Front license plate

T

texascoder

1,000+ Posts
Ok, so this post is partly a rant and partly a plea for legal opinions from the lawyers that hang out on Hornfans...

Today, I got stopped by a local city cop (Cedar Park) for not having a front license plate on my car. When the officer came up to my window he specifically said he stopped me for that reason. I told him that I see plenty of cars with missing front license plates on the road and asked him if he stops all of them too. He, of course, said that he stops any car that he sees with a missing front plate, which I seriously doubt, but oh well... I wasn't going to pursue that further and get into a Gates/Crowley type incident
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It turns out that I did not have an up-to-date insurance card in the car so he gave me a ticket for that, which I think I can get dismissed without any fine by showing proof of insurance, although I don't know that for sure until I go to Municipal court and do that. He only gave me a warning for the missing front plate, however.

Anyway, this is probably the third or fourth warning that I've received for the missing front plate over the 5 or so years I've owned the car, but it is the first time that I was pulled over specifically because of a missing front plate (my guess is that he used that only as an excuse for the stop and was hoping to find me in violation of something else). My car is a nice looking Mustang GT with a special paint job and it would kill me to have to drill into the front bumper to install a bracket. I know this is no excuse, but still...

I know that the law says that a vehicle must have a front and a rear plate so from that standpoint I realize that I'm in the wrong. But, with so many cars on the road with missing front plates (almost every Corvette is missing the front plate), is there some element of selective prosecution that enters into this and gives me some sort of recourse if I ever do get a ticket for this? What's funny is that I have been driving this car around Cedar Park for over 5 years now and I've probably passed by that officer plenty of times on the street and he only now decided to stop me for the missing plate. Thank god he's out protecting us citizens from people driving around with missing plates
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Must be some kind of selectivity. I've driven around with no front plate for almost 4 years. Of course, it's a tC.
 
If you've had four warnings, I doubt you could make a case for selective prosecution. Particularly since I see drivers on forums dedicated to Honda Civics and Toyota Tundras have received tickets for the offense.
 
Our oldest car (a 2000 Accord) has never had a front plate. We bought it used. Lostboy#1 has been stopped a few times on 36 between here and Abilene for exactly that. Gets a warning everytime. We actually went and got a new set of plates, so that we have two now. He just throws the front one on the dash when he is on the road to and from school. Problem solved.
 
I drove an '86 RX7 for ten years and was stopped once (by DPS, warning) during that time). Just bought a Miata last week and do not want to put on a front plate. Most cops won't stop you, but if they have time and want to check you out for everything else they will pull you over.
 
I had a Lone Star flag plate on the front of my '91 S-10 truck for three or four years after buying it new and never got stopped until a DPS trooper nabbed me for it on I-35 in north Austin.

Told him it was unTexan to force me to take it off. He just gave me a warning, but that might be because he was an ex-student of mine from junior high school.
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You could move to New Mexico. I bet since you have a custom mustang you could get some sort of hidden retractable mount, that can hide underneath for aesthetics.

link

This one is remote switched:
link

video: link
 
I drove a little Ford wagon for years with no front plate. I finally got stopped by a trooper who gave me a warning. I asked him the same question, "I see cars all the time with no front plate. Are they all getting stopped?" He said, "Ma'am, that shouldn't be your concern. Your concern should be make sure your car is legal to drive on Texas roads."

So I went down to O'Reilly's and got the kid working there to install a bracket for a front plate, which I then attached.

Just do the right thing. Get the plate.
 
Parts stores like Pep Boys sell universal brackets where you have to drill holes in the bumper, but on Hondas and probably most other manufacturers, probably all of them, they sell factory brackets which fit the car properly and look good. You shouldn't have to drill any holes with these brackets, but that might not be true on every car. The factory setup may have a back bracket or two, and a front cover that fits the shape of the bumper. It is much pricier than the aftermarket part, though.
It is a law, and can be used to pull you over as an excuse, and it may be the time you have a couple of adult beverages at the tailgate party-so maybe you should put the plate on there.
 
In high school, I drove a truck that had a valid TN plate on the back, and an invalid TX plate on the front. TN did not require a front plate, so I just kept the front plate on, as it was a hand-me-down from my Texan grandpa.

I received a ticket for having the TX front plate in TN. It was easily dismissed once I removed it, but a weird story.
 
I don't see the big deal in putting a license plate on the front of the car. do you also not wear a seat belt, since it may wrinkle your Ed Hardy t-shirt?
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If you don't, you're giving every cop a "pull me over for free" card. Good luck if you've even had one beer.
 
"do you also not wear a seat belt, since it may wrinkle your Ed Hardy t-shirt?"

Fucks with his popped collar.

"you're giving every cop a "pull me over for free" card"

This!

When my daughters and stepsons started driving, that's the thing I drilled into their heads as much as safety. Buckle up, stop at stop signs and red lights, don't speed, use your blinkers, etc. Don't give those pricks an excuse to stop you. Nothing good can come from it.
 
Pardon me if I am stating the obvious, but that picture sure looks like there IS a place for a license plate to go.
 
I hate this law. The retards who enacted it should be smacked in the face.

Couple of attached bills were filed this year in the house and senate that would do away with front plates:

senate bill

House bill

These bills have died in the past so people need to contact the transportation committee members.

Also, I found an online petition. Link
 
I can understand on some cars, but yours was actually designed to receive the plate, many front bumpers are not and the moutning bracket is an afterthought.
 
texascoder,

I'd want to do whatever is going to keep cops from stopping me because I have no front plate. I don't need that kind of aggravation. If it means drilling into the front bumper, I'd do it.
 
drove a truck and car for over 5 years before getting pulled over for this reason. my plate reads tsippr and the wilco cop? you guessed it. an aggie.

i noticed the ring on his finger and asked him if he pulled me over because of not having a plate or because it was a horn plate with aggy meaning. he admitted both.

gave me a warning. i put a plate in my dashboard because i was not drilling holes into my front bumper and the infinity bracket from the dealership was $120.. ridiculous.
 
I tried that whole dashboard thing. Didn't work. Cop said that need to be properly mounted in the spot where an enforcement vehicle would be most likely to look. Or something like that.

My biggest frustration was getting pulled over a couple of times on my way home from college in Louisianna, where they don't require the front plate.
 
don't you need them for toll road cameras? red light cameras?
 
I like mustangs. A lot. Had a 1985 GT Convertable myself.

However, to the OP: Do you not see the giant ******* rectangle below your grill? It's not like it's going to destroy the lines of your car's design.

It's already got the ******* cutout. You don't want to drill, use ******* sticky back velcro. Whatever.
 
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