk. I might have been able to talk my way out of the ticket.

I'm going to add a plate in the front when I get my bracket, but I'm going to check out all of the specialty plates and see if there are any that only require one. Probably the YOM plate (Year Of Manufacture) is the only one.

I think the front plate looks ugly.

[nevermind65]

Ohio requires a front plate. I was pulled over numerous times when I didn't run them on my Mustang, but never in the Cobra. I really don't think they pay a lot of attention on cars they know aren't daily drivers. I carry it with me as a "just-in-case", but nothing so far.

[thudmaster]

The cop said at least I had a front plate............

[carmine]

Dont tell me those are stress cracks from your front plate!

[1985 CCX]

Here is mine!



CSX3047
Revisit the "Paint it- Gold or Blue?" Poll

[BDHE]

Aaron;

Missouri requires a front plate. I actually have a stainless bracket for mounting purposes, but it remains brand new sitting on the shelf in may garage - I just can't bear to mess up the lines of the car by putting it on.

I always carry the second plate in the car just in case, but have never been pulled over for not having it mounted. On numerous occasions, I've been sitting at an intersection with a cop/deputy/patrolman on the other side looking at me for several minutes, without getting in trouble. On several other occasions, I've passed representatives of the law-enforcement community and got only a wave from them. So far, so good.

I'll close here -- I have to go knock on some wood now.

Bryon