Help! Front plate it's this legal?
- Thread starter Zanardi 0
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I wouldn't say it's 100% legal (you folded it, right?) but that would take a really mean-spirited cop to give you a ticket for that.
If you have to have it there, that looks as good as anything, maybe even better than dali, due to slimmer profile.
Me? .... I'll risk the fixit ticket!
Me? .... I'll risk the fixit ticket!
I'm assuming your post reffers to having a front plate while driving... on a somewhat related note - here's how I handle the front plate situation:
I put the front plate into a frame, put a duct tape around the edges (to protect the car paint) then attached string to it... (kind of like a store closing sign). When I park in a place like downtown Palo Alto that is known for their front plate enforcement I just pull the plate out of the rear trunk, open the front compartment up and hang the string on one of the radiator brackets, then close the lid. The plate hangs in the centre about where it would be if i used a frame and the black string (same colour as my car) blends in nicely. I'm not sure if its legal or not but the plate is attatched and in the right position, it would seem like any officer passing by for a quick check wouldnt notice. I just need to make sure I don't forget and drive with it on.
I know it may sound stupid but I can't stand the look of a front plate...
I put the front plate into a frame, put a duct tape around the edges (to protect the car paint) then attached string to it... (kind of like a store closing sign). When I park in a place like downtown Palo Alto that is known for their front plate enforcement I just pull the plate out of the rear trunk, open the front compartment up and hang the string on one of the radiator brackets, then close the lid. The plate hangs in the centre about where it would be if i used a frame and the black string (same colour as my car) blends in nicely. I'm not sure if its legal or not but the plate is attatched and in the right position, it would seem like any officer passing by for a quick check wouldnt notice. I just need to make sure I don't forget and drive with it on.
I know it may sound stupid but I can't stand the look of a front plate...
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To answer your question, no, that is not legal. You can't see the state or registration stickers for one thing. You are still leaving yourself open to being pulled and ticketed... I'd either use the stock or Dali mount or just run without it. I don't think that setup is going to help, and may actually hurt because it draws attention to the fact that it's not legally displayed. Just my opinion.
Lud said:
In California there are no registration stickers issued for the front plates, only one set is issued for placement on the rear plate. Oddly though, it's illegal not to have the front plate on.
nzo-who, your plate, although certainly illegal, is probably less likely to get you a fix-it ticket than someone who doesn't have a plate at all. In fact, I've seen many cars with vanity plates of all sorts of origins, like a chevy bow-tie, or a Confederate flag for example, and I don't see tickets on their windshields.
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I would tend to disagree with the last statement. Yes, in Calif. it IS illegal to drive without a front license plate, but you are probably MORE likely to get hassled for having a joke plate than not having anything at all in front. It also depends on the area and county you live in. In the bay area with the high proliferation of exotic sports cars, most of which don't run front plates, you will hardly ever see a person get ticketed for having no front plates. At least that's my experience so far.
Nevada laws..
Also must have a front plate here. I dont have one, hate the look. I will risk it. I have been pulled over twice for various stuff and no ticket was given. I am always polite and cooperative to the cop, that is the key.
Actually, I was gassing up once and a cruiser was filling up next to me, cop came over and we discussed the car. I asked him about the front plate situaiton, and he said basically a prick cop
might hassle you, but no to worry about it.
Here is Vegas, there's lots to keep the cops busy ;0, but if you lived in a place where the old farts go around on their rascals and give tickets, or a small town where the cops have nada to do, that is another issue.
Also must have a front plate here. I dont have one, hate the look. I will risk it. I have been pulled over twice for various stuff and no ticket was given. I am always polite and cooperative to the cop, that is the key.
Actually, I was gassing up once and a cruiser was filling up next to me, cop came over and we discussed the car. I asked him about the front plate situaiton, and he said basically a prick cop
might hassle you, but no to worry about it.
Here is Vegas, there's lots to keep the cops busy ;0, but if you lived in a place where the old farts go around on their rascals and give tickets, or a small town where the cops have nada to do, that is another issue.
svalleynsx said:
That's not the case in the City (San Francisco) - if you park your car in the street you will likely come back to a citation for no front plate. The traffic patrol give them out regularly as in SF no front plate thwarts the photo-ticket system.
I think we are mostly agreed that the plate is technically not legal - where opinion differs is over whether a cop would issue ticket for it. That is, like our own opinons, going to differ from individual to individual that you are confronted with.
In my experience, the enforcement of the No-Front-Plate scenario is very much dependent on locality, and, the type of car. I got stopped 3 times in 2 weeks with my MR-2, while I've NEVER been stopped with my E55.
In San Diego, they are just now in the midst of a campaign of installing enforcement cameras at stop lights, which is the official motivation for the front-plate requirement. But in reality, I had a cop admit to me that they use the no-front-plate as an excuse to stop "otherwise suspicious" vehicles that, except for lacking a front plate, they wouldn't have legal probable cause. It seems that MR-2s are high on the list of Teen Dragster Rice Rockets, so the lack of a front plate will get them stopped ALL THE TIME, while no teenager drives an E55, hence they don't get stopped when they are being driven near the speed limits.
Personally, I find this whole situation to be an obnoxious abuse of police power. It seems that what was described to me was that stopping a car for no-front-plate is just an excuse to implement a type of socio-ethnic profiling that would otherwise be illegal.
In San Diego, they are just now in the midst of a campaign of installing enforcement cameras at stop lights, which is the official motivation for the front-plate requirement. But in reality, I had a cop admit to me that they use the no-front-plate as an excuse to stop "otherwise suspicious" vehicles that, except for lacking a front plate, they wouldn't have legal probable cause. It seems that MR-2s are high on the list of Teen Dragster Rice Rockets, so the lack of a front plate will get them stopped ALL THE TIME, while no teenager drives an E55, hence they don't get stopped when they are being driven near the speed limits.
Personally, I find this whole situation to be an obnoxious abuse of police power. It seems that what was described to me was that stopping a car for no-front-plate is just an excuse to implement a type of socio-ethnic profiling that would otherwise be illegal.
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Yes, that's why I don't bring the NSX anywhere near SF with the steep hills and street parking(which is an oxymoron) and which literally doesn't exist.
As I stated earlier it all depends on the county. I live in Santa Clara county which is much more liberal on such matters. Plus, SF does have a big problem with red-light runners which may facilitate the need for a photo-ticket system as you mention. What concerns me is I see more and more intersections each day in Santa Clara with red-light cameras above, which may mean a crackdown is soon to come on no-front-license-plate owners.
ChopsJazz said:
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ChopsJazz, Now can you explain why my plate is not legal . That's the DMV license plate mounted in the front of my car. What else do the cops want?
[No message]
nzo-who said:
It looks to me that your plate is folded over so that the top 1/8 of the plate is not visible. I'm pretty sure the DMV isn't too crazy about manipulating their plates in that manner. Unless it is just the camera angle tht is obscuring the top of the plate, in which case I would have to ask "Why ask the original question?"
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nzo-who said:
I see. Regardless, I think you are going to have more problems, not less, by mounting it that way. I also think it would generally be considred illegal because the state name cannot be seen. Specifically, your installation is done in such a manner that it will "...obstruct or impair the recognition of the license plate information, including, but not limited to, the issuing state, license plate number, and registration tabs..."
Whether you can argue the point or even get out of a ticket, isn't the whole idea to just not have the hassle to begin with?
I like the tag number though!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------Lud said:I see. Regardless, I think you are going to have more problems, not less, by mounting it that way. I also think it would generally be considred illegal because the state name cannot be seen. Specifically, your installation is done in such a manner that it will "...obstruct or impair the recognition of the license plate information, including, but not limited to, the issuing state, license plate number, and registration tabs..."
Whether you can argue the point or even get out of a ticket, isn't the whole idea to just not have the hassle to begin with?
I like the tag number though!
Lud! Once again you are a wise man....Thanks for all the input guys.
live life with an NSX. fun! fun!
In CA, the law does not require the front license plate to be mounted on the front of the car, it just has to be visible from the front. So it is legal to display it in the front windshield. As for putting the plate only when leaving the car parked. If the car is in a parking lot (not parked on a public street), they can't ticket you for having no plates. CA laws only apply on public roadways, not private property which most parking lots are (a business owned parking lot is private property, not public roadway, the only times cops are allowed to enforce traffic laws on private property is when the property owners in advance, grant them the privilege.)
I've been pulled over a couple of times with no front license plate in CA. The CHP that gave me a ticket for tailgating checked to see if I had a front plate, but didn't say anything or write me up for it. A Folsom Police pulled me over because he thought I might be drunk as he thought I was driving to slow and he noticed I didn't have a front plate (at the time he was in front of me). After stopping me and coming to the conclusion I was totally sober, he let me go with no ticket, but he had said part of the reason he stopped me was I didn't have a front plate.
Until it costs me $, I continue to enjoy the freedom of having a clean front end that is plateless.
I've been pulled over a couple of times with no front license plate in CA. The CHP that gave me a ticket for tailgating checked to see if I had a front plate, but didn't say anything or write me up for it. A Folsom Police pulled me over because he thought I might be drunk as he thought I was driving to slow and he noticed I didn't have a front plate (at the time he was in front of me). After stopping me and coming to the conclusion I was totally sober, he let me go with no ticket, but he had said part of the reason he stopped me was I didn't have a front plate.
Until it costs me $, I continue to enjoy the freedom of having a clean front end that is plateless.
If you are forced to install a front plate, please use a Dali bracket or similar device. Do not drill holes into the front bumper under any circumstances! My car was originally from California, and I am extremely thankful that the original owner did not marr the front bumper. It was definitely a factor in my purchase process, and probably for others as well.
nsx4fun said:
Yes in CA, the law only goes towards cars on the road and the purpose of having it is so that video camera's can catch you. This is not only for intersections, but for toll booths like the Bay Bridge as well as freeway onramps where they have lights to help control the flow of traffic.
Being watched by cameras -eyes in the sky is more troublesome to me than the front plate issue. When you register your car you accept the conditions and one of them, though I don't like it, is a front plate.With vanity plates it's not so bad.
Recording my movements and keeping track of me is what makes this 60's reject nervous.
Recording my movements and keeping track of me is what makes this 60's reject nervous.
PHOEN$X:
According to this website, there are 19 single-plate states:
http://www.mrtraffic.com/frontplate.htm
Regards,
Bill
According to this website, there are 19 single-plate states:
http://www.mrtraffic.com/frontplate.htm
Regards,
Bill
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