Possible alternative for front mount plates?
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Joined: November 28, 2004
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Several threads on this already.
As a cop in the State of Missouri, I can pretty much tell you that any state that has a two plate law can pull you over for sticking it in the window.
The point of the front plate is for identification. Thugs, dirtbags, etc, put plates on their dash and then just pull them off during the robbery, theft, whatever. Therefore most states that have the dual plate laws, Missouri included, require two plates physically MOUNTED to the exterior front and rear of the vehicle.
Search for a prior thread or 12 on this.
It takes two tiny little holes and is no big deal. I have two plates and no single person has stopped me and said that darn your car sux cause it has the front plate on it.
Feel free to put it in the window but don't get upset when you get pulled over and get a ticket anyway.
As a cop in the State of Missouri, I can pretty much tell you that any state that has a two plate law can pull you over for sticking it in the window.
The point of the front plate is for identification. Thugs, dirtbags, etc, put plates on their dash and then just pull them off during the robbery, theft, whatever. Therefore most states that have the dual plate laws, Missouri included, require two plates physically MOUNTED to the exterior front and rear of the vehicle.
Search for a prior thread or 12 on this.
It takes two tiny little holes and is no big deal. I have two plates and no single person has stopped me and said that darn your car sux cause it has the front plate on it.
Feel free to put it in the window but don't get upset when you get pulled over and get a ticket anyway.
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Great. We'll at least we've heard it from officers that the window mount won't fly. :cop:
Maybe I'll just have the dealer mount it after all. I mean, I don't think I'll be moving to a state with no front plate any time soon so the holes will never be seen.
Maybe I'll just have the dealer mount it after all. I mean, I don't think I'll be moving to a state with no front plate any time soon so the holes will never be seen.
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Originally posted by bryman@November 26, 2005, 10:56 PM
OK, I am really bored tonight so I decided to try it out with my existing car. I am sorry for the blurry pics but it was quick-and-dirty. These suction cups worked better than I thought, and I didn't even have to use the hooks. I took the hooks off and used a small flathead screwdriver to squeeze one side of the "nipple" so that it went through the holes in the plate. It was a perfect fit and held the plate snugly when I popped them through. I suctioned it to the glass, and tugged at it - it's definitely not going anywhere. The rubber should also dampen any vibrations, and since it doesn't touch the glass, it should be rattle-free. And from the pics, I think it is plainly visible from the front. I think the stang will have a less angled windscreen than my Acura, so it should be even easier to see, to give the cops less of an excuse. The only drawback is that it is pretty friggin huge in the interior, but I don't think it would bother me as much as it would bother my passenger. So that's the dillema.
OK, I am really bored tonight so I decided to try it out with my existing car. I am sorry for the blurry pics but it was quick-and-dirty. These suction cups worked better than I thought, and I didn't even have to use the hooks. I took the hooks off and used a small flathead screwdriver to squeeze one side of the "nipple" so that it went through the holes in the plate. It was a perfect fit and held the plate snugly when I popped them through. I suctioned it to the glass, and tugged at it - it's definitely not going anywhere. The rubber should also dampen any vibrations, and since it doesn't touch the glass, it should be rattle-free. And from the pics, I think it is plainly visible from the front. I think the stang will have a less angled windscreen than my Acura, so it should be even easier to see, to give the cops less of an excuse. The only drawback is that it is pretty friggin huge in the interior, but I don't think it would bother me as much as it would bother my passenger. So that's the dillema.
I did something like that this weekend. Only used suction cups for the top holes and lined the entire back of the plate with felt. Looks a lot better than having the plate up front on the bumper. also blends into the interior with the black felt.
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Originally posted by shatter@December 4, 2005, 10:05 PM
I know this will start a flame war but...
License plate shown in front windshield = rice
I know this will start a flame war but...
License plate shown in front windshield = rice
Ok you're entitled to your own opinion but I can garuntee you that the majority of people I know who are not ricers will certainly disagree.
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Having been T-boned by a lady running a red-light I found that anything not bolted down in the car will become a missle. Ice-scraper ended up swedged against my throat and underneath the shoulder harness (it was laying on the floor of the back-seat).. I'd hate to have that metal razor blade come off the windshield and go sailing around the inside of the car!
In Minnesota you will get a ticket for not having the plate on the front end of the car. It's a $100 fine and there is no latitude in how they administer that fine (I.E. - No Fix-it tickets).. Also to make matters even more challenging - Here in MN they have also made it law that you cannot have any sort of fascia or cover (clear or otherwise) over your plates. This is because of altered reflectivity and the ability of some opaque covers to absorb laser beams...
I'm not giddy about it - but I gave in. There are two little holes on my front bumper cover and the naked plate is installed..
BTW - In auto-shows here - they usually give you an extra 5 points in judging if your car meets the legal requirement for street operation.
So - Ugly-plate = Bonus in points..
In Minnesota you will get a ticket for not having the plate on the front end of the car. It's a $100 fine and there is no latitude in how they administer that fine (I.E. - No Fix-it tickets).. Also to make matters even more challenging - Here in MN they have also made it law that you cannot have any sort of fascia or cover (clear or otherwise) over your plates. This is because of altered reflectivity and the ability of some opaque covers to absorb laser beams...
I'm not giddy about it - but I gave in. There are two little holes on my front bumper cover and the naked plate is installed..
BTW - In auto-shows here - they usually give you an extra 5 points in judging if your car meets the legal requirement for street operation.
So - Ugly-plate = Bonus in points..
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Joined: November 28, 2004
Posts: 181
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Actually.......
The states that typically have the Photo Radar legalized don't like the clear plastic covers because they inhibit the photo, particularly with a little wax on them. We don't have photo radar in Missouri....yet.
And now for more useless information about license plates in Missouri.......
Yes, both plates must be bolted to the exterior of the car - front and back. Preferably bumper or in a place designated by the manufacturer. (Yes cars are supposed to have bumpers with some exceptions to some types of trucks....but yet again I digress)
Pretty colored covers to tint your plate to the same color as your car in Missouri are illegal. Anything that alters the color of the plate CAN get you pulled over and ticketed.
Pretty little trim brackets around your plate that say something snazy like "Envy my Pony", "My Other Car is a Shelby", etc are LEGAL ONLY if they do not cover any writing, expiration stickers, etc. Quite frequently in Missouri we find people have these brackets on that cover either the word "Missouri" at the top of the plate, the expiration month on the bottom left corner, or the expiration year in the bottom right corner. Any of these make the plate ILLEGALLY DISPLAYED or IMPROPERLY DISPLAYED and can get you pulled over.
And finally, the cut little lighted brackets, screw hole cover caps, etc, May or May not be legal in your state. In Missouri, there are only three colors of illumination permitted on any motor standard motor vehicle:
+ Red
+ Amber (Orange or Yellow to some eyes)
+ White
But wait, there's more.
Red cannot be visible from the FRONT of your car in Missouri.
So, if you have a cute little Christmas light display blinking around your license plate with the above three colors that's fine, as long as red isn't on the front plate and it's not obstructing the aformentioned parts or altering the plate visibility/color. (Note: A green light pointed at a plate to make it look green when that's not your states plate color could be construed as altering the color/visibility.
Other colors, typically displayed by Ricers (Green, Blue, Purple, Pink) give us a free reason to pull you over in Missouri. Doesn't matter if they are on the plate, under the car, etc. (Note: For those die hard FORD owners that are too old to know what a ricer is, it is a person who gets a car a plasters it with stuff like mentioned above. The vehicle is usually a front wheel drive car that has a HUGE oversized rear spoiler that forces traction from the front pulling wheels at high speed and pushes down the back end decreasing traction......sorry....once again I digress).
So, now that you guys know the ins and outs of license plate laws in Missouri, please educate yourself in your appropriate state. I don't pull over every car that is out of policy as we don't have enough cops for that even if all 1300 of us did that and only that full time. But I can tell you that that one little ordinance (Improper Display of Tag) is the little thing that gets most cops the big drug busts, the drunk drivers, etc. Because the guy with 28 kilo's of powder in his trunk on I-35 doesn't usually have a banner in the window saying "Stop me I have dope." So you stop tons of people for minor things, ask questions, build resonable suspicion, etc etc cop jargon, and get one big bust for every 100 little ticket.
What does this mean to you?
If you live in a state with a 2 plate law, just put two tiny little holes in your front valance and call it a night. Because Officer Murphy will stop you when you are in a hurry, on your way to a job interview, when you've had one drink enough to get you over the legal limit that you swear your man enough to drink two more before your inhibited /hicup, on that date with the hot new girlfriend (or boyfriend) and end up taking you to jail for the three parking tickets your lil sister got and didn't tell you about, etc. Two tiny friggin' holes less that a 1/4" wide each. That's all it takes.
And the front window suction cup doesn't scream "ricer", it screams "White Trash". Might as well get a trailer hitch, pull your double wide behind the stang, and don't forget to wear your pizza stained wife-beater t-shirt.
Two-Holes!!
Just Two!
To digress again and side hijack one more time, Big-Foot is right. A thin piece of metal flying through the air at anywhere from 60-140 mph will decapitate or labotamize about anyone. Don't ask me for crime scene photo's but I've seen far far too many highway deaths and injuries in my 14 years now on this job. Rear speakers laying unbolted on the back deck are a favorite of youth and make some really interested grilled cheese affects on peoples faces. But I've yammered way too much and will now sit back and wait for the inevitable flame.
Oh, did I mention, it's only TWO HOLES.
The states that typically have the Photo Radar legalized don't like the clear plastic covers because they inhibit the photo, particularly with a little wax on them. We don't have photo radar in Missouri....yet.
And now for more useless information about license plates in Missouri.......
Yes, both plates must be bolted to the exterior of the car - front and back. Preferably bumper or in a place designated by the manufacturer. (Yes cars are supposed to have bumpers with some exceptions to some types of trucks....but yet again I digress)
Pretty colored covers to tint your plate to the same color as your car in Missouri are illegal. Anything that alters the color of the plate CAN get you pulled over and ticketed.
Pretty little trim brackets around your plate that say something snazy like "Envy my Pony", "My Other Car is a Shelby", etc are LEGAL ONLY if they do not cover any writing, expiration stickers, etc. Quite frequently in Missouri we find people have these brackets on that cover either the word "Missouri" at the top of the plate, the expiration month on the bottom left corner, or the expiration year in the bottom right corner. Any of these make the plate ILLEGALLY DISPLAYED or IMPROPERLY DISPLAYED and can get you pulled over.
And finally, the cut little lighted brackets, screw hole cover caps, etc, May or May not be legal in your state. In Missouri, there are only three colors of illumination permitted on any motor standard motor vehicle:
+ Red
+ Amber (Orange or Yellow to some eyes)
+ White
But wait, there's more.
Red cannot be visible from the FRONT of your car in Missouri.
So, if you have a cute little Christmas light display blinking around your license plate with the above three colors that's fine, as long as red isn't on the front plate and it's not obstructing the aformentioned parts or altering the plate visibility/color. (Note: A green light pointed at a plate to make it look green when that's not your states plate color could be construed as altering the color/visibility.
Other colors, typically displayed by Ricers (Green, Blue, Purple, Pink) give us a free reason to pull you over in Missouri. Doesn't matter if they are on the plate, under the car, etc. (Note: For those die hard FORD owners that are too old to know what a ricer is, it is a person who gets a car a plasters it with stuff like mentioned above. The vehicle is usually a front wheel drive car that has a HUGE oversized rear spoiler that forces traction from the front pulling wheels at high speed and pushes down the back end decreasing traction......sorry....once again I digress).
So, now that you guys know the ins and outs of license plate laws in Missouri, please educate yourself in your appropriate state. I don't pull over every car that is out of policy as we don't have enough cops for that even if all 1300 of us did that and only that full time. But I can tell you that that one little ordinance (Improper Display of Tag) is the little thing that gets most cops the big drug busts, the drunk drivers, etc. Because the guy with 28 kilo's of powder in his trunk on I-35 doesn't usually have a banner in the window saying "Stop me I have dope." So you stop tons of people for minor things, ask questions, build resonable suspicion, etc etc cop jargon, and get one big bust for every 100 little ticket.
What does this mean to you?
If you live in a state with a 2 plate law, just put two tiny little holes in your front valance and call it a night. Because Officer Murphy will stop you when you are in a hurry, on your way to a job interview, when you've had one drink enough to get you over the legal limit that you swear your man enough to drink two more before your inhibited /hicup, on that date with the hot new girlfriend (or boyfriend) and end up taking you to jail for the three parking tickets your lil sister got and didn't tell you about, etc. Two tiny friggin' holes less that a 1/4" wide each. That's all it takes.
And the front window suction cup doesn't scream "ricer", it screams "White Trash". Might as well get a trailer hitch, pull your double wide behind the stang, and don't forget to wear your pizza stained wife-beater t-shirt.
Two-Holes!!
Just Two!
To digress again and side hijack one more time, Big-Foot is right. A thin piece of metal flying through the air at anywhere from 60-140 mph will decapitate or labotamize about anyone. Don't ask me for crime scene photo's but I've seen far far too many highway deaths and injuries in my 14 years now on this job. Rear speakers laying unbolted on the back deck are a favorite of youth and make some really interested grilled cheese affects on peoples faces. But I've yammered way too much and will now sit back and wait for the inevitable flame.
Oh, did I mention, it's only TWO HOLES.
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Joined: February 22, 2004
Posts: 1,564
Likes: 0
Originally posted by fleasome@December 5, 2005, 4:23 PM
What does this mean to you?
If you live in a state with a 2 plate law, just put two tiny little holes in your front valance and call it a night. Because Officer Murphy will stop you when you are in a hurry, on your way to a job interview, when you've had one drink enough to get you over the legal limit that you swear your man enough to drink two more before your inhibited /hicup, on that date with the hot new girlfriend (or boyfriend) and end up taking you to jail for the three parking tickets your lil sister got and didn't tell you about, etc. Two tiny friggin' holes less that a 1/4" wide each. That's all it takes.
And the front window suction cup doesn't scream "ricer", it screams "White Trash". Might as well get a trailer hitch, pull your double wide behind the stang, and don't forget to wear your pizza stained wife-beater t-shirt.
Two-Holes!!
Just Two!
Oh, did I mention, it's only TWO HOLES.
What does this mean to you?
If you live in a state with a 2 plate law, just put two tiny little holes in your front valance and call it a night. Because Officer Murphy will stop you when you are in a hurry, on your way to a job interview, when you've had one drink enough to get you over the legal limit that you swear your man enough to drink two more before your inhibited /hicup, on that date with the hot new girlfriend (or boyfriend) and end up taking you to jail for the three parking tickets your lil sister got and didn't tell you about, etc. Two tiny friggin' holes less that a 1/4" wide each. That's all it takes.
And the front window suction cup doesn't scream "ricer", it screams "White Trash". Might as well get a trailer hitch, pull your double wide behind the stang, and don't forget to wear your pizza stained wife-beater t-shirt.
Two-Holes!!
Just Two!
Oh, did I mention, it's only TWO HOLES.
Now that is funny. I have a few friends that are officers and they would say the same thing. Thanks for serving in one of the most under appreciated jobs out there.
Thread Starter
Bullitt Member
Joined: May 19, 2004
Posts: 469
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The issue isn't the two holes - its the ugly 12"x6" plate on the front of the car. For those of you who have front mounted plates, does it come with a dealer installed bracket in the front? Or, do you just use self tapping screws straight into the bumper? :shock: I'd like to get one of those plastic cases from Weathertech to protect my vanity plate if I do this.
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Joined: September 28, 2004
Posts: 547
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Originally posted by fleasome@December 4, 2005, 8:50 PM
Several threads on this already.
As a cop in the State of Missouri, I can pretty much tell you that any state that has a two plate law can pull you over for sticking it in the window.
Several threads on this already.
As a cop in the State of Missouri, I can pretty much tell you that any state that has a two plate law can pull you over for sticking it in the window.
Im not sure about Missouri, but here in California it doesn't say it has to be attached to the front bumper, all it says it must be attached in the front and rear of the vehicle. Attached is defined as being secured to prevent swinging, and be clearly visible. If the plate is attached to the windshield its not going to be blown away (protected by the windshield) and is still visible from the front of the vehicle. And for those worried about "flying objects", I think I'd be more worried about the vehicle thats crashing into me, besides the plate is in front (or behind) the front airbags, its not going to be a problem.
5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.
5201. License plates shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle for which they are issued so as to prevent the plates from swinging, shall be mounted in a position so as to be clearly visible, and shall be maintained in a condition so as to be clearly legible. The rear license plate shall be mounted not less than 12 inches nor more than 60 inches from the ground, and the front license plate shall be mounted not more than 60 inches from the ground, except as follows:
and if front plates are so important anyway, why arn't motorcycles required to display a front plate. seems to me there only use is a tool for states to "steal" more money.
Mach 1 Member
Joined: September 28, 2004
Posts: 547
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Originally posted by mrkabc@December 5, 2005, 1:26 AM
I agree - it's RICE!
License plate in front window is right up there with useless fire extinguisher bolted to the A pillar.
rice...rice...rice...
I agree - it's RICE!
License plate in front window is right up there with useless fire extinguisher bolted to the A pillar.
rice...rice...rice...
do tachs with shift lights attached to the a-pillar rank right up there? you should know how to shift if your driving a "non-rice" car shouldn't you? ...
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Joined: August 16, 2005
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Originally posted by GtStallion51+December 5, 2005, 10:46 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GtStallion51 @ December 5, 2005, 10:46 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>Im not sure about Missouri, but here in California it doesn't say it has to be attached to the front bumper, all it says it must be attached in the front and rear of the vehicle. Attached is defined as being secured to prevent swinging, and be clearly visible. If the plate is attached to the windshield its not going to be blown away (protected by the windshield) and is still visible from the front of the vehicle. And for those worried about "flying objects", I think I'd be more worried about the vehicle thats crashing into me, besides the plate is in front (or behind) the front airbags, its not going to be a problem.[/b]
My airbags never went off when I was T-Boned. I was moving about 15mph and she was clipping along at roughly 40.
Originally posted by GtStallion51@December 5, 2005, 10:46 PM
5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.
5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.
<!--QuoteBegin-GtStallion51@December 5, 2005, 10:46 PM
and if front plates are so important anyway, why arn't motorcycles required to display a front plate. seems to me there only use is a tool for states to "steal" more money.
[/quote]
If you don't like the law - write to have it repealed.. There's a petition being circulated by many eForums such as this - get your name on it.
Meanwhile you can burn all the calories in the world trying to figure out ways around the law and there will always be a judge somewhere that will just laugh at you and throw you out of court AFTER you pay your fine..
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