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#11418 - 07/01/07 08:56 PM Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


Pondering lately...

Live in Virginia; one must display a front license plate. I drove a Jeep for 6 months and never had a front plate bracket, but never a problem (kept the plate under the seat just in case).

I live in nova and numerous Md, Pa, and WV vehicles frequent the area (Pennsylvania does not require a front license plate). I have always hated a front license plates, vehicles look much more attractive without one (xterras definitely included).

If one were to install an arb bumper with a winch, for example, one couldn't display his/her tag properly, thus the same situation.

My dilemma is whether or not to display the front plate. Have several friends that are split among opinions. Your initial reaction may be to neglect the idea but after thought...

-One viewing the vehicle from behind would not suspect a lack of front tag.

-One viewing the vehicle from the front would disregard (assume PA vehicle)

the only way law enforcement would realize this is after a walk-around of the vehicle. Is my location just numb to this rule because of the states in proximity?

thoughts? Does anyone feel the same way or am I crazy?

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#11419 - 07/01/07 09:31 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
sandmanX Offline
Member

Registered: 17/09/00
Posts: 577
Loc: Ridgecrest California
When you're in your truck, you can't see your front license plate.

Don't worry about it.
_________________________
gazeinwidewonder | flickr | geocaching

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#11420 - 07/01/07 10:01 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Lightning Offline
Member

Registered: 07/03/01
Posts: 1004
Loc: High Point, NC
I remember a while back someone talking about how they had their front plate mounted. They had attached two Mag-Light mounts to the backside of their plate and clipped it onto their winch fairlead. Might be an option for you.
_________________________
'00 4x4 V6 XE

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#11421 - 07/01/07 10:11 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


lightning, my buddy in il. had done that as well. in Il. you need to have a front plate.

i think it depends more on you state authority.

see the law and obey.

[ThumbsUp]

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#11422 - 07/01/07 11:09 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Xterra Kid 2003 Offline
Member

Registered: 31/01/03
Posts: 1368
Loc: Bozeman MT, originally Detroit...
Living in Montana where fron plates are requred and still having Michigan (no front required) plates I am on of the very few cars around town without a front plate. I would say 1 in 5,000 cars in town doesnt have a front plate. Yet I have never been stopped after passing a police head on to question the plate.
_________________________
Shall we ski today? Yes of course, every day we can.

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#11423 - 08/01/07 03:42 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


If your in a state that requires a front plate, and do not have one... it makes it really easy for cops to see an out of state'r, and gives them other stuff to look for. For example, AZ requires no front plate, but when i drove to MN, i got pulled over on the freeway and got a warning for my Tints being to dark! Theres no way he could of seen tints at 70mph. He just saw an out of state'r.

Anyways... TJM has a resolution to those probelms with the winch bumper.

[img]http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/cruiserconnection_1931_16242653[/img]
Quote:
TJM License Plate Holderpad

Holds front license plate neatly in front of roller fairlead, flips up out of the way for easy winch cable access.

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#11424 - 08/01/07 04:21 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


I got two tickets in the state of MD for not having a front plate. It took 6 months to get the first one, then 2 days later, I got the second one. So, I moved to NC where it's not required to have a front plate.

My reco: put it on.

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#11425 - 08/01/07 05:32 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


In MA they used to require 1 rear plate, now it's 2 plates...

If you still have the older single plate, they DON'T make you change to the new plates when you renew your registration...

So in MA it's both! [Huh?]

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#11426 - 08/01/07 05:43 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Lightning Offline
Member

Registered: 07/03/01
Posts: 1004
Loc: High Point, NC

That's an idea I've been thinking about too... .always late to the punch!
_________________________
'00 4x4 V6 XE

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#11427 - 08/01/07 06:14 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
ChuckH Offline
Member

Registered: 27/02/01
Posts: 5206
Loc: Seattle, WA
I've never understood the big deal about front plates. If it looks bad up front, then it must look bad out back, so you may as well just remove them both! Personally, I like the front plate. It not only covers up what is usually a plain part of most cars anyway, but it identifies my cars as mine! Anyway, if your State requires it then put it on, if they don't then do whatever. I guess I'm just not that concerned about how my cars look plate vs. no plate... seems silly to me.

There is no excuse to not have one on an ARB or any aftermarket bumper. You can use the maglite mounts (not very secure, but OK), zip tie, add a plate mount, bolt it directly to the bumper... whatever. You may have to drill a couple holes in the bumper to make it nice, but so what? Neither my front or rear bumper had plate mounts, so I made my own. I take that back, the ARB comes with one, but it's kinda cheesy and hangs the plate in a bad spot.

My ARB isn't normal anymore, but this is how I did mine. It's just an aluminum plate mounted to the bumper above the fairlead that the license plate attaches to. SInce this picture, I have moved the mount up a bit for my new plates because I didn't want to hack the bottom of the new plate off.

_________________________
ChuckH
"Every morning when I wake up I know it's not going to get any better 'til I go back to sleep again!" Al Bundy

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#11428 - 08/01/07 06:31 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


Quote:
Originally posted by PHXX:
If your in a state that requires a front plate, and do not have one... it makes it really easy for cops to see an out of state'r, and gives them other stuff to look for. For example, AZ requires no front plate, but when i drove to MN, i got pulled over on the freeway and got a warning for my Tints being to dark! Theres no way he could of seen tints at 70mph. He just saw an out of state'r.

Anyways... TJM has a resolution to those probelms with the winch bumper.

[img]http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/cruiserconnection_1931_16242653[/img]
Quote:
TJM License Plate Holderpad

Holds front license plate neatly in front of roller fairlead, flips up out of the way for easy winch cable access.
Got a link, Preston? Did a quick search on Google and the TJM site and I got nothing. that will work very nice with my new Shrock laugh

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#11429 - 08/01/07 07:12 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


I live in NoVA too, cops are always patrolling our parking lots and other parking lots looking for violations like this.

I would put it on, not worth the $60 ticket.

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#11430 - 08/01/07 07:50 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


aaaandd....if you ever get pulled over for something else, its another ticket they can pile on top...

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#11431 - 08/01/07 02:41 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
XPLORx4 Offline
Member

Registered: 23/03/01
Posts: 1906
Loc: San Jose, CA
If you have a roller fairlead, just make your own:

--> click me <--

_________________________
4x4 in uppercase is $X$!!!
1997 R50: VG33E/RE4R01A/TX10/3.7/R200A/ARB/4.636/H233B/ARB/4.636/321150R15

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#11432 - 08/01/07 04:01 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


dig that maglight setup...thanks for the feedback, I concur with everyone's opinions

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#11433 - 08/01/07 04:24 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


I have the maglite solution done to my front plate and those are attached to a standard plate frame that you can pick up at AutoZone or PepBoys...works fine, don't need those joist things to do it. There have been times when I've taken it off road and forgot to remove the front plate...whoever said it's "not strong" has it wrong...it's plenty strong to hold the plate on there...I have to use some force to pull it off the rollers on the fairlead...it's not going anywhere unless I take it off wink

I've had mine off since a run we did back in October, and I actually forgot to put it back on...have had no problems with it not being on the truck...even pulled up to a parking spot in front of a local cop at a Friday's here in town, and he called me over to his car when I got out...he didn't want to talk about my front plate, he just wanted to ask where I take the truck off road, and commented on how much he liked it wink Not all cops are as bad as they are up in NoVA. Some down here actually have better things to do than patrol the parking lots looking for horse shit violations to meet their quota or make the city a quick buck.

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#11434 - 08/01/07 05:14 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Kaiser Offline
Member

Registered: 18/01/03
Posts: 6372
Loc: Austin, Texas
I just screwed mine onto the side... nobody's ever given me grief over it:



(wheel attachment sold separately...)
_________________________
Warning! Do not sear the top of your neck hole in the molten lactate extract of hoofed mammals.

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#11435 - 08/01/07 07:30 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Xorand Offline
Member

Registered: 02/04/03
Posts: 2163
Loc: LA (Lower Alabama)
Move to Alabama. Hell, they don't even require a rear plate here on a new vehicle. The concept of a temp tag for recently purchased vehicles is unheard of. You see a lot of new (or recently purchased used) vehicles running around with absolutely nothing in the license plate bracket.
_________________________
2002 Just Blue XE 4x4

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#11436 - 08/01/07 08:06 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


I just grabbed a couple of bolts and bolted it through where Jim laser-cut the Shrockworks logo.


Nobody's given me any hassle about it yet. After all, it's on there. wink

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#11437 - 08/01/07 08:35 PM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


I think it is all a matter of what weighing what is more important to you, paying a $86 ticket vs going to court to see if the judge will "comply" you with the law for installing the plate after the ticket vs making what arrangements are neccesary to obey the law now. Most officers don't/won't stop you for it, but if you go through a road check, or get pulled for something else, then you are likely to get a ticket for that as well. I think the way the law reads in VA it says something along the lines that your front tag must be "securely mounted and easily visible on the front of the vehicle." Hope that helps some.

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#11438 - 09/01/07 07:09 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


I have never had a front license plate on any of my vehicles for the past 11 years, yet I actually put one on my X 2 days ago. I have gotten pulled over for speeding in my mustang and they did write me a ticket for no plate. I had to go to court, with a picture of the palte on the car, (double sided tape, snaped a pic, took the plate off) and it looked fine for the judge, no fine, no nothing, even got my speeding ticket thrown out. I have noticed a lot of cops eye balling me lately though so I put it on to avoid hassle by the man. I think the cops are too lazy to pull you over for no plate, but if they pull you over for speeding, no seatbelt, or some kind of moving violation, they usually check for plates just to bust you while they got you.

As for the X, the front plate has a smoke cover over it so it blends in pretty well with the grey bumper. I don't mind it, but I would rather not have it.

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#11439 - 09/01/07 08:39 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


If the law requires you to have a front plate in your state, just obey the law it is as simple as that. To me it’s just too much hassle to try and break it. Speaking of plates though, I was pulled over in Schiller Park, IL which is a suburb in Chicago for not having a front plate on. I have a Chicago Cubs front plate since I live in Georgia where the law doesn’t require a front plate. The officer didn’t know that and had to call the station for clarification. Not sure if Schiller Park officers don’t have anything better to do or maybe he was just a White Sox fan.


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#11440 - 09/01/07 10:19 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


I thought about this myself.
In my city, people are stealing plates and/or ripping them off, cutting them for the registration tags.

My back plate is much harder to mess with, the front would be a simple tug and it'd rip off.

So I keep my front plate handy inside. I've been questioned once about it by a cop. Told him why it's not on the front, he said "OK".

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#11441 - 13/01/07 09:44 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Anonymous
Unregistered


Quote:
Originally posted by PHXX:
...i got pulled over on the freeway and got a warning for my Tints being to dark! Theres no way he could of seen tints at 70mph. He just saw an out of state'r.
Wanna bet on tint spotting? You're lucky he didn't give you his autograph.

The great state of WA says:

RCW 46.16.240
"Attachment of plates to vehicles -- Violations enumerated.

The vehicle license number plates shall be attached conspicuously at the front and rear of each vehicle for which the same are issued and in such a manner that they can be plainly seen and read at all times. However, if only one license number plate is legally issued for any vehicle such plate shall be conspicuously attached to the rear of such vehicle. Each vehicle license number plate shall be placed or hung in a horizontal position at a distance of not more than four feet from the ground and shall be kept clean so as to be plainly seen and read at all times. In cases where the body construction of the vehicle is such that compliance with this section is impossible, permission to deviate therefrom may be granted by the state patrol. It shall be unlawful to display upon the front or rear of any vehicle, vehicle license number plate or plates other than those furnished by the director for such vehicle or to display upon any vehicle any vehicle license number plate or plates which have been in any manner changed, altered, disfigured or have become illegible. License plate frames may be used on vehicle license number plates only if the frames do not obscure license tabs or identifying letters or numbers on the plates and the plates can be plainly seen and read at all times. It is unlawful to use any holders, frames, or any materials that in any manner change, alter, or make the vehicle license number plates illegible. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate any vehicle unless there shall be displayed thereon valid vehicle license number plates attached as herein provided."

Fine for non-compliance of the above is $101.00.

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#11442 - 13/01/07 10:32 AM Re: Inner conflict about front license plates
Kaiser Offline
Member

Registered: 18/01/03
Posts: 6372
Loc: Austin, Texas
I obey the law on my truck - but I don't on the S2000... plates look ridiculous on them and they block airflow and hurt the aerodynamics (I'm sure the last two have a negligible effect - but it makes my argument sound less vain wink )
_________________________
Warning! Do not sear the top of your neck hole in the molten lactate extract of hoofed mammals.

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