Hate Front License Plates?

[AAS]

Do Something about it? (link)

I've been having recent fantacies of driving my new Camaro, but dread the idea of the possibility that I might have to install a front license plate on it. So... I came up with an idea of replacing the front plate with a decal that could go on the windshield, and thought I'd research CA law for $h!s-n-giggles to see exactly why a front plate is required and if such a decal idea would work. Well... I didn't find that information, because I ran into the above link (petition) instead. Who knows if the petition is worth it, or if it's even legit, but I wouldn't mind getting rid of the stupid law!

Edited February 6, 2007 by AAS

[schuby87]

Although I dont live in California, or a state that uses front license plates, I think that this is a great idea. I have been looking at buying a TA for awhile now, and one of my biggest turn offs is having the front license plates. I can see why they can help from a law enforcement stand point, but I think that they absolutely ruin the look of many cars.

[Flybrian]

A lack of front plates doesn't stop the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office here in Florida...

[the_yellow_dart]

Yeah, having no front plates would be nice. How often are you going to only see the front of a car you want to indenify anyways? Most of the time the person will be leaving the scene, or you will be chasing them. Both situations mean that the rear plate is the only visible one.

[AAS]

A lack of front plates doesn't stop the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office here in Florida...

Rear deck mounted cameras? Sweet... unless you are the one they are aimed at.

I think at least one reason for requiring them in CA is for areas that employ the red-light cameras at intersections. So, a sticker on the windshield could satisfy that.

Edited February 5, 2007 by AAS

[Mach5GTP]

Screw it, go tagless. My GTP has no designed-in place for a tag, only a crappy dealer-installed bracket that covers most of the left grill, so I just don't use it- never have. In the almost-12 years I've owned the car, I've gotten about 4 tickets for no F tag. A simple Polaroid, a couple hours in court, and case dismissed. To me, it's worth it- the F tag completely spoils the looks.

FIGHT THE POWAH!

[Nick]

Front plate? I've never used a front plate, and neither has any of my family or friends...so far, no issues.

[Sixty8panther]

Your idea is not a new one. It's quite popular in the E.U.

[pow]

Front plate? I've never used a front plate, and neither has any of my family or friends...so far, no issues.

Just don't park on the street Downtown... we've gotten no-front-plate tickets for the Ody and Passat. Gotta love parking enforcement.

[bobo]

Two of my three current vehicles don't have front plates, and it hasn't gotten me into trouble yet. Years ago when I got a speeding ticket in my Integra, the CHP guy went to check the front of the car specifically to see if there was a plate, and since there wasn't, I got a fix-it ticket for it. Some municipalities are really aggressive in ticketing vehicles for this in downtown areas.

As for enforcement agencies, some have license plate scanners than continuously read license plates. Obviously, the lack of front license plates will hurt the effectiveness of this technology.

[Justin Bimmer]

The CHP has two very good reasons for making sure this law stays intact.

1) The front licence plate provides for a PERFECT location to use Radar or LIDAR on the two lane roads that most CHP patrol for speeders.

2) It is a great reason to pull somebody over and investigate more if you are suspicios of the occupants of the vehicle.

[trinacriabob]

If I recall, my first car (a hand-me down Cutlass Supreme) did not have a front license plate for quite a while. I never got nabbed. I think the assembly that held it in place got kind of screwed up from some "acoustical parking." I finally managed to ram the front license plate into the sleeve and put it back on.

[AAS]

Front plate? I've never used a front plate, and neither has any of my family or friends...so far, no issues.

It's not something that bothers me now (see pic in sig), but I rather not ever have to worry about it.

As far as parking in downtown goes... My sister has gotten 3 "no front plate" tickets because of it...

Edit: I guess you can't tell from the pic in my sig... but there's no front plate

Edited February 6, 2007 by AAS

[Satty]

Could always go with the WT method and jam in between the dashboard and windshield. Its only true WT if the plate is expired AND there is a NASCAR plate on the front where the license plate should be.

[Sixty8panther]

Of course... here in Mass they are pretty agressive about front plates.

I've gotten $hit for it from a cop more than once, on my Camaro &

my Blazer & tyhe Firebird. PLus you can't an inspection sticker w/ out

one either, UNLESS you have the magical "Green Plate" that's a long

story in & of itself.

The big brother element is a biig part of the reason but boucing radar

off the front plate is a very legitimate need for cops. How much radar

do you think a C6 Vette bounces off it's bumper cover?

[ToniCipriani]

Rear deck mounted cameras? Sweet... unless you are the one they are aimed at.

I think at least one reason for requiring them in CA is for areas that employ the red-light cameras at intersections. So, a sticker on the windshield could satisfy that.

I don't think that's how red light cameras work. The cameras point towards the back of the car, not the front. Pictures are taken multiple times when the red light illuminates, so the running car is caught in motion. The front plate isn't captured in the picture, just the rear. At least it's how it works here, although we need front plates here.

[AAS]

I don't think that's how red light cameras work. The cameras point towards the back of the car, not the front. Pictures are taken multiple times when the red light illuminates, so the running car is caught in motion. The front plate isn't captured in the picture, just the rear. At least it's how it works here, although we need front plates here.

My mom got a ticket at a "red ligt camera." I can't remember if the shoot the rear plate, but they most definitely take pictures from the front and even zoom in on the driver.