cdominguez

I have a question for anybody who lives in a state that requires a front plate. If you don't run one, how many times have you been pulled over, what's your age, and gender?

I used to live in Colorado, where there was a two plate law. Back in college in 2008, I was driving my 2001 Firebird around campus with the T-Tops off and my windows down, when a cop pulled me over and wrote me a ticket for the front plate not showing and made me roll my windows up and ticketed me for my illegal tint. I paid the fines, even though I wanted to fight the window tint, since he didn't know they were illegally tinted until he made me roll the windows up. I was pulled over again in 2010, and 2012 for the front plate, but just paid the $35 fine in Colorado, because the looks of the car were so much better with that cover over the front plate mount. Side note here, I bought the Firebird from my father and step mother, who drove it without a front plate showing for 7 years, and never once was pulled over.

In 2013 I bought a BMW, also illegally tinted, no front license plate and nobody ever bothered me. In 2016 I traded that in and bought another BMW, same thing.

Fast forward to earlier today, I now live in Texas, and I have the Vette, without a front plate. I basically got out of my neighborhood when a cop going the opposite direction on a 2 lane road, flipped around and pulled me over for my license plate. He told me I needed a front plate and that he's going to let me off with a warning, but it's a $200 fine for not having one. He said he was putting notes that if they pull me over again for it, I'm going to be ticketed. I drove away and went to the gym which is about 2 miles from my house. On my way home, I passed 2 cops going the opposite direction of me, and I followed one in front of me. I was counting how many cars didn't have a front plate, and we passed 6 cars that didn't, including 2 Lexus RX350's and a Land Rover. The cop in front of me did nothing. I did notice that in each instance it looked to be a late 30's early 40's female driver.

I feel like I was targeted because once again, I'm a younger guy in a sports car. I'm not saying that those people in the other cars have never been pulled over before for their front plates, but I more feel like it was targeted especially because the cop who pulled me over was younger than I am (I'm 30). I find it interesting that I could drive the BMW's illegally for 6 years and never have anybody pull me over, but in 2 sports cars, I've been pulled over. Also, that my father in his late 40's and step mother, also late 40's, were never once pulled over for the plate in 7 years. Maybe I just drew the short stick today, but regardless, I ordered the aero panel for the plate because I didn't get one with the car, but at the same time I really don't want to mess the lines of the car up with it. I guess the old fine used to be $25, which I would gladly pay, but the new $200 fine is a little different.

Here's hoping some of the laws that have been proposed will pass to eliminate the front plate.

Elk

You are begin targeted because you are running without a front plate.

Put one on or take your chances.

owc6

Well, In MD. the state troopers hate no front-platers, and will pull you over in a heartbeat! I've seen them set themselves up just to do that.

I've been pulled over too many times to count, and I finally just gave up, and put plates on. I don't need to give them probable cause to pull me over.

Not sure what age has to do with it.

Gryphon_

2 years and 17k miles in CA and havent been stopped yet.

I'm the 4th owner and the 3 before me did 39k miles in 10 years in CA and none of them fitted a front plate to it.

robertpel9

8 years in California pulled over twice. Got warning

Having said that be careful especially if out a night and have had ANYTHING to drink. They use this as a reason to pull you over and see what else is going on

See5see6

29 years in So. Calif. No ticket yet. Probably tomorrow now that I've confessed.

cdominguez

What I was asking, was it age discrimination essentially? Not just today, but overall with the sports cars. I was 18 when I bought the Firebird and was pulled over multiple times, just for the plate. I had no other tickets on my record. But my father and step mother in the same car, no issues for the 7 years prior to me purchasing it. I had no issues in the BMW's for 6 years, then I get the Vette, and then I was pulled over for it. I see so many cars without front plates, and I highly doubt any of them are being pulled over. I was asking age because are they pulling me because I'm a younger guy in the car, and not bothering older guys, or does it have nothing to do with age and it's just the car? I brought up the Lexus's and Land Rover on the way home that didn't have plates, because it apparently has nothing to do with money, because both those cars are the same price or more expensive than mine. But all 3 were driven by middle aged women.

ref772

A local Texas city cop told me that if your not running a front plate, it just gives them an excuse to pull you over if they want to for some other reason. They would not pull you over for just not having a fron plate. Btw, he told me that while I was sitting in line for a parade in my 62 restomod with no plates. He said the only reason he would pull me over would be to look at my car. But that was a city cop. The DPS guys will stop you in Texas --- sometimes. I was stopped in a 350Z with no plate and got a ticket. He told me install it and take picture of it, send it to them and they would dismiss the ticket. Just don't get stopped again.

4thC4at60

Has nothing to do with you being young in a sports car..... it's against the law. Just put the plate on and move on with life.... much better things to stress over......

cdominguez

The front plate was literally the only reason that the Williamson County Sheriff stopped me. He even said so. In fact, it's on the recording in my car because I always run my PDR as a dashcam. What's funny is that another Sheriff lives 5 houses down from me and has seen my car multiple times, talked to me about it, and never once said a word about the front plate.

Bubbletop409

I live here in commifornia where it is legal to be here illegally and kill someone ( RIP Kate ), but not to drive without a front plate. That being said, 20+ years between my Vette's and my wife's Lexus and no contact with an overly aggressive LEO so far.

Mike Jesse

Apparently you must think rules don't apply to you.

How old are you? Seriously.

cdominguez

Probably 75% of Corvette owners in Texas don't run front plates. That's why I asked the question on how many times other people have been pulled over for it, seeing as how there are 31 states that you're supposed to have front plates. Can you base being pulled over on age, gender, car type, or just that the cop decided to pull you over for it? As another user already stated, one of the police officers he talked to said that he wouldn't pull somebody over for JUST the front plate. All officers are different though. How many people have ran other cars and been pulled over for ONLY not having the front plate? I had no problems in the BMW's, but between the Firebird and Vette it's been multiple times. How many times have the owners of those Lexus's or Range Rover or the Ford Flex been pulled over for JUST the front plate?

DALE#3

Firing squad or Front Plate?What's it gonna be today Sir?
21k miles,no plate,no pull over and a SNOT Less beautiful Nose

Litfuse

I have owned over 50 cars in the past twenty years. I have never run a front plate. I have only been pulled over once and that was in 2005 when I had a STI. Without a doubt, I was profiled because of my car.

4thC4at60

I wonder why I don't get pulled over in my Ferrari.... ever.... driven it in 10 states and all over the state of Texas... from Gulf to Panhandle and cross-crossed the states.... oh, and in 30 years of driving Corvettes (more than 800K miles) have been stopped 4 times - three for speeding and one for - yup - NO FRONT PLATE

direct007

I asked the captain of my local police department about it. He is a friend that also is a sports car enthusiast. He said, they probably wouldn't bother me in my town, but he couldn't speak for other towns. I drive all over the place so I decided it wasn't worth the risk / aggravation of being pulled over and installed it anyway. I despise the mount that fits over the nose of the vette and mounted it in the center of the grill.

cowboy casey

Just put the plate on like they do overseas in almost all places I have visited... There are many different spots to put them, most are on the drivers side just below the light...

Here is a link with a pic of the license plate position... That license plate was sold for 10 Million DH or 2.73 million US dollars https://www.thenational.ae/business/...plate-1.574817

449er

A simple way out of getting pulled over & possibly paying a $200. fine would be to put the front plate on, either do this or be constantly on the look out for the cops

Vetteman Jack

Exactly. No sense in just giving the officers a reason to ticket you. The aero plate holder conforms to the shape of the front grille and actually is not that bad looking.