Still waiting for mine to arrive and wondering what the penalty is for not having one on? I've actually seen quite a few cars (mostly nice cars like corvettes, BMWs, etc...) that don't have a front license plate, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal to not have one in Texas.


With this being said, when you're on a tollroad, it scans your front license plate right? I'm currently using my old tolltag to pay, but I'm wondering what would happen if I didn't even use my tolltag and didn't have a front license plate? Free tolls??

You get a paper from the dealer that you carry as your registration until your plate and tags arrive. As for tolls, they can scan front and back but with dealer plates they wont bother. Just did this on the new truck I bought in Feb, 3 weeks of running bush tollway four times a day and was never charged.

hhaaha that's awesome


how often does one get pulled over for no license plate? My dealer ones say 04-02-11.... so it's pretty obvious now they're expired

I think my time has run up

State trooper just gave me a warning.

What's a front plate?

but seriously... the toll lanes scan rear plates, as every state requires a rear plate, but they don't all require fronts.

With that being said... I fully expect to be stopped next time I drive home for not having a front plate or a visible registration and inspection sticker...

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nice cars

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Honda Accords do not fall into this class. Therefore, by law, you are required to mount your front plates.

What Mike said

Is it just a warning? I might test my luck with no front one because I'm too lazy to go to the store and find the right fitting screws to put them on.

I'll just always have it in my passenger seat and tell the cop I was just on the way to the store to buy screws

I've driven 4 days now with an expired dealer plate (04/02/11)...

I actually read something about a guy who made this thing on his car where he presses a button, and this thing spring shuts and covers his license plates so he can drive through tolls. GENIUS

If your temporary tag expired 4/2/2011, you've been driving more than just 4 days on expired tags.

If your temporary tag expired and your real plates haven't arrived, the dealer should give you a new temporary tag.

It's odd that your plates haven't arrived though. You might do some checking to see if they've been lost in the mail. I think the dealers usually give you 90 days on the temporary tags, and it doesn't typically take near that long to get the new plates in.

[This message has been edited by F W ag 01 (edited 5/6/2011 10:52p).]

I'm like a kid waiting for the mailman with my new US66 plate...

oh the ridiculous things I get excited about

My dealer tags only took 3 weeks, I was pizzed because I wanted more free toll

Very few of my friends run them on their sports cars. Looks, aero, and in some cases cooling can be affected by a front plate. Plus no one wants to put holes in their prize sports car's bumper.

In 4 years I've gotten 2 tickets for not having a front plate. I considered fighting them but it wasn't a significant fine amount, and it doesn't count toward points on your license as it's not a moving violation.

Dallas PD doesn't seem to care; I've only ever been warned/ticketed/hassled by DPS deputies.

Front plates give law enforcement something to aim their radar/laser at, and they give them something to tack on to whatever else you got pulled over for. But if you're getting pulled over the cop has ample time to see and pull data on your rear plate...

Forgot to mention, running a front plate by sticking it to your windshield/dashboard is technically illegal too, as it is not "at the front of the vehicle". I was doing that for a few months but decided to stop, since the plate could become a projectile in an accident.


[This message has been edited by madd_ag_05 (edited 5/7/2011 1:20a).]

$65. Couple guys in our vette club have been stopped and none of us with a 97 and newer are going to drill holes or alter the front to accomadate a front plate.

I've had my Lexus GS for 1.5 years now and I haven't and won't put a front license plate on it. They look stupid and I sure as hell am not drilling holes into my bumper.

I live in DFW and have never been pulled over for it yet (*knock on wood*), but if I did, I'd just pay the fine and keep on keeping on with no plate.

I got my plates from my dealer in 3 days. What the **** is your problem? Your dealer hate you as much as we do?

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I might test my luck with no front one because I'm too busy being an idiot on TexAgs to go to the store and find the right fitting screws to put them on.

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FIFY

$65 isn't bad.

I'm in DFW as well. I'm sure we're all getting pulled over for it this weekend now that we've discussed it.

No...not really

Ive been pulled over and asked about it several times before. I go with the "i just got the car out of the body shop to replace the front bumper/quarter/hood and the dealer must not have put the front plate back on. Thanks for the heads up, i'll be heading there soon to have them take care of it."

Its worked every time.

Lol. I like my idea of always having it in my front seat and telling the cop I'm on my way to the store to get the screws

Technically you could even get arrested for not having a front LP.

If you get anything besides a warning, it will be a citation issued under the Transportation Code, which means you will owe a fine. Many courts will dismiss or reduce the fine if you fix the equipment violation then show the court. Sort of like citations for tint or blacked out tail lights.

Wow, this is my pet peeve! I got stopped last week in Brazos County for no front plate. The Troopers almost all know my cars and are getting a little testy about the fact I won't run front plates on my two SRTs (I didn't have one on my Miata I sold Dubi either). I just installed this on my daughters car and have one for my Jeep.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khzkAgs5GVY

As for the ticket, in Texas, a Judge MUST dismiss the ticket if you install the plate on the vehicle before your court date. With a "Sho and Go", you can flip it up and just go show the JP and he must dismiss the ticket. I guess if you were brave enough, you could try to flip it up before the cop stopped you and insist it was always there. Most cops will not write you a ticket for no license plate unless the have stopped you before. HOWEVER, WATCH OUT FOR HIGHWAY PATROL. They have a relatively new in car computer system that allows them to track ALL CONTACTS by car or person, even warnings, made by any Highway patrol. If you've been stopped before and given a warning, they will know it so don't try and BS them.

Oh, and DB is correct, you can get arrested for no plate if they want. It would be immensely chicken sh*t but, some I've met recently might just do it.



[This message has been edited by litig8r187 (edited 5/7/2011 7:12p).]

Haven't had one on my car for three years. Got pulled over outside of Brady about 8 months ago, and got a warning. Still haven't put it on, and don't plan to. It is a stupid law to require them.

[This message has been edited by 1876er (edited 5/7/2011 7:38p).]

quote:

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They have a relatively new in car computer system that allows them to track ALL CONTACTS by car or person, even warnings, made by any Highway patrol. If you've been stopped before and given a warning, they will know it so don't try and BS them.

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"I bet these cops got SCMODS..."

FWIW... They can and will run paper tags if they choose. They are linked back to you and are in the computer system. They can be run just like any other plate.

DBS

I don't run a front plate on my 911 and haven't ever been pulled over for it.

Somehow, my front plate holder on my F-250 broke and I didn't run a front plate on it for about 2 weeks. I got pulled over by DPS for no other reason than no front plate. I showed him the dirty plate still mounted to the broken plate holder and he let me go with a warning. I went to the Ford house that day and got a new plate holder.

I failed my first driving test for my license because of missing front plate... I thought it was a stupid quiz question...

Trooper: "Do you know where you front license plate is?"

Me: "Ahhh... On the front of the car?"

Trooper: "Failed. See you next week."

I carry my front plate down between the passenger seat and the center console. Been pulled over twice for other things and I just pull the plate out and set it on the front passenger seat along with a screwdriver from the center console and if the cop asks I tell him that I was just on my way over to a buddy's house to install a special bracket that he fabricated for me to mount the front plate on. Worked both times so far. I guess they figure why else would I be carrying my front plate and a screwdriver in my front passenger seat.

[This message has been edited by 92Ag95 (edited 5/8/2011 12:48a).]

92ag, that's EXACTLY my plan as well

My plan you ask?

Put the stupid plate in the stupid holes that were pre-drilled in my front bumper. Of course I don't have a fancy sports car either.

I have front plates on my truck and the wife's Genesis (although I offered to lose the front plate on the Genesis but the SO said NO) I just can't stand the thought of putting a very ugly, mostly "whitish" front plate on a mostly murdered vehicle. I already have to put that abomination on the back. I have gone to myplates.com and looked at their plates but they don't have a simple all black plate with white letters, kinda like the early 60's plates. If they did, I would be all in and probably run it on front.

That's pretty simple and black and white. I still wouldn't want it on the front though. A bill removing the front plate was once again put forth in the state house but was shot down. I thought with the budget issues this might have been the year it passed.

[This message has been edited by CT'97 (edited 5/8/2011 2:24p).]

I've always gotten a warning. I just got a new G37 though and the effing dealer drilled 2 holes in the front for the license plate.

Yeah I got a ticket for it once, but I was speeding on a country road. Got pulled over, and he threw that on there as well. Have also heard from a friend that he got a ticket for it once, duct taped the plate to the front, took a picture, showed it in court, and got it dismissed. Got home and took the plate off. Makes sense I guess. Not drilling into my bumper though. I've gone without for 4 years and gotten one ticket and never actually pulled over for it.