How many of you don’t have your front license plate mounted?

How long can I expect to go in SoCal without getting fix-it ticket for my missing front plate?

 

I've been running without a front plate since November 24.03. I have had Sherriffs and CHP look right at me and, so far (knock on wood) haven't had a problem.
Jim

 

"It must have fallen off, Officer"

 

I've been pulled over and my lack of front plate never came up.

 

CVC 5200(a) requires both plates to be mounted. I got away with only having rear plates on my cars for years but they are cracking down on violators due to the growing popularity of red-light cameras. I got a fix-it-ticket a few years ago but hear that it is a pretty big fine now.

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/wa...ction=retrieve

 

28,000 miles so far and I was only pulled over once. Explained that it was a show car and he muct have been a Mini fan because he let me get away with it. You just have to be carefull.

 

I have been driving around LA for a year and a half with no front plate. Got a speeding ticket on the freeway in Oxnard, he never mentioned it. Got a speeding ticket on the highway in Central CA, never mentioned it. Yesterday, got pulled over and got a fix-it ticket....in Culver City.....just a function of how bored/busy they are, I guess. He did mention the red-light-camera thing, though. I'll probably take it off again after I get it signed off, and see if it happens again. Too many times and it won't be worth the hassle....have fun. Bruce in Santa Monica

 

I went over a year with a Euro plate but I finally got a fix it ticket a few months ago :smile:

 

naked front since august 2003... no problems yet (knock on wood), despite my city's sobriety check points, parking enforcement, and yesterday's cop presence at the socal/ norcal meet.

i'm thinking about just using zip ties and throwing the plate on the grill cuz i don't wanna drill through the bumper or deal with fixer tickets and such... or i could just copy that audi I saw yesterday

 

Here is a petition to get rid of this law http://www.petitiononline.com/caplate/petition.html

 

Does any one here own a corvette? Do they have the same problems? I don't think i have ever seen a corvette with a front plate.

 

I had a camaro w/o front plate. Would park on the street in Riverside, CA and ALWAYS got a fix-it ticket for no front license plate. Started parking in nearby parking garage of necessity. Was actually cheaper than meeters and never a problem. So far no problem with the MINI. But be forewarned. Cops need no reason to pull you over other than a vehicle code violation. So if you're out during probable drinking hours, you are fair game no matter how you are driving

 

Got my new MCS yesterday and, without asking me, the dealer did not mount the front plate holder. I got a fix-it ticket one time with my '02 MCS but now I am told that from this year it is now a $250 fine for not displaying a front plate - can anyone confirm this?

I did find on the CA DMV webpage that from 9/20/2005 it will be illegal for a dealer to sell a car without a front plate holder unless they have a signed document from the buyer acknowledging that the car is not CA-legal. So maybe the increased fine goes along with this?

The finance guy told me that he thought that the cops can only cite you for the plate in conjunction with another offense but, asking around, that seems to be wrong.

Anyone got any definitive answers? I don't mind getting a series of fixit tickets, but, if true, $250 a time is going to ruin my year.

 

I haven't had a problem, and I too have been pulled over (unrighteously, I might add).

 

This is what I heard from a friend who's neighbor is CHP. If your car "has" a bracket and no plate is mounted they will stop you and give you a ticket. However, if there "isn't" front bracket and you don't have a plate they won't bother you. The kicker is Meter maids will give you a ticket if you are parked at a meter w/o plate.

 

I have over 40K and never been bothered by it. I got pulled over once for having my tail lights tinted, but they didn't say anything about my front license plate. The cool thing is, if they ever ask you about it, you can always say that they just never put it on at the dealership, which is true. My father has a Cooper S and that happened to him, they let him go

 

I've always wanted my front plate removed. If I remove the bracket, are there plugs that I can buy (in hyper blue) that will cover up the existing holes?

Thanks,
Gary

 

Happens when you are parked - they are really getting on it in SoCal and NorCal from what I've seen, heard and I'm afraid experienced, at least in LA and SF.

Can't say if its going up (which wouldnt surprise me since its meant to make you put the plate on for the cameras) but the one I got in SF 6 months or so ago was $100.

 

No plate since 2/05. No problem yet and hope I don't have one.


Carry it behind the seat thinking that if I get stopped I'll put it in the front window or show the officer and say I am getting a bracket to mount. I don't have a problem with mounting it if I can devise a different way of doing so. I did see at some point a pic in a thread of a bracket that mounted below and held the plate out front a bit and to the side instead of drilling and being on the ugly black bracket Mini supplies.

 

yep. you can get some at: http://www.bumperplugs.com/

i believe they have carry a variety of colors. i have been pulled over for no front plate in santa monica. i got a fix it ticket. the motorcycle cop said they were cracking down.

 

I guess we are both goodie 2 shoes here because we both have front license plates. The cops around this area are fairly **** - so we're not willing to pay the heafty fine. I'd rather spend my hard earned money on something else.

Donna

 

i got a ticket that is $77 or $10 if i "fix it". problem is, there is nowhere to mount the front plate, and i really prefer to pay the $10. i'll take it off as soon as i get signed off. ( i got 2 tickets in 1 week for the same thing!)
can anyone help?

 

As a copper, I'll tell you that most real, non-traffic cops will only use having no seat belt as a tool to pull you over for something larger, i.e. DUI. It's only a $10.00 fix it ticket.

So, depending on where you live and how busy the cops are they probably won't ticket you for just no front plate.

Now the cops on motorcycles are a different story.

missyrn2b where do you live that they would keep giving you tickets for that?

As for the theory on needing a front plate for red light cameras, not true. The new cameras take pics/video of the front and rear.

 

I have 3 cars, all without the front plate mounted. Have never put this plate on any of may cars and have been driving in San Diego for 25 years with only 1 problem. An Oceanside motorcycle / radar cop pulled me over in the late 80's and gave me a fix-it ticket for not having the plate installed. However, I think the real reason he pulled me over was that he saw my radar detector mounted on the dash and was pissed off that he was not able to nail me. By the time he pulled me over I had the radar detector stashed under the seat!

When I purchased my MCS in November, from a dealer, they made me sign a form saying they provided me with a front bracket. The contract person told me it was rumored that California was going to start enforcing the front plate law with a hefty fine in 2006. I have not been able to confirm that and the bracket has since been removed and stored in my garage.

I suspect with all the red light camera's being installed this will become something some cities crack down on. No proof on that one, but many cities are generating some serious revenue from these cameras. If you drive the freeway a lot I think most CHP officers could care less.