wakipaki

Do any of yall know the legal requirements for a front license plate. I'm pretty sure it is required by law, but does it matter where you put it?

I want to take off the front license plate on my CL (it makes the front look horrible IMO), but at the same time I don't want to get ticketed for not having a front license plate. If I just stick the license plate inside my car so it displays in the front windshield, will it still be considered "legal" or not?

cltypeSLOW

it has to be on the front bumper. i live in texas and i have never ran a front plate on any of my cars. although i have friends that have gotten multiple tickets for it here in tx.

i keep my front plate in my car at all times under the pass seat...this way if i get pulled over i just say "sorry officer i got in a wreck and the bodyshop never put the plate back on....i ordered the brakcet for it im just waiting for it to come in the mail"

its worked many times with the state troopers.

asianspec

iTrader: (1)

hahaha imma going to steal that phrase.

htown

I've been pulled over 10 times for no front plate. 9 warnings and I got one ticket by some asshole cop who did a 360 when he was chasing someone else. Photoshopped a front plate on and printed it out at one of those walgreens printer booth so it looked real. If you looked closely, it looks fake as hell. Gave it to the judge, dismissed. No court fee.

wakipaki

wow, man that really sucks...there goes the thought of having a cleann bumper =(

htown

Who cares, its just warnings. Better then the barndoor blocking my bumper

typeS6S

just tell the officer that you had gotten the license plate stolen and you are planning to go to the DMV within the next couple of days... Works wonders

wakipaki

i'm really tempted to do that...but...
1)i'm 18, insurance is already high, i don't want it to go higher bc of a ticket for a stupid reason.
2)my dad pays my insurance...if my insurance went higher...i'd definitely feel guilty

i'm gonna look into it more and see if that many people really get ticketed for something like that. So to take off the bracket, i'm assuming just taking off the two screws at bottom will loosen it?

PacoCLType-S

I ran 4 years in CT with a euro tag on the front of my old Saab, only time I was hassled was at Westchester Cty Airport because the cop was bored. Couldn't do anything since my car wasn't registered in NY. Once I get the tags for my CLS, front will be going in my basement right where my last one was. I've paid attention, and in CT, about 1 in 10 cars doesn't have a front tag, and it's not just punks like me. It's like mini-vans and old people in Oldsmobiles too, so I figure it can't be that big a deal.

Zippee

If you run without the front plate it gives a cop an excuse to pull you over, and he can give you a ticket if he wants to.

You gotta decide if it's worth the risk.

htown

Worth it!

type_speed

it depends on what cops you run into. Usually, the pigs pull over the typical dropped cl with a loud exhaust and his/her bass thumping. But if you just have a stock clean cl, and maybe a plate on the windshield, cops will usually think twice before giving up their time to eat another donut and pull you over. I've lived in Austin and Dallas with my cl and my plate is on the windshield, the first two digits of my number covered by a parking sticker-haven't gotten pulled over yet. then again. my cl is completely stock.

Lord Helmet

Nice, htown.

Photoshop FTW!

D3MTRSPT

I'm with Htown ! I have pulled over and the messed up thing is I only get pulled over in SUgarland because they really dont have anything else to do. ITs been about 3-4 times with thos e dudes and still no ticket (knock on Wood)!! I have it on there right now though because my wife has been driving it and I dont want here to get pulled over every other day. Stupid Cops

wakipaki

that reassures me, i think i'm going to go ahead and take off the front plate. i just hope theres no drilling or anything behind it.

htown

gr4mm4t0n

good luck with that. i took my front plate off to find two large holes drilled into the nose.... plate went back on.

AustinTaper

my experience (i live in TX) was 2 warnings and 1 ticket. The ticket is labeled as an 'Equipment Violation' rather than a 'Moving Violation'. This is good and bad. It is good because it is not going to impact your insurance, but it is bad because you can't take defensive driving to dismiss it. I had to pay the fine but again it doesnt go against your insurance record.

cltypeSLOW

u shouldnt have had to pay it...usually they dismiss if you show proof that you put it on.

gaping46and2

iTrader: (2)

Same here, and a worn area around the black frame against the bumper.

Doobieman

keeping your plate on the dashboard against the windshield is actually a pretty bad idea. imagine if you get into an accident and you have a sharp metal plate fly at your head going 60mph? i just keep my plate on as to not give the bacon any excuse to pull me over and then possibly find illegal "substances" or activities going on in the car.

type_speed

yes, unless you have anything to do with illegal "substances" it would be safer to keep your plate on the bumper. Remember, I am not endorsing you do this, but it really depends. 1) putting it on the windshield can be bad. ie. the cop sees it on the windshield and that reminds himself. 2) the plate flying by your head thing, but that is kinda what you see in those "final destination" stupid movies. 3) taking the plate off completely is the best bet if you want to take the plate off. Most newer model cars Ive seen in texas do not have their front license plates. Again. I am not here to reassure you but to tell you my experiences with my plates. I currently live in Dallas. A very conservative city. As NWA would say. F* the police

wakipaki

so i finally took off the front plate

damn license plate bracket has made little (ok...quite noticable) indentions on the bumper =(
not cool
but regardless...it still looks a hell of a lot better than with the license plate

i looked at the price of a new bumper at acuraoemparts.com, its ~$200, i'd consider getting it...but only if it's painted.