Do you have a front license plate?

[jaysonsmom]

i got a stupid “fix it” ticket for not having a front license plate today! I told the officer my car is a German import which came without a front license plate holder (truth)! Anyway, I noticed that at least 50% of the cars in my area don’t have front license plates....I was just One if the unlucky ones to get cited. So, my question is do YOU have your front license plate?

 

[Maisie]

I’m in the UK so it’s the law to have both front and back plates.

 

[pearlsngems]

Yes. It's the law here in CT, too.

 

[nala]

Yes. I have a German suv, too, and no I don’t like them, but I did have the dealer install them. It took a few minutes and they drilled the holes and installed them on the spot dedicated for them.
ETA: in my area they also ticket for parking in reverse— talk about annoying tickets. So yeah. I don’t do that either. Lol.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Funny to read there's no front plate holder on German cars, because in Germany it's unlawful to drive without number plates and they're SUPER strict about it ...

 

[Dancing Fire]

Nope, I just checked. My front license plate is sitting on the garage shelf, but not sure about my wife's car b/c she's not home.

 

[monarch64]

No.

Indiana law doesn’t require both front and back plates. I didn’t realize that til I moved to Chicago and got ticketed. I even had a bit of an argument with the cop who wrote the ticket. My front bumper was pristine, my car was paid for in cash, and I was honestly pissed that I was now supposed to drill holes in it just to appease a state law?!?!?!!! That made me so mad.

 

[missy]

Yes it is the law here. Front and back license plates.

Out of the 50 United States, only 19 do not require front license plates on vehicles. These states are primarily located, oddly enough, in the southeast, with a few exceptions scattered about. States like Ohio and Texas require the presence of both plates and are the only states that don’t border another state with the same plate law. The remaining 31 states that do require both plates usually refer to law enforcement for their reasoning.

Having a license plate on the front of a vehicle can help with crime solving. If a criminal is driving a vehicle with just a rear license plate and is aware of certain security cameras near a building, they could strategically park or drive the vehicle in a way that would prevent law enforcement from identifying the vehicle via the license plate. This is also the case for hit and runs or other traffic related accidents.

 

[Bron357]

Yes. Here in NSW Australia it is a $425 fine and also 3 demerit points.
Some people ie those with fancy cars used to just “wear” the fine but when they introduced demerit points as well (lose 13 points in 3 years and bye bye license for many months) they started complying.
Lots of our fines used to be just money and “rich” people didn’t care but now even parking infractions can lose points off your license so people comply.

 

[YadaYadaYada]

Yes, it's the law here in CT and I don't want to risk a ticket and have to give this state any more of my money!

 

[OoohShiny]

Yes. I have a German suv, too, and no I don’t like them, but I did have the dealer install them. It took a few minutes and they drilled the holes and installed them on the spot dedicated for them.
ETA: in my area they also ticket for parking in reverse— talk about annoying tickets. So yeah. I don’t do that either. Lol.

Er... what??

Are you saying that you cannot reverse into a parking space and then drive forwards out of it when you leave?

That is stupid.

The recommended method in advanced driving training is to reverse in, because then:
- you can see where you are going when you are pulling out,
- you only have to stick your bonnet out of the space for a full view of the road, rather than 2/3rds of the car, and
- you don't have massive c-pillars blocking your vision

If a state has laws that make you drive worse, that is idiotic!

Yes. Here in NSW Australia it is a $425 fine and also 3 demerit points.
Some people ie those with fancy cars used to just “wear” the fine but when they introduced demerit points as well (lose 13 points in 3 years and bye bye license for many months) they started complying.
Lots of our fines used to be just money and “rich” people didn’t care but now even parking infractions can lose points off your license so people comply.

Parking fines have points?

Lovely. As if driving in Australia wasn't regulated enough...

It does seem to me that enforcing rules rigidly for the sake of enforcing them seems to be the Australian way, especially with regards to speeding tickets for going even 1km/h over the limit when the road is completely empty.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

In NY you must unless it's a special plate like a dealer plate. My husband's car didn't come with one either, we had them drill on a bracket before we left the lot.

 

[diamondringlover]

yep its the law in Ohio to have both...but I have read where they are talking about possibly making it so that we dont have to have a front plate.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Yes it is the law here. Front and back license plates.
Having a license plate on the front of a vehicle can help with crime solving. If a criminal is driving a vehicle with just a rear license plate and is aware of certain security cameras near a building, they could strategically park or drive the vehicle in a way that would prevent law enforcement from identifying the vehicle via the license plate. This is also the case for hit and runs or other traffic related accidents..

Yes, THAT's the reason for that law and you'll be treated accordingly (potential terrorist /heavy criminal) if you don't have one by the usually nice and helpful law enforcement officers.

 

[Dee*Jay]

I do *have* a front license plate. because the state sent it to me, along with the rear plate.. but I'd slam my left t!t in the door of my 911 before I'd have holes drilled in my bumper (makes me cringe to even type those words!) and mount it there!

I keep the plate in the frunk along with a mounting that goes in the tow hook and a print out of the dealer's address. If I ever got pulled over I'd try to show all this to the good officer and tell him that my plan is to go to the dealer to get it put on because I can't do it myself, being just a dumb girl and all. --> furiously bat eyelashes at this point in the conversation. Bend over and show a little cleavage too if wearing the right top.

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I do *have* a front license plate. because the state sent it to me, along with the rear plate.. but I'd slam my left t!t in the door of my 911 before I'd have holes drilled in my bumper (makes me cringe to even type those words!) and mount it there!

I keep the plate in the frunk along with a mounting that goes in the tow hook and a print out of the dealer's address. If I ever got pulled over I'd try to show all this to the good officer and tell him that my plan is to go to the dealer to get it put on because I can't do it myself, being just a dumb girl and all. --> furiously bat eyelashes at this point in the conversation. Bend over and show a little cleavage too if wearing the right top.

 

[baby monster]

My Honda Pilot didn't have one so dealer drilled holes in front bumper and installed it. Guess they didn't do a solid job because someone either backed into or tapped the front bumper in supermarket parking lot while I was shopping last year. I came back to find the front license plate laying on the windshield. DH installed new anchors and it seems to be holding up.

 

[bludiva]

I do *have* a front license plate. because the state sent it to me, along with the rear plate.. but I'd slam my left t!t in the door of my 911 before I'd have holes drilled in my bumper (makes me cringe to even type those words!) and mount it there!

I keep the plate in the frunk along with a mounting that goes in the tow hook and a print out of the dealer's address. If I ever got pulled over I'd try to show all this to the good officer and tell him that my plan is to go to the dealer to get it put on because I can't do it myself, being just a dumb girl and all. --> furiously bat eyelashes at this point in the conversation. Bend over and show a little cleavage too if wearing the right top.

lol i got a fix it ticket for that and a tallight that was out when i was in college even though i literally had the new bulb in the car. depends on the officer's mood! i've had 2 cars since that didn't have front plates and have had one warning but no further tickets at least not yet....

 

[pearlsngems]

@OoohShiny, I took @nala's post to mean that they can be ticketed for parking such that the car faces backward relative to the direction of traffic on the side of the street it's parked on.
e.g. Here we drive on the right side of the street. If I wanted to park on the left side but just pulled into the space without first turnng the car around, it would be reversed compared to other cars parked on the left side of the street.

It occurs to me that I don't know what the law is about that in CT.

Edit: I did a little research, and it's illegal in CT.
"No vehicle shall be permitted to remain stationary...upon the traveled portion of any highway except upon the right-hand side of such highway in the direction in which such vehicle is headed...."

 

[lissyflo]

Er... what??

Are you saying that you cannot reverse into a parking space and then drive forwards out of it when you leave?

That is stupid.
.

I hadn’t heard about this until a few years ago either @OoohShiny . I first heard it was illegal from a friendly policeman while on holiday in South Africa. He told me this as I was trying to park facing against the direction of traffic! Makes sense from a safety view, but as a Brit it had never entered my head that it might be wrong!

 

[nala]

Er... what??

Are you saying that you cannot reverse into a parking space and then drive forwards out of it when you leave?

That is stupid.

The recommended method in advanced driving training is to reverse in, because then:
- you can see where you are going when you are pulling out,
- you only have to stick your bonnet out of the space for a full view of the road, rather than 2/3rds of the car, and
- you don't have massive c-pillars blocking your vision

If a state has laws that make you drive worse, that is idiotic!



Parking fines have points?

Lovely. As if driving in Australia wasn't regulated enough...

It does seem to me that enforcing rules rigidly for the sake of enforcing them seems to be the Australian way, especially with regards to speeding tickets for going even 1km/h over the limit when the road is completely empty.

Yes OoooShiny, that is correct. Bc the registration sticker is located in the rear plates, not in the front and they want to make sure your tags are current.

 

[Arcadian]

In Florida you get ONE plate.

In Massachusetts, I had 2. In Mass it was mandatory that car dealerships put the front brackets on all cars before they leave the lot.

So odd that parallel parking is against the law in some areas.... learn something new every day.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

I hadn’t heard about this until a few years ago either @OoohShiny . I first heard it was illegal from a friendly policeman while on holiday in South Africa. He told me this as I was trying to park facing against the direction of traffic! Makes sense from a safety view, but as a Brit it had never entered my head that it might be wrong!

Illegal in Germany for the same reasons as well

 

[ecf8503]

No - in Michigan they only give you one plate!

 

[OoohShiny]

Yes OoooShiny, that is correct. Bc the registration sticker is located in the rear plates, not in the front and they want to make sure your tags are current.

Good to know that enforcement and potential fines are more important than road safety!

 

[DAF]

New Jersey requires two and they're both installed.

 

[arkieb1]

Yes it's the law in all of Australia, we lose points for speeding, not displaying our plates and all sorts of driving offences if you lose enough you lose your license and the right to drive for certain periods of time.

You just drill holes in the front of the car's bumper to screw on a plate, I've watched my husband do it.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

State law here.

 

[Dancing Fire]

I don't but my wife does.

 

[dk168]

It is a requirement by law in UK for cars, so yes.

DK