M Brabus

One big reason for the crack down on front plates in the LA area is due to the growing number of intersections with 'photo ticketing'.

As cities invest in the equipment, they want to make sure those who run red lights can be found. They cannot find you without front plates.

It's all about the benjamins...

trench

My friend's dad is a San Jose, CA officer. He told us that he usually doesn't pull over cars for not having a front plate because he likes leaving an option open to pull the car over in the future if he suspects something else (weapons, drugs, driver has a warrant, etc.).

However, I suspect M Brabus is correct. The proliferation of photo-controlled intersections is probably leading to a crackdown on front plate requirements. This is especially true becasue photo-controlled intersections are purely a revenue generating device and have nothing to do with enforcing safety. A recent study showed that simply increasing the length of a yellow light by a couple of seconds drastically reduces the number of cars that run a red light. This information is usually supressed by the companies that own the photo-equipment, which the municipalities must rent and do not own (about 75% of the fine collected also goes to the photo-enforcement company as well). So really it's the companies making this system who are making the money.

Cheers, BT

C230 Sport Coup

As far as making them pay for the bumper, well that would be hard since I bought the car down south and live up north. CA's a big state, one that roughly covers the distance between New York and Florida. Funny we don't tend to think of it as being a problem though.
Besides there a good chance I'll get a fix ticket at some point and hae to put it back on, and it is a state law right? The dealer would be within their rights to do so. Now advertising would be different....like Niel Young says,
"don't play for Miller, don't play for Bud, don't play for nobody...this notes' for you!"
I'd refuse the car. Fortunately they don't do that crap here in CA. All the cars I see that have that are from Tennesse, or Florida or something.

NEXT: Yes, photo radar, the exact reason I rebelled and removed my plate in the first place.
But as fate would have it the judges didn't care much for it, and it almost is never used here.
I saw it get thrown out in Campbell, to the cops wide open mouth surprise, after they were the first to invest in the system.
Still, I'd just as soon go back to non-reflective paint versions, to make as difficult as possible to read it. I suppose in a criminal situation, it's useful, but for everyday Joes like us, who's only crime is liking to drive, and doing it well, I'll never give 'em an inch cause they'll take a mile. I've had 9 tickets dismissed in 15 years.
License plate is just fix it ticket.
On my '86 Bertone X19 it effects the cooling so it has to go! Yup, a FIAT by any other name. One of the the best handling car in the corners ever nade, slow on the straight.
A cheap legal go kart.:-)
http://users2.ev1.net/~gwc1/concours.htm
Some pics of prototypes, and my car on the green with them in the end.

MJ50

I got no-front-license-plate correction ticket to take care of.
Since I didn't want to drill holes on my front bumper, I checked DMV and it only stated that front plate has to be clearly visible and positioned not more than 60 inches from ground (can anybody confirm if lower windshield position is higher than 60"?). I also called local police department if it's legal to place front plate on the windshield and he said "yes". Just went to CHP today with plate mounted on lower corner of the windshield with 4 suction cups (passenger side) and damn officer said that's illegal. Everyone says different things and I'm gettin' confused. Do I have a legit chance to win this thingy or I have no choice but drill the hole on my bumper? Thanks.

Biznatch

Double side tape it to get the ticket dropped, tell them you are waiting on the bracket..

Then take it off..

My car had the holes drilled before i could stop em.

Buellwinkle

Technically, having it there is correct for that law, unfortunately, then you violate the law that says you can't have anything bigger than 5" sq. blocking that part of the windshield. Tiewrap it to the grille...

Deutscher_Wagen

Sadly mine did too, but I will have my local shop fix that soon.



Another alternative (but probably not within the 60 inches law) is to tape the license plate to the passenger side sun visor. Then keep it up when you are just driving around, but when you see a cop you can flip it down. Friend of mine did this for years and never had an issue.

I ususaly keep it on the passenger side dash, but I would be interested where I could get those sticky-cups from (at least decent quality ones that don't fall off everytime I drive over a small bump).

MJ50

thx guys..
i'm gonna try double-sided tape.. i hope the cop doesn't look very closely.
or maybe i'll just drill the damn hole and replace the plate with mb logo plate later. what the heck.
is there any CHP or police department in socal where they are open on weekends?
i tried CHP and court in downtown but they were both closed on weekends.

MB-BOB

You could try this. Essentially an "L" shaped bracket that attaches via holes in the bottom of the bumper, not the front face, and uses the standard MB license plate holder. Also allows you to remove/replace it when needed.

This was posted by someone ages ago, and I think it's an elegant solution. I have it in my to-do list if I ever get pulled over for my lack of front plate.

Saprissa

Mr. Bob,
you're my hero !!!

drexappeal

I got a front license plate ticket after the 1st month I had the car. The cop actually felt REALLY bad and said that he wouldn't have even bothered stopping me, but they're heavily inforcing the rule now (especially at lights that have cameras).

I've heard conflicting stories on what's legal and what's not with regard to the front license plate. Regardless, I just kept mine on there after I got it corrected. Eventually, when I get a new "aftermarket" front bumper (not sure which one yet), I'll probably see if it can fit in the grill. I've heard that you can technically put it "behind the grill" and it would be considered "legal". But who knows. I'm not even at that point yet. Gotta save up $ to get the body kit/coilovers/rims.

mj50, as for your question about "where are any CHP's open on Saturdays", MOST of them are closed, but you also have the alternative of having a front license plate ticket corrected at the Sheriff's department as well, so if you can't get to a CHP during the day, you can always try finding a sheriff station clost to you.

Here's a link of their locations in LA County:
LINK: LA COUNTY SHERIFF STATION LOCATIONS

C32Andy

My car had the holes drilled before i could stop em.[/QUOTE]

mine too

Saprissa

I refuse to drill holes on my new SportCoupé AMG front bumper,
but Mr. Bob's bottom attachment concept may be the solution should I "need" to affix a front license plate. No way I would drill holes in the front face.

Blake P

I've been debating this issue recently too, since I'm getting an AMG bumper and would rather not put holes in it like my ugly stock one has. I have just heard of so many people getting tickets in CA lately for no front plate...

Saprissa

I was stopped by CHP, and asked why I didn't have a front license plate.
I told them that my car was a European Special Edition (which is kinda true, at least my front bumper is ), and that the car didn't have a front plate mounting system. The Officer said that he has come across many European cars without front plates, and is just writing them warning or fix-it citations. He let me go without either ( I know I was lucky ), but did say that I should go back to the dealer and make them put the bracket on. YEAH RIGHT !!!! Later.......

Chedeng_05

How much does a "fix it" ticket cost? It used to be free, but i've heard that they no longer do that. And that they actually charge a fee now for a "fix it" ticket.

PsssTkiD

i got a fix it ticket........like 20 bucks.....i got scared..so i drilled holes rite away.....

i want them off again.......wuts the best way to fix the holes??..

rockintunes23

Just drill the holes or put clips on the plastic! JEEZ, if you do not want a front license plate, THEN MOVE DING DONG! You could live where I am, only play 2 percent sales tax, need to get your car inspected every five years, and ONLY HAVE ONE REAR PLATE. BY the WAY, do a search on this topic CAUSE it has already been COVERED!

PacificIslander

We had to sign a License Plate Document at the Dealer and choose how we prefer to have the Front Plates affixed on the front bumper. Dealer or Do-It-Yourself...of course, in bold letters it states that the Dealer is not responsible for any traffic violations relating to No Front Plates.


Always best to be safe, though.

MB-BOB

Easy there, dude. Not everyone is so fortunate as to live in a tiny blue state so close to Taxachusetts... You may pay only 2% sales tax, but your state corporate income tax rate ranks 10th highest in the nation and your individual income tax rate is well within the upper half... certainly more than the ten states with NO state income tax. And your real estate taxes, whoa!

BTW, the law requires only rear plates in Oklahoma and Kansas, too, but I suppose you don't want to be associated with that thought. To each his own.

MJ50

i'm gonna drill the hole this weekend.
don't want cops to say "oh it's too close from the ground blah blah blah..."

Blake P

Looks like the coppers won this round...

formula1

I drilled holes on my AMG bumper the very minute it's installed. No biggie.

Wiedermann

As my posting title, not relevant to the discussion, but could not resist Mr. Formula1's quote as seen above...

Well... to me, Ayrton Senna and Allen Prost... two of the greatest and ONLY ledgends in Formula 1. This is back in the day when Formula 1s were out of all the electronis and computing where pilots had to "know" the car, cause they had no way to measure fuel, etc, etc and many times drivers would just literally run out of fuel and they would be out...

Prost and Senna were at a point part of the same team McLaren running on Honda engines... whelp???... while those two run in the same team... those were the first 2 cars on almost every race... (this is back in the 80s before Formula ones went from supercharged engines to naturally aspirated, blah, blah).

Prost got to retire, Senna (his successor as he became the "it" after Prost retirement) sadly died not even racing... (accident at the race track, practice laps??... something like it... I am sure Mr Formula 1 has the beans and can correct me on my inaccuracies)

Cheers!

Wiedermann

FrankW

not a single car in the family has front plate except our crappy minivan. my dad got a $25 dollar fine for the ML430 before tho, but it wasn't a fix-it ticket.