Front license plates

[trinacriabob]

I think it's mostly a Southeastern thing...that of not having front license plates on cars (so you can have a Confederate flag license plate instead....just kidding...just kidding).

I was in FL and Atlanta for 2 weeks in early September. I am going down I-95 out of the JAX airport a little fast in a RED Grand Prix and see a State Trooper conveniently under the shadow of an overpass with his radar gun aimed. I tapped on the brakes but was following others at the same pace. I wondered if the area allowed for tickets to be conveniently sent in the mail. Then it dawned on me, I have NO FRONT LICENSE PLATE on the car.

The following week up in Atlanta, I noticed the same thing. There are no front license plates in Georgia, either.

I think all cars should have two plates. It bodes for better security. And I've never understood why some states only require the rear plate.

Edited September 24, 2007 by trinacriabob

[Flybrian]

How does a second plate add security? Twice as expensive for the driver/state, unnecessary, clutters up the clean look of most cars. Front plates are more government waste and make it even lazier for police to do their jobs.

[Drew Dowdell]

if the trooper wanted you, he was going to get you from behind anyway.....

wait.... that didn't come out right.

[Robert Hall]

AZ, MI, and PA don't use front plates, IIRC. I'd rather see only a single rear plate. Front plates clutter up the look of many modern cars, like the Solstice or new CTS.

[trinacriabob]

How does a second plate add security?

clutters up the clean look of most cars.

Someone has committed a crime and you seen them backing out of a stall from the front but cannot get a good look at them from the rear of the vehicle, you can get their plate. There are certain times when you can catch a front plate but not the rear plate.

As for looks, I think that the cleanliness you refer to takes a back seat to the issue above...and this is from someone who is also invested in and critical of the appearance of automobiles.

Edited September 24, 2007 by trinacriabob

[SuperSport623]

all the car enthusiests around here hate them.... NY requires a front plate... for example... 4th gen f bodys ( i have a lot of friends who had them) look like ass with them... another friend was pissed off when he had to drill the nose of his 88 Monte Carlo SS to install a front plate

[the_yellow_dart]

Ontario requires them too. You see a lot of ricers who have bodykits with no spot for the plate put them in their front window. Cops will give you trouble for that, but a guy I knew fought it everytime becuase apparently that is legal.

[PurdueGuy]

IN doesn't require front plates. ID does. No way I'm drilling holes in my bumper - I'm making my own plate holders for my saturns.

front plates are evil.

[the_yellow_dart]

Speaking of license plates... Oh my...

[SuperSport623]

from what ive heard, that guy ( NGGA PLZ ) lives a few miles from me (he's a friend of a friend)

[Z-06]

How does a second plate add security? Twice as expensive for the driver/state, unnecessary, clutters up the clean look of most cars. Front plates are more government waste and make it even lazier for police to do their jobs.

+1. I do not like the front license plates.

AZ, MI, and PA don't use front plates, IIRC. I'd rather see only a single rear plate. Front plates clutter up the look of many modern cars, like the Solstice or new CTS.

So do KY, TN, NC, SC, WV, AL, AK. There are quite a few states that do not require front license plates. It is the west coast states that need them I think.

[Camino LS6]

Complete waste of money and an eyesore to boot!

[trinacriabob]

Well, like I've said before, I never have been a conformist.

But then, I never thought I'd be outnumbered 8:1 thus far.

[Intrepidation]

How does a second plate add security? Twice as expensive for the driver/state, unnecessary, clutters up the clean look of most cars. Front plates are more government waste and make it even lazier for police to do their jobs.

Complete waste of money and an eyesore to boot!

Exactly.

Its sucks that MA requires front plates...when we registered the Prizm in MA and got new plates, the front bumper had to be drilled in order to mount the front plate...KS doesn't require front plates (lucky)! Of course when the car was inspected they drilled the holes for me (without my consent really) and the damn thing is now mounted off center!

Front plates are, as said, a waste of money and ruin the look of many cars up front...they don't ad much "security"...because if a cop wants your ass, he'll get it...from behind.

[z28luvr01]

It's 10:1 now :AH-HA_wink:

Don't the cops use the front plates to bounce the radar off of in speed traps? In any case, I think the number of times a front plate comes in handy for catching a criminal would be very small. All car manfacturers have ceased integrating provisions for a front plate in the front bumper, most likely for the less-cluttered look like Fly mentioned, plus for aerodynamics as well. Ever see a Solstice with a front plate? Terrible.

[K.C.]

One really is enough. Everywhere I have lived, the tags have been on the front and back, but I like the uncluttered look of a tagless front end.

[Robert Hall]

+1. I do not like the front license plates.

So do KY, TN, NC, SC, WV, AL, AK. There are quite a few states that do not require front license plates. It is the west coast states that need them I think.

I suspect there are more states that do require them than those that don't...it's just not a west coast thing either, Ohio requires two, Colorado does, NY does, MA, etc...

I wouldn't mind 2 plates as much if we had the wide, slim European style plates, they look better on the front than our large plates, IMHO.

[Sixty8panther]

I voted NO cause I freekin' hate them.

No one ever backed away from the sceene of a crime all the way home!

But here;s the 3 reasons why they (big brother) want them.

1. Red light cameras

2. In a hit & run the imprint of the plate often stays on the other car (witnessed this myself)

3. Nice, flat reflective surface to bounce Radar waves off of

Mass requires front plates but not on my Y.O.M. plate that I have on my B-59...

[dimitri0917]

why is that plate in the picture being held by a white man?

:takes offense:

anyways, shouldn't front plates be backwards like ambulances so it's easier to see in the rear view?

[tmp]

I don't mind them. I sort of wish that designers would just take into consideration that states have them and design around it.

[Sixty8panther]

why is that plate in the picture being held by a white man?

:takes offense:

anyways, shouldn't front plates be backwards like ambulances so it's easier to see in the rear view?

I think that's the funniest thing evar... XP showed me that pic. like two years ago.

[mustang84]

To stick up for Bob, they can be a good thing. We have front plates in Iowa and a drunk driver hit my friends parked car and fled the scene. Unluckily for the drunk driver, the front license plate fell off and police apprehended her shortly after.

They look like ass, but there are benefits.

[ocnblu]

Out chur in Pennsyltucky we ain't got no front plates. We's enlightened! My cousin/boyfriend Darrell and his wife/mama Brenda don't like front plates neither! Git 'er done! Darrell says he don't wanna see NO plates ever again, since the man made him press 'em out when he got sent up for some sheep lovin'! Edited September 24, 2007 by ocnblu

[AAS]

I don't like having to drill into the front bumper, and agree that they ruin the look of the front end in lots of cases. I wouldn't mind if there was an option for a vinyl plate that you could apply (say with static cling, no adhesives) to the bumper or a corner of the windshield...

[BigPontiac]

I hate the front plate law in CT. Ugly.

Police use it as a nice flat reflective target for their laser guns too.

[DetroitNut90]

1 more reason why I like PA and DE: no front-mounted license plates. I absolutely loathe them.

[Cory Wolfe]

How does a second plate add security? Twice as expensive for the driver/state, unnecessary, clutters up the clean look of most cars. Front plates are more government waste and make it even lazier for police to do their jobs.

Complete waste of money and an eyesore to boot!

I can't stand front plates. I'd rather rack up the fines than to add an ungainly license plate.

[knightfan26917]

Someone has committed a crime and you seen them backing out of a stall from the front but cannot get a good look at them from the rear of the vehicle, you can get their plate. There are certain times when you can catch a front plate but not the rear plate.

I used to agree with this 100%, but when someone pointed out to me the fact that the front license plates do NOT have lights around them (like the back license plates do), I stopped agreeing 100%. After all, you are not going to be able to see the front plate very well at night.....unless you have a flashlight or something to shine on it.....

I don't mind front plates ... as long as the car is designed to integrate them, like the older cars. Newer cars ... just look weird with 'em .

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[K.C.]

Out chur in Pennsyltucky we ain't got no front plates. We's enlightened! My cousin/boyfriend Darrell and his wife/mama Brenda don't like front plates neither! Git 'er done! Darrell says he don't wanna see NO plates ever again, since the man made him press 'em out when he got sent up for some sheep lovin'!

And so does your brother DarrelL and your other brother Darrell.

[bobo]

Some law-enforcement agencies have license-plate reading cameras that are constantly scanning for stolen vehicles and such. The front plate would obviously help in this effort, though this is another incremental step for Big Brother, along with all the other camera enforcement systems.

I prefer having no front plate, and I've left it off two of my three vehicles.

[Flybrian]

Some law-enforcement agencies have license-plate reading cameras that are constantly scanning for stolen vehicles and such. The front plate would obviously help in this effort, though this is another incremental step for Big Brother, along with all the other camera enforcement systems.

Pinellas County makes do with these...

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I'm so glad NC doesn't require them... Besides, where would I hang that confederate flag plate if I had to run a front tag...

And yes, I would have no shame in that, it's my heritage.

[Drew Dowdell]

Out chur in Pennsyltucky we ain't got no front plates. We's enlightened! My cousin/boyfriend Darrell and his wife/mama Brenda don't like front plates neither! Git 'er done! Darrell says he don't wanna see NO plates ever again, since the man made him press 'em out when he got sent up for some sheep lovin'!

eeeeewe......

[K.C.]

:rotflmao:

[ToniCipriani]

I really don't care if there's a plate or not in the front. It's just happen so that the plate is too high. Everybody should just have UK-spec plates. Thin piece of plastic that just sticks on, doesn't obstruct anything.

Although there are talks about getting rid of the front plate in Ontario.

http://autos.canada.com/news/story.html?id...f1-b5fe0c6881b1

[regfootball]

it's ugly to have them in front, except that pic of the older cadillac where they used ot design a spot for then, that was ok...pretty nice actually.

[ToniCipriani]

it's ugly to have them in front, except that pic of the older cadillac where they used ot design a spot for then, that was ok...pretty nice actually.

Or the previous gen Vettes...

[trinacriabob]

Although there are talks about getting rid of the front plate in Ontario.

Funny, I'm in Quebec as I am posting and....no license plate on the front of my rented Buick Allure.

[K.C.]

Those Canadians do the craziest things.